Port of Call: Buenos Aires

For the final concert in Pontiac Enchanté's 2022-2023 concert season, we welcome to Astor Piazzolla's Argentina, presented by Montreal based musicians Louise Bessette (piano), Marc Djokic (violin) and Chloé Dominguez (cello).  Piazzolla has largely contributed to the fame of tango throughout the world. Arranged and put together in a cycle, the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Las cuatro estaciones porteñas) are as renowned as those of Vivaldi. The arrangement presented here, for piano, violin and cello, is by José Bragato, who is also a cellist with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.  Written in 1982 for Mstislav Rostropovitch, Le grand tango was not performed by its recipient until 1990. Very energetic, it is reputed for its technical challenges for the cellist. The piece Oblivion, one of Piazzolla's most well known tangos, was featured in the soundtrack of Marco Bellocchio's film Enrico IV. The piece Adiós Nonino is a work tinged with melancholy and presented here in a magnificent version for solo piano by Piazzolla. Finally, L’Histoire du tango retraces in four movements the journey of this music from the underbelly of Buenos Aires to the pantheons of classical music. Throughout this program, Louise Bessette, Marc Djokic and Chloé Dominguez show that from now on, tango can be danced by three!

Program:

all by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992):

Oblivion

Histoire du Tango (Bordel 1900, Café 1930, Nightclub 1960, Today)

Le Grand Tango

Adiós Nonino

Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas

Marc Djokic, violin

Chloé Dominguez, cello

Louise Bessette, piano