Tango! by Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble

Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble

Tango!

Format: SACD hybrid
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917261028
Catnr: CC 72610
Release date: 08 July 2013

1 SACD hybrid

Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917261028

Catalogue number
CC 72610

Release date
08 July 2013

"Niet een al te positieve recensie"

Leeuwarder Courant, 01-11-2013

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

Click here to go to the trailer of Tango!

Classical music lovers all over the world will know her name: violinist Isabelle van Keulen is a soloist who, for many years now, has built a strong career worldwide. She plays with all the important orchestra's, performs in the famous concert halls and keeps on recording extraordinary CD's of a very high level. Take for instance her latest release of December 2012 with music of Prokofiev together with her duo partner Ronald Brautigam. But now she dares to do something totally different! She wanted to do this for many years and now her dream can come true to play and record the music of Astor Piazzolla. This music she has loved since she was a child of six years old. With her new ensemble she also plays in concert halls and she recorded this beloved tango music on SACD and on film (on DVD and Bluray) in January 2013 in mechelen (Belgium). In a bonus documentary that goes with the BluRay, Isabelle and her colleagues Ulrike Payer, Christian Gerber and Rudiger Ludwig tell about this music, about the tango technique and about their instruments. This not only gives us insight in Piazzolla himself but also tells more about the typical tango sound and how this is produced and why, according to the musicians, this music is so moving and goes straight to the heart!

This Super Audio CD will move a lot of people all over the world because of its directness and the emotions it evokes. One of our highlights of this year on Challenge Classics!

Op dit album brengt Nederlands topvioliste Isabelle van Keulen met haar ensemble, de tangomuziek van Astor Piazzolla ten gehore. Een droom, die ze als kind al had en die nu eindelijk uitkomt. Piazzolla’s meeslepende melodieën en spannende ritmes zijn zinderend en virtuoos. Als geen ander kan hij de essentie van de tango zo goed overbrengen met muziek. Van het intense Milonga del ángel tot de lente uit Piazzolla’s eigen, Argentijnse Vier seizoenen. Een ultiem uitdagende vorm van samenspel.

Isabelle van Keulen is een top violiste die over de hele wereld optreedt als soliste en in kamermuziek ensembles. Ze kreeg een LP van Astor Piazzolla cadeau toen ze zes jaar oud was. Ze was meteen verkocht en is sindsdien een echte tangoliefhebster. De violiste hecht grote waarde aan haar muzikale veelzijdigheid. Ze ziet muziek als taal, haar communicatie met publiek en mede-musici zorgt voor een gevoel van inspiratie en enthousiasme.

Het ensemble

Isabelle van Keulen houdt van de tango. Ooit op haar zesde verjaardag kreeg ze een LP van Astor Piazzolla cadeau. Ze was meteen verkocht en werd een echte liefhebster van de tango. In 2011 richtte ze haar eigen Tango Nuevo ensemble op, het Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble, met als doel om de Tango Nuevo meesterwerken van Astor Piazzolla uit te voeren. Samen met bandoneonist Christian Gerber, zelf een van de belangrijkste musici van zijn generatie, pianiste Ulrike Payer, bekend om haar veelzijdigheid en flexibiliteit in alle muzikale genres en contrabassist Rüdiger Ludwig, een charismatisch musicus en solobassist van het NDR Orkest Hannover inspireert Isabelle het publiek op het hoogste niveau van perfectie en met muzikale intensiteit. Zo brengt het ensemble de aangrijpende schoonheid, melancholie en kracht van de muziek van Piazzolla op een directe manier over.

Astor Piazzolla

Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (1921-1992) Argentijn van geboorte woonde in zijn jonge jaren in New York. Nog maar acht jaar was hij, toen zijn vader hem een bandoneon gaf, de start van een leven vol hartstochtelijke tangomuziek. Hij studeerde muziek in de Verenigde Staten, Buenos Aires en Europa. Zijn controversiële benadering van de tango en zijn meeslepende stijl trok een groot publiek in Zuid-Amerika, maar stuitte tegen de borst van de liefhebbers van de traditionele tango. Dat leidde tot discussie: was de muziek van Piazzolla nu tango of niet? Uiteindelijk haalde Piazzolla bakzeil, hij definieerde zijn werk als 'eigentijdse Buenos Aires muziek'. Een van zijn bekendste werken is Adiós Nonino (Vaarwel opaatje), gemaakt toen zijn vader overleed. Weet u het nog? De traan van Máxima op haar bruiloft, op het moment dat Carel Kraayenhof dit lied, Adiós Nonino speelde?

Piazzollas Tangos in einer emotionalen Aufnahme mit Isabelle van Keulen und ihrem Ensemble.

Klassik-Hörer auf der ganzen Welt kennen ihren Namen: Isabelle van Keulen. Ob als Konzertinterpretin, Kammermusikerin, Festival-Chefin oder Dozentin, die Geigerin begeistert stets ein großes Publikum. Mit ihrem Ensemble realisierte sie jetzt einen langgehegten Wunsch und spielte Tangos von Astor Piazzolla. Diese SACD ist nicht nur die Erfüllung eines Traumes der Geigerin Isabelle van Keulen, sondern sie ist auch eine für die Zuhörer mitreissende Einspielung. Die Interpretaionen der Tangos kommen direkt aus den Herzen der Musiker. Auf DVD und BluRay wurde ein Film produziert, der das Ensemble während der Aufnahmen zeigt. Als Bonus zur BluRay sprechen die Musiker über Piazzollas Musik und ihre Erfahrungen.

Isabelle van Keulen è violinista di altissimo livello, di forte personalità e di straordinaria vitalità musicale, senza alcun dubbio fra le più richieste intepreti d’oggi.

Dall’età di sei anni, quando ricevette in regalo un LP di Astor Piazzolla, la violinista olandese è un’appassionata del tango. Da tempo desiderava suonare questa musica con un ensemble ed ora il suo sogno diventa realtà con un SACD (CC 72610) ma anche con un video disponibile in formato DVD (CC72609) e BluRay (CC72602 – con bonus CD). La versione video comprende il programma vero e proprio (Tango!), eseguito in studio e ripreso splendidamente, con primi piani sulle espressioni dei musicisti, che rendono il film un’intensa esperienza musicale. In appendice un documentario (Music from the Heart) girato dal regista Hans Pannecoucke, con interviste ai membri dell’ensemble e il dietro le quinte delle sessioni di registrazione.

La formazione comprende – oltre a Isabelle – il bandoneonista Christian Gerber, il pianista Ulrike Payer e il contrabbassista Rudiger Ludwig.

Artist(s)

Isabelle van Keulen (violin)

”Her taut musical intelligence and vivid sound combined with a fine instinct for the tender, searching quality of this music … absolutely magical.” The Guardian Since her breakthrough in 1984 winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, a competition that was broadcast all over Europe and watched live on television by millions, Isabelle van Keulen can now look back on many years of musical diversity. Not only is it always vital for her to approach the musical score with honesty and with an extremely consious approach to interpretation, she also strives to communicate with her audiences and musical partners, allowing her to perform in an inspirational, lively and enthusiastic manner.
Her versatility lies in the fact that she not only plays the violin, but as well viola with the same energy, performing chamber music in any thinkable combination and directing chamber orchestra performances. Whether in the over 20 year intense collaboration with the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, concerts with mezzo soprano Christianne Stotijn, performing/directing the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, combining violin and viola in one appearance, or being a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic or NHK Tokyo. Above all, being faithful to the music is her highest priority.
She has over the course of her career engaged works written by contemporary composers. She had many concertos written especially for her (Theo Loevendie, Erkki-Sven Tüür) and has many other 20th and 21st century works in her repertoire: Concertos by Henri Dutilleux, John Adams and Lera Auerbach. She also likes to perform less known works by Colin Matthews and Concertos by Krenek, Pettersson and Busoni.

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Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble

The Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble was initiated in 2011 by the internationally well established violinist and violist Isabelle van Keulen, following her Carte Blanche concert series in the Concertgebouw Haarlem, the Netherlands, with the purpose to perform Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Nuevo master works to the highest technical and musical standards.
Together with bandoneonist Christian Gerber, he himself one of the leading performers of his generation, and winner of several prizes, a.o. the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, pianist Ulrike Payer, well known for her versatility and sensibility in all musical genres and double bass player Rüdiger Ludwig, a charismatic musician and Co-Principal of the NDR Orchestra Hanover, they overwhelmed their audience on their first appearance.
The result was a series of high profile concerts: Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Rheingau Music Festival, Schlesweg Holstein Festival, Delft Festival a.o., reinvitations followed immediately.
In 2013 their first CD and DVD „Tango!” appeared on Challenge Classics with well known works by Astor Piazzolla, which was highly praised in the international press and received several awards at Dutch and German radio stations: CD of the week with f.e. Hessische Rundfunk Frankfurt and Norddeutsche Rundfunk.
Together with the DVD production Challenge brought out a documentary about the making of the CD (‚Music from the Heart’). Following this suceess several tours were planned, Great Britain, Switzerland and the Benelux.
In 2015, the second CD of the ensemble, "Grand Tango!", received again excellent reviews - the renowned magazine "The Strad" wrote: "Van Keulen and her colleagues are the ideal interpreters for Piazzolla!" The release of the third Piazzolla recording "Ángeles y Diablos" will be followed to an extended concert activity again, leading the ensemble for the third time to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, to Oslo and to various international festivals. In their concerts the Isabelle van Keulen ensemble inspires their audience with the highest level of perfection and musical intensity and transmits the poignant beauty, strength and melancholy Piazzolla’s music in a direct and gripping way.

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Ulrike Payer (piano)

Ulrike Payer counts among the most versatile pianists of our time. Her repertoire not only includes solo pieces, as well as all renowned concerts and chamber music pieces and lieder, but also covers various styles and eras, from Baroque to modern day classical music.
Having been born into a theatre-based family in Wuppertal, Ulrike Payer studied in Brussels, Cologne and Hanover, winning several international prizes. Additionally she studied with Alexis Weissenberg, Tatjana Nikolajewa and the Amadeus Quartet.
Apart from working with different orchestras und such renowned conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Kirill Petrenko and Justus Frantz, Ulrike Payer is a regular guest at festivals throughout the world, for example at Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Delfter Kammermusikfestival, Peking Festival, Usedomer Musikfestival, La folle journée au Japon. Radio-, CD- and TV recordings document the wide variety of the artist’s work.
As a pianist, Ulrike Payer distinguished herself not only in the world of classical music, but also as an interpreter of Tango Argentino. An encounter with Alfredo Marcucci in 1998 was followed by concert appearances and an intense and fundamental exploration of the genre. Consequently, Ulrike Payer played concerts alongside the most prominent Argentine musicians, such as Cholo Montironi, Norberto Bondino, Carlos Buono and the Sexteto Mayor .
As a pianist with the NDR-Sinfonieorchester, Ulrike Payer worked with conductors Semyon Bychkov, Michael Gielen, Alan Gilbert und Andris Nelsons. Her chamber music partners include Isabelle van Keulen und Orfeo Mandozzi; in recent years, she has co-operated with Christian Poltéra, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Alisa Weilerstein und Saschko Gawriloff. A close collaboration exists with the actors Nina Hoger and Christian Brückner.
From 1999 to 2003 Ulrike Payer held a teaching assignment at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt am Main. Since 2004, she has been teaching at the Musikhochschule Mainz and the Musikhochschule Saarbrücken and is currently working with Nobuko Imai and Nils Mönkemeyer at Kronberg Academy.

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Rüdiger Ludwig (double bass)

Rüdiger Ludwig was born 1970 in Mainz and received his first double-bass lessons at the age of fifteen. After one year he joined the National German Youth Orchestra and participated in the young talent classes from the conservatory of Mainz and two years later he continued his studies with Professor Günter Klaus at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main.
1991 he joined the European Union Youth Orchestra and performed as principal double-bass under the direction of conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Carlo Maria Giulini, Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy and James Conlon.
After playing for one year at the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra, Rüdiger Ludwig became 1995 co-principal double-bass at the NDR Hanover Radiophilharmonie, where he since performs in concerts both for radio and television in Germany and countries abroad like Japan, Spain, Brasil, Argentina, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, France and Norway. Next to this he performs regularly as a guest in orchestras like Hamburg State Opera, WDR Radio-Orchestra Köln, HR Radio-Orchestra Frankfurt, Luzern Festival Orchestra and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Over the years he interpreted all the major double-bass concertos with several orchestras.
Rüdiger Ludwig made recordings for the NDR Radio, both solo and chamber music as a member of the Ensemble Oktoplus among other soloist of the NDR Radiophilharmonie. Furthermore he appears regularly on chamber music platforms with artists like Isabelle van Keulen, the Leopold String Trio and Ulrike Payer.
He performs on a Auguste Sebastien Phillipe Bernardel („Вernardel Pere“) double-bass from 1856.

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Composer(s)

Ástor Piazzolla

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) is one of most important tango composers of all time. Surprisingly, he spent a large part of his youth in New York. In 1937, Piazzolla returned to his mother country Argentina. There, he started to focus on a career as a classical pianist while in the evening he would play accordion in tango cabaret. From 1955, he worked on his own compositions and wove these two influences together to a new, refreshing sound: the 'tango neuvo'. At the wedding of crown prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta, Carl Kraayenhof made a spectacular impression with his performance of Adios Noniño. Piazzolla died in 1992.

At the wedding of crown prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta, Carl Kraayenhof made a spectacular impression with his performance of Adios Noniño. Piazzolla died in 1992.

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Press

Niet een al te positieve recensie
Leeuwarder Courant, 01-11-2013

the dutch violinist plays the music of Ástor Piazolla with a passion. Her Ensemble supports her with highest intensity and extremely imaginative. A great achievement!
pizzicato, 01-11-2013

Tango passion
concerti, 01-10-2013

"For lovers, and there are undoubtedly many, there is nothing else but to buy both formats, but than you have the crème de la crème of Piazzolla's performances at home"
www.opusklassiek.nl, 22-9-2013

They take Astor Piazolla's music by heart and this is how they play themselves into the hearts of everyone loving music - and especially tango.
Kultur online, 18-9-2013

better than any other classical music record ever made
HDVD Arts, 09-9-2013

Grade: A+ "Every bar demands your complete attention. But there's little cheerful or elating about it. The overwhelming emotion of most of the numbers is sadness, especially when the mournful bandoneón is doing anything other than rhythm"
www.hdvdarts.com, 09-9-2013

Well, I've been askant: Once again a recording with Tangos of Astor Piazolla which is played by musiciansof the classical-sactor. But against my expectations the interplay of the Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble with Isabelle van Keulen (violin), Christian Gerber (bandoneon), Ulrike Payer (piano) and Rüdiger Ludwig (double bass) not only works blameless, what even more important ist, that the musicians strike the specific and harsh tone.
klassik.com, 17-8-2013

A music, the quartet was completely absorbed in that evening.
Der Inselbote, 17-8-2013

delightful variety
Wiesbadener Tagblatt, 13-8-2013

"For the violinist it is a special experience to be a guest at the kamermuziekfestival in Delft, this is her own brainchild which she led with passion with for so long."
Telegraaf, 05-8-2013

"The CD contains many classics, like Oblivion and Libertango, but also the drawn Contrabaijisimo and the beautiful melanchol song Tanti anni prima, from Piazzolla's soundtrack from the film Enrico IV Bellochio."
NRC Handelsblad, 05-8-2013

Striking is the almost unreal perfectionism which the ensemble is playing. Perfect timing, drive, energy and emotion. A production at the highest level
Music Emotion, 05-8-2013

Isabelle van Keulen and her ensemble are not re-inventing Tango. But they play the popular compositions by Piazolla with such an intensity as they are discovering it for the first time - and they create an ispiring experience for the audience.
hr2 Kultur, 09-7-2013

Isabelle van Keulen let her violin cry, whistle, scream and dance. Her bandmembers, a passionate bandoneon, a virtuoso pianist and rhythmic, and a versatile bassist, are from the same level of quality.
NCRV Gids, 08-6-2013

This recording of Piazolla's compositions is convincing with a seldom heard intensity
Norddeutscher Rundfunk, 03-6-2013

I often had to place myself in other people to review bandeon albums from Piazzolla, but with this release I finally get it.
Villa d'Arte, 01-6-2013

With her ensemble with cast violin, bandoneon, double bass and piano van Keulen underlines the passion and the avantgardistic snap in Piazzollas art-tangos and makes you feel a amorous rusteling, the finesse and the nearly physical delight of playing these compositions.
concerti