Tango amigo

After just one bar, it's apparent that this isn't «just another tango«. A pizzicato bass climbs up and down the A minor scale - no rhythm, just a regular stride. Over the top, a set of damped rasgueados sound like a snare drum. Gentle jazzy chords, redolent of Piazzolla appear, just off the beat.
As we turn the page of the full score, all the parts enter, and the piece steps forward into the limelight. A shaft on sunlight appears with major 9th chords and undulating arpeggios. But this is a big piece and confident writing takes us through many more episodes with playful rhythms which the composer has made all the more effective by the way the parts come together to shape them. As the piece progresses, the parts become more adventurous. Each line has a fixed role in the pitch spectrum, but even the bass line has some enjoyable diversions on the top three strings, and parts have a mix of chords and melodic lines.
A rubato section at the end of the score becomes increasingly agitated before returning to the pace of the opening, and taking the music back for a short Dal Segno, and making a surprisingly lengthy but always interesting piece.
Whilst there are a few awkward chord shapes here and there, the piece is sensitively fingered and would be within the scope of Grade 6 or Grade 7 players. The rhythm patterns are not too taxing, and the writing ensures that the parts will lock together solidly.
Most players have a single page turn, but each part has been laid out differently to make the turns easy. The performance directions are a mix of Italian and French, but all are obvious.
It is a pleasure to review a piece that is both atmospheric and accessible.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)