Astor Piazzolla
Anniversary 1992-2017 Tango
Marcela Fiorillo,
piano
Wesley Music Centre,
Forrest, 30 September
Reviewed by Len Power
Celebrating the life and music of Argentinian composer,
Astor Piazzolla on the 25th anniversary of his death, Marcela Fiorillo gave the
audience a thrilling piano recital of his work at the Wesley Music Centre.
Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player,
and arranger. His work revolutionized
the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating
elements from jazz and classical music. A
virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a
variety of ensembles. He was 71 when he
died in 1992.
Marcela Fiorillo graduated from the National Conservatory of
Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She performs
internationally and is currently a performing Teaching Fellow at the ANU School
of Music.
Each item of the concert was introduced by the pianist who created
an immediate rapport with the audience with her relaxed and friendly manner.
The concert commenced with two works from Piazzolla’s Angel
series followed by two from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Fiorillo’s playing brought out all of the
colour and emotion in these dramatic and haunting works.
The first half of the recital finished with ‘Adios Nonino’,
a hymn that Piazzolla composed in memory of his father, who had died
unexpectedly in 1959. The sense of the
pain of loss is very strong in this piece and it was played with great
sensitivity.
‘Oblivion’ was written for a 1982 Italian movie, ‘Enrico
IV’. This beautiful, reflective work was
followed with the lyrical and charming ‘Romanza del duende poeta y Curda’ from
the score of Piazzolla’s 1968 opera, ‘Maria de Buenos Aires’.
The recital concluded with ‘Tangata’, dramatic, emotional
and a great finale to an evening of memorable playing by Marcela Fiorillo.
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 1 October 2017.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7’s new ‘On Stage’ program on Mondays from
3.30pm and on ‘Artcetera’ from 9.00am on Saturdays.