We can listen to the music of Astor Piazzolla in just about every instrumental combination imaginable — but there’s a special thrill of hearing his tango nuevo played by a true virtuoso of the accordion.
Toronto transplant Alexander Sevastian gets the mood and sound just right in this collection of nine pieces, seven Piazzolla originals for solo accordion.
There is something about the way the instrument divides the timbres of treble and bass that create the effect of there being more than one musician playing. Sevastian makes it sound so easy, teasing a wide dynamic range and phrasing every melody with great care.
The first track is an affecting arrangement by Frank Angelis of Piazzolla’s Chiquilín de Bachin (the Kids of Bachin) for accordion and string quartet — violinists Atis Bankas, Albina Molodozhan, violist Anna Antropova and cellist Jonathan Tortolano. It’s impeccably rendered.
The final piece is the album’s title work, by accordionist Joseph Petric, for accordion and string trio. It’s a substantial, episodic, rhythmically intriguing piece clearly inspired by tango yet charting its own path. it also seems tailor-made for choreography.
The finest of Piazzolla’s solo-accordion works on the album is Flora’s Game, which is almost like a mini-opera for an amazingly versatile instrument that Sevastian can make sing as well as dance.
You’ll find all the album details here.
John Terauds