Tango Royal

by Ed Spanjaard, Carel Kraayenhof

Overview

The European tango revival has slowed from its torrid pace of the late 2000s decade but continues to produce distinctive recordings. This one is by Dutch bandoneon player Carel Kraayenhof, who has achieved considerable celebrity in his home country. He's a masterful player, and the small sonorities of his instrument are beautifully displayed by Pentatone's Hybrid Multichannel Super Audio CD sound. The program is effective, mixing works by Astor Piazzolla with compositions of Kraayenhof himself, taking off from the more experimental aspects of Piazzolla's late period. The performance of Piazzolla's Aconagua Concerto for bandoneon, strings, and percussion (tracks 6-8) is very strong. Buyers should approach this set with caution, however. The Kraayenhof originals and most of the Piazzolla pieces are arranged for bandoneon, strings, piano, and a wordless choir. It is this last element, seemingly designed for Andre Rieu-style television extravaganzas, that may prove difficult to stomach; for most listeners it will almost certainly add nothing more than an unwanted layer of glop to Oblivion and the sublime Adios Nonino. Sample well, and if you like a frankly sentimental treatment of the essentially lowdown tango, this may fill the bill. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	05/29/2012
Label:	Pentatone Classics
UPC:	0827949000867

Tracks

1. Calvel rojo
2. Milonga del ¿¿ngel
3. Balada para un loco
4. M¿¿xima
5. Milonga para Thirza
6. Aconcagua', concerto for bandone¿¿n, string instruments and percussion~Allegro marcato
7. Aconcagua', concerto for bandone¿¿n, string instruments and percussion~Moderato
8. Aconcagua', concerto for bandone¿¿n, string instruments and percussion~Presto
9. Oblivion
10. Maypa
11. Adi¿¿s Nonino

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ed Spanjaard   Primary Artist,Conductor
Carel Kraayenhof   Primary Artist,Bandoneon
Royal Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra   Orchestra
Netherlands Chamber Choir   Choir/Chorus
Heleen Koele   Soprano (Vocal)
Sexteto Canyengue   Ensemble
Ivar Munk   Choir Director
Vesko Eschkenazy   Violin

Technical Credits

Mario Nozza   Engineer
Carl Schuurbiers   Editing
Joerg Peter Urbach   Lyric Translation
Roger de Schot   Engineer
Bob Zimmerman   Arranger
Roberto Daniel Alvarez   Composer,Arranger
Job Maarse   Producer
Fiona J. Gale   Liner Note Translation
Matthijs Ruijter   Editing
Brigitte Zwerver-Berret   Liner Note Translation
Carel Kraayenhof   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist
Astor Piazzolla   Composer
Horacio Ferrer   Lyricist
Erdo Groot   Balance Engineer
Gaby Kusminsky   Language Coach
Rob Becker   Liner Notes