eMusic Review 0
Once a cult figure among fans of nuevo tango, Astor Piazzolla has grown ever more popular in classical music circles since his death in 1992. The Argentinean composer wrote works that blended influences of classical music, jazz and other urban Latin forms, and which could be performed on almost any solo instrument. David Tanenbaum, a champion of contemporary classical guitar music, brings out the more intimate, graceful side of Piazzolla's work, as opposed to the fire of the dance floor. That's not to say this collection lacks passion: “Acentuado” and “Milonga del Angel” have a smoldering quality that would do well in any dark, musty Buenos Aires bar. Tanenbaum's arrangement of the “Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) is also appealing, as he plays up the expressive dissonances and abrupt shifts in tempo and gives the music a sassy, sultry edge.
