The tango has little presence in Lithuania, home to accordionist Martynas Levickis. He claims that he did not come to the bandoneón music of Astor Piazzolla until he was well into his career, and indeed, accordionists do not play it so often, preferring to leave it to the original bandoneón (a related but distinctive instrument). Be that as it may, Levickis offers several fresh takes on two familiar Piazzolla works. First is the accordion, which has a more dominant position in the orchestral textures of the bandoneón ...
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The tango has little presence in Lithuania, home to accordionist Martynas Levickis. He claims that he did not come to the bandoneón music of Astor Piazzolla until he was well into his career, and indeed, accordionists do not play it so often, preferring to leave it to the original bandoneón (a related but distinctive instrument). Be that as it may, Levickis offers several fresh takes on two familiar Piazzolla works. First is the accordion, which has a more dominant position in the orchestral textures of the bandoneón concerto Aconcagua and in the intriguing arrangement of the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas ("Buenos Aires Four Seasons") heard here. The second is that the arrangement, for which no one is credited (perhaps it is by Levickis himself). It is for strings and a small chamber group, with piano but without the electric guitar of the quintet for which Piazzolla composed these pieces. The piano picks up much of the guitar's material, and the pieces feature a great deal of rhythmic counterpoint between the piano and Levickis' accordion. The arrangement lies between Piazzolla and the more "classical" orchestral versions of this and other Piazzolla works that are circulating, and it has quite a satisfying effect. Levickis' Aconcagua concerto, with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra under Modestas Pitrenas, is vigorous and strong. A novel Piazzolla release even for those who may own several versions of these pieces. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
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