PARMA Artists Celebrate Astor Piazzolla

In celebration of the birth of Astor Piazzolla, we are excited to share access to the many renditions of his work released by PARMA artists. The variations in arrangements bring us Piazzolla works on three of our four genre-centric record labels, showcasing the breadth of his work and its interpretation by artists worldwide.

With arrangements that enable varying instrumentation from the traditional tango ensemble to solo guitar or clarinet concerto, these performers each impress with their own take on works from the classical and tango world of Piazzolla. The Harrington Loewen Duo, for example, released an album of works arranged for piano and saxophone, THE POSTCARD SESSIONS on Ravello Records, that included the composer’s Ave Maria and Oblivion. The ensemble subsequently took the show on the road for PARMA’s inaugural tour through China in 2018.

Duo Beija-Flor, with Charles Hobson on guitar and Marie-Noëlle Choquette on flute, take on Oblivion and Escualo in their own unique arrangements on  their Big Round Records’ album COSTAS. The duo traveled to Buenos Aires in 2015 “to polish our tango arrangements by bathing ourselves in the culture and by studying with two tango music masters,” guitarist Victor Villadangos and flutist Paulina Fain.

On ROSEWOOD CAFÉ, also on Big Round Records, oboist Margaret Herlehy brings her classical background to a long held passion for the popular music of South America, including Piazzolla’s Café 1930 which she performs alongside David Newsam on guitar.

Grupo Encuentro, led by South American composer Alicia Terzian, presents Piazzolla’s work among other pieces on Navona Records’ TANGOS…  & SOMETHING MORE. In addition to music by Terzian herself, the tracks include a piano arrangement of Picasso written by Astor Piazzolla for bandoneon, and Terzian’s piano trio arrangements of Invierno Porteño and Verano Porteño from “Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” written by Piazzolla from 1965 to 1979.

David William Ross also interprets Piazzolla’s Porteñas, in a quintet arranged for guitar by Sergio Assad. Beginning with an enigmatic intro, Ross walks listeners through the whole four-movement story to its peaceful, happy ending.

The Oscuro Quintet’s eponymous album on Big Round Records embraces the ensemble’s dedication to well-established staples of tango like Piazzolla’s Escualo and Rio Sena and new, progressive forms of the genre, including pieces composed by members of the group.

Famed clarinetist Richard Stolzman gives a stunning concerto rendition of the composer’s Milonga en re with the Slovak National Philharmonic Orchestra on the collection DESTINATIONS from Navona Records.

PIAZZOLLA & GALLIANO from Serbian-Austrian accordionist Jovica Ivanović, features Aconcagua, a concerto for bandoneon, string orchestra, and percussion. Recorded with the Ukrainian Chamber Orchestra, Ivanović presents a piece that Piazzolla himself played at performances in the 1980s.

In Navona’s newest release of Piazzolla’s work, 4 RHAPSODIES, Piazzolla transformed the traditional tango into a new style called “Tango Nuevo” in his Tango Rhapsody. Pianist Kristina Marinova navigates both jazz and classical elements, extended harmonies, and dissonances in a plethora of nontraditional forms.

PARMA is honored to be a part of continuing the musical legacy of the great Astor Piazzolla, continuing to facilitate recordings and performances of his work. See the results of 2021’s Piazzolla Music Competition that offered recording contracts, performance tours, and classes to selected artists and generated a $10,000 donation to the Playing For Change Foundation.

For more information please visit: www.piazzollacompetition.com