Piazzolla, A.: Music for Guitar, Yuri Liberzon with Piotr Pakhomkin (Naxos)
Yuri Liberzon’s upcoming release of a recording devoted entirely to the music of Astor Piazzolla is wonderful. It was recorded in April 2023 for the NAXOS label and was produced and engineered by guitar legend Norbert Kraft.
Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Suite for two guitars opens the program and sets the high standard one has come to expect from Yuri’s recordings. The suite is the only work where fellow virtuoso guitarist Piotr Pakhomkin, who flew in from Europe to record, joins Yuri. Having heard the famous recording of the Assads, for whom the piece was written, I can’t help but compare a bit. Yuri and Piotr take a bit of a more introspective journey through the piece, playing sections at a measured pace and always paying attention to balance and phrasing. The tempo for the third movement comes across as a bit slow, but it does not lack intensity. This made it seem like I was hearing the piece for the first time.
The arrangements of Oblivion (arr. Liberzon) and Muerte del Ángel (arr. Brouwer) really capture the essence of these pieces. Yuri plays both of these pieces with the musical freedom of an experienced performer. Despite the demanding counterpoint in Muerte del Ángel, the drive and intense pace are relentless, giving it Piazzolla’s soul squeezing pulse.
Perhaps the highlight of the recording is the refreshing and meticulous interpretation of the Cinco Piezas (Campero, Romántico, Acentuado, Tristón, Compadre). This is the only solo work Piazzolla wrote for the guitar, and despite the score’s visual simplicity, it demands the highest level of playing to pull off with such finesse. To experience fully what Yuri is capable of on the guitar, listen to how Tristón’s incessant accompaniment is magically played with its slowly unwinding harmonies while the melodic line floats above like bells in the clouds. And Compadre, played with Yuri’s signature understated intensity, will make you close your eyes and nod your head in agreement as you listen along.
And to wrap up the recording, Yuri has chosen Manuel Barrueco’s arrangement of the Tango Etudes. Again, looking at the score is deceiving. Originally written for the flute, one would think these etudes would translate physically to the guitar. But they are likely the most technically demanding pieces on the recording, and yet Yuri plays them in a way that sounds seasoned and comfortable.
I’ve heard Yuri interpret Piazzolla’s music over the years, and his relationship with the composer has not been static; it has evolved in depth and maturity. What strikes me most about the recording as a whole is the quality of the playing, the recorded sound, and the scope of the project. They, like the way Yuri juggles the compelling counterpoint and driving rhythms in Piazzolla’s music, are finely balanced into a perfect musical experience. So all you have to do, as Enrique Fernández wrote in the liner notes to Piazzolla’s recording Hora Zero, is, “Listen up. And suffer, m*ther!%^&er, this is the tango.”
Six String Journal 