| Album Review |
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| Creative Voices |
| Café Buenos Aires: Vocal Tango Music by Piazzola, Gardel, Mores and Others |
If you thought you knew tango music, think again. Creative Voices has produced Café Buenos Aires, a delightful collection of vocal tango pieces that is sure to brighten your day. Eduardo Mendelievich directs the eighteen-voice a cappella chamber choir based in San Francisco.
One of the goals of Creative Voices is to produce music that is rarely or never performed. Café Buenos Aires is a collection of both traditional and contemporary tango pieces from composers such as Hector Stampone, Astor Piazolla and Carlos Gardel. Being that tango music is mostly instrumental, vocal tango requires the singers to imitate the sound of the instruments with their voices, thus the advent of ’tango scat.’ This style of ’scat’ singing is similar to that heard in jazz music. However, because the goal is to imitate the sounds of instruments rather than produce free, vocal improvisations, it takes on a different and very vibrant quality.
To many people, Tango brings images of passionate dances in smoky cafes. While this recording would fit well in such a scenario, it is much more than a collection of sultry love songs. Each song is infused with artistic and classical musical technique. Much of this sophistication comes from the work of several artists. These include Astor Piazzolla, who changed the face of tango by incorporating elements of classical music into his tango compositions. In addition, arrangers such as Javier Zentner, Roberto Goldar, Emilio Dublanc and others transformed these tangos into beautiful choral works.
The opening song, El Ultimo Café (The last coffee), begins full-bodied, rich, warm and inviting...much like a great cup of coffee. And then the tango beat begins and we are swept away in the memory of a painful goodbye.
Track 2, Taquito Militar, is an example of milonga (a fast paced, compressed version of the tango). With no actual words to fall back on the singers create the effect of a tango performance at its most virtuosic.
The melodic and harmonic contours of Niebla del Riachuelo (Tr. 3) create a sense of yearning and painful remembering.
Tracks 4-6 are examples of the iconic tango music of Astor Piazzolla. These songs skillfully paint pictures of love lost and found, of passion and longing. All this done without the aid of words, just pure vocal artistry.
The next three tracks bring us more beautiful poetry in wonderful musical settings. All three songs, again about lost love, but with very different flavors. Gricel (Tr. 7) opens with a beautiful, layered old-world sound aided by the inclusion of male counter-tenors. Naranjo en flor (Tr. 8) has a slightly lighter tone. The male soloist sings beautifully and with much conviction "First you have to learn how to suffer then love, then depart And lastly go with a peaceful mind." Soledad (Tr. 9) is straightforward, almost stoic, in the expression of loneliness.
No te salves (Tr. 10) is a real treat. This composition was written especially for Creative Voices by Javier Zentner. Based on a poem by Mario Benedetti, one of Uruguay’s most important poets, it is beautiful poetry, beautiful music, and beautiful singing.
The recording ends with Piazzolla’s Cycle of the Angel (Tr. 11-14), which includes four songs: "Introduccion al Angel", "Milonga del Angel", "La Muerte del Angel", and "Resurreccion del Angel." One might expect that a song cycle must contain words. But Piazzolla again provides such rich imagery in his compositions, words would merely distract from the intensity in the music. Piazzolla would not be disappointed with this rendition, for Creative voices imbues each song in the cycle with the utmost passion.
If you are new to vocal tango music, this recording provides just the right introduction. If you are already a fan of vocal tango, you will be pleased with the fresh approach that Creative Voices brings to this vital musical form. Either way, this a unique recording that deserves a place in any collection of fine choral music.
Café Buenos Aires was digitally recorded at Skywalker Sound in June, 2005. The CD album includes a satisfying booklet insert acting as a wonderful guide to vocal tango and to Creative Voices. |
Link to Album site |
Copyright © 2008 In C Major
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The information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for the original concert information. Check with the official event web site prior to the performance to confirm information. Although we do our best, we are unable to guarantee the accuracy of concert program information presented on this site. All information is subject to change.
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