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Tango Romances
José Bragato - Ástor Piazzolla

Tango Romances

Devich Trio

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0608917217827
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Catalog number: CC 72178
Releasedate: 10-09-07
  • The CD contains nine musical gems: eight classic Piazzolla pieces, and one written by arranger José Bragato, Milontan
How does a classical piano trio come up with the idea to record a CD with music by Astor Piazzolla? My question is greeted by cheerful laughter. “It’s our encore”, says violinist Sarah Oates. “Always a success”, adds cellist Jasper Havelaar. “Hanna found it.” Hanna Devich, pianist who also gave the Trio its name, tells how she came across Primavera Porteña, the first part of Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, in an arrangement by José Bragato. He had converted the piece, originally written for bandonéon, violin, piano and guitar, into music for a piano trio. The Devich Trio, decided to practise the piece because it displayed all the features of a suitable ‘finale’: it gave the musicians a chance to show their virtuosity, focusing on each performer individually in turn, and the audience leaves the concert hall in a good mood. They also played it for the presentation of their second CD, Czech Legacy II, for these very reasons. The first copy of this CD, with music by Smetana and Dvoák, they presented to their classical coach Istvan Parkanyi, who immediately suggested that their next CD ought to be one with music by Piazzolla. And here it is!

The CD contains nine musical gems: eight classic Piazzolla pieces, and one written by arranger José Bragato, Milontan. The title is a contraction of milonga (the oldest form of the tango) and tango. Bragato composed it in 1983 for American cellist Christine Walevska who lived in Argentina for ten years. (text above & below extracted from liner notes by Nelly de Zwaan)