Countless classical artists have hitched their stars to the Astor Piazzolla bandwagon since the composer’s death in 1992. And why not? After all, Piazzolla’s passionate, inventive compositional style did for the Tango what Chopin did for the Polonaise, Strauss Jr. for the Waltz, Sousa for the Military March, and Elena Kats-Chernin for the Rag. But some of these performers are stylistically clueless and can’t unlock the idiom’s dark, sultry secrets, no matter how earnestly they play the notes. By contrast, the Katona Twins possess clues and answers galore. Listen to the three-part Tango Suite or to Le Grand Tango, with their dazzling runs and syncopations. The Katonas constantly shape their effortless virtuosity so that the phrases and accents fall in the right places, conjuring up the smoke between the notes.
Their resourceful arranging skills don’t hurt either. Notice (especially in surround-sound) how the Carducci Quartet and bassist Daniel Storer embrace (but don’t smother) the guitarists with their beefy sonority and slithery decorative gestures in Hommage à Liège and in the nifty little Fugata that opens this disc. You’ll swear that a full string orchestra’s in the room. If you’re a Piazzolla fan interested in 54 minutes of sonic and musical exhilaration, this disc’s a must. [6/24/2004]
