A Little Tango in Her Blood

On this CD:

1. Poeme Del Pastor Coya, for flute & piano
Composed by Angel E. Lasala
Performed by Alison Young

2. Milonga de dos Hermanos
Composed by Carlos Guastavino
Performed by Alison Young

3. El desbande, tango song (text by Horacio Ferrer)
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Alison Young

4. Pastoral Calchaquí, for flute & piano
Composed by Hector Gallac
Performed by Alison Young

5. Suite Argentina, for flute & piano
Composed by Horacio Salgan
Performed by Alison Young

6. Milonga sin palabras, for bandoneón & piano
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Alison Young

7. Introduction y Allegro, for Flute & Piano
Composed by Carlos Guastavino
Performed by Alison Young

8. A don Agustin Bardi
Composed by Horacio Salgan
Performed by Alison Young

9. Impresiones de la Puna, for flute & string quartet (withdrawn by the composer)
Composed by Alberto Ginastera
Performed by Alison Young

10. Fuga y misterio, tango (from María de Buenos Aires)
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Alison Young

11. Chiquilín de Bachin, tango song (text by Horacio Ferrer)
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Alison Young

12. Lo que vendrá, tango
Composed by Astor Piazzolla
Performed by Alison Young

Tracks:

Poema Del Pastor Coya: Con La Chola Y El Changuito
Poema Del Pastor Coya: Quena
Poema Del Pastor Coya: Danzando
Milonga De Dos Hermanos
El Desbande
Pastoral Calchaqui
Ste Argentina: Aire De Chacarera
Ste Argentina: Zamba
Ste Argentina: Malambo
Milonga Sin Palabras
Introduccion Y Allegro
Don Agustin Bardi
Impresiones De La Puna: Quena
Impresiones De La Puna: Cancion
Impresiones De La Puna: Danza
Fuga Y Misterio
Chiquilin De Bachin
Lo Que Vendra

Customer Reviews:

Alison Young: A little Tango.......2001-03-12

Alison Young's recording, "A Little Tango in Her Blood," is a superb set of flute and piano performances of contemporary Argentine music. With rather more than just a little tango in her blood, Ms. Young performs this Argentinean program with Latin character and a silvery tone, and Vicki Seldon is her lively and sensitive collaborator on piano. Composers on this CD include well-known names, especially Ginastera and Piazzolla, and some less-familiar but mostly excellent ones.

The performances are first-class in artistry and technique, while style, character, and mood provide solidly satisfying listening. The flute sound is especially gorgeous, with an lovely low register and stability of tone throughout the entire range, and one simply hears no breathing. Technical challenges abound and are fully met, but one gets a sense of an emphasis on music-making rather than virtuosity; these players are bringing us music rather than merely showing how good they are. Technique and balances are consistently excellent.

Half the bands on the CD are transcriptions by Ms. Young, which would ordinarily induce some reservations for this reviewer. However these are musical, intelligent, and idiomatic transcriptions, and one would be pressed to discern which are original works and which are the transcriptions in this collection. One other fine transcription is by Enrique Granados.

Piazzolla is represented, of course, by several tangos, including a very early one. And one of his last compositions, Milonga sin Palabras, Song without Words, is dedicated to his wife. A fugue, surprisingly, is in the final set of three works of this collection, by Piazzolla, Fuga y Misterio, with much rhythmic character and an unexpectedly Bachian rather than bacchanalian quality though still Latin in quality, arranged by Granados. The brief, lyrical contrasting section is lovely. The final two works are moody and dramatic.

Ginastera's Impresiones de la Puna, in three movements, is an early work, dating from 1934. Arranged by Ms. Young, it has two slow movements, and a lively, rhythmic dance finale. It is fascinating and musically rewarding to hear a Ginastera quite a bit younger than the one we hear for example in his more familiar orchestral Variations Concertantes. It's like seeing early paintings by Mondrian or Picasso-so different from the later works yet with seeds of what is to come.

Some splendid surprises are works by composers new to this reviewer: Angel Lasala's Poema de Pastor Coya, and Horacio Salgán's Suite Argentina and Don Agustín Bardi. Lasala's Poema is in three movements with both a singing quality and rhythmic variety. The latter composer, Salgán, has much personality and character showing through in his music. His Suite Argentina is a recording premiere and it has rhythmic interest, a danced quality, and a strong lyrical sense.

The liner notes, in English and Spanish, are informative with texts of the original works when they are songs. Borges and Ferrer are amiong the poets. I warmly recommend this recording to those interested in fine flute playing, in Argentinean music, and to the general music lover.

Arthur Lewis, violist; Professor emeritus, Illinois State University; Lecturer, Emory University

Fabulous Flute CD - even my plumber liked it!.......2001-03-03

I love this recording! As a fellow flutist, I can appreciate the high level of technical ability and musicianship demonstrated by Ms. Young in "...a little tango in her blood". In addition to her soaring, lyrical sound and impeccable intonation, Ms. Young has a wonderfully intuitive sense of style and feel for the music. I would recommend this recording for all types, from classical music buffs to the casual listener.

Wonderful performances and quite beautiful music.......2001-02-25

I am very impressed by both the music selections and, more importantly, the wonderful performance. Ms. Young plays beautifully and with a true feel for the music. This, combined with an excellent musical rapport with Ms. Selden, gives a real life to these well chosen selections of Argentinian music. I highly reccomend this CD.

Getting Some Tango in Your Blood.......2001-02-22

Alison Young, a flute recitalist of great poise and technical security, dazzling precision and virtuosic flare and the Principle Flute of the Houston Ballet Orchestra, demonstrates her considerable talents in ALISON YOUNG ... A LITTLE TANGO IN HER BLOOD. This work on the Albany Records label takes full advantage of Alison Young's experiences in Argentina as a musician artist-in-residence in 1998, performing and teaching in the regions of Patagonia, La Plata, Buenos Aires and Corrientes. Alison Young recreates the atmosphere of the native music of Argentina in a way that will transport you to South America. Composers highlighted in this work include Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Guastavino, Alberto Ginastera, Angel Lasala, Hector Gallac and Horacio Salgan. A newspaper in Argentina (Rio Negro) reported on "...Alison Young, with a little tango in her blood" and this wonderful collection of flute pieces will surely put a little tango in your blood as well.

A real musical treat by a fine musician.......2001-02-22

A flutist of unusual accomplishment and musicality, Ms. Young's rendition of an Argentine repertoire sounds as if she had been born on the Pampas and brought up in the sophistication of Buenos Aires. The playing is superb, and the music is a treat to listen to, especially because much of it is new to North American ears. In addition, the extensive notes, written by Ms. Young and printed in both English and Spanish, provide a rich scholarly background to the music and are worth the price of the CD by themselves.

Music Track:

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