Tomás Cotik, the violinist on this album, was born and grew up in Buenos Aires and emigrated to pursue his musical career, later appreciating the music of his home country more while living abroad.
Composer Biography
Piazzolla considered Buenos Aires one of his three great music teachers, alongside Alberto Ginastera, an Argentine composer, and Nadia Boulanger, a French composer and teacher.
Historical Context
Argentina was the second largest recipient of immigrants between 1821 and 1932, with four million immigrants, mainly Italians, Spaniards, and French, settling there by the 1920s.
Interpretation
The arrangements on this album, particularly those by Ken Selden, incorporate improvisations transcribed from original recordings by Piazzolla and his Quinteto Nuevo Tango.
Compositional Technique
Piazzolla's music often features a distinctive 3-3-2 rhythmic accent, which he heard in Klezmer music as a boy and also appears in the music of his idol, Béla Bartók.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Astor Piazzolla, the composer, aimed to create music that appealed to the ear rather than the feet, breaking from the traditional 'danceable' tango.
Cultural Impact
The tango, a complex genre involving dance, music, poetry, and drama, is a result of the combined influence of thousands of immigrants, especially Italians, in Argentina.
