June Review of Piazzolla Videos

There were 525 videos of Piazzolla’s music posted on YouTube in the month of June, 2009 – the highest number posted this year. 379 (72%) of the videos were performance videos featuring live performances. The others were videos which used Piazzolla’s music as a sound track for photo or video montages. I highlighted my journey through these many videos in this blog.

Forty-four percent of the performance videos were in the classical mode, 21% in Nuevo tango, 19% in pop and 16% in jazz.

Here are the most frequently performed pieces this month (Libertango was the most frequently played – 37% of the total; the others follow in order):

1. Libertango
2. Oblivion
3. Adios Nonino
4. Invierno Porteño
5. Histoire du Tango - Café 1930
6. La muerte del ángel
7. Verano Porteño
8. Histoire du Tango – Bordel 1900
9. Histoire du Tango – Nightclub 1960
10. Milonga del ángel

The top three on this list seem to be fairly stable month-to-month but the bottom seven change every month.

The performance videos came from 46 different countries. Italy posted the most videos: 60. Israel appears on this list for the first time. The top ten posting countries are listed in order here:

1. Italy
2. USA
3. Argentina
4. Spain
5. Brazil
6. Russia
7. France
8. Japan
9. Germany
10. Israel

There was only one video posted which featured a performance by Piazzolla. The video, a solo performance of Adios Nonino, had not been posted previously on YouTube.

Quality of performance varied from excellent to bizarre. There were a number of truly excellent performances this month ranging from a jazz performances of La muerte del ángel by a marimba consort from Venezuela to the marvelously somber rendition of Oblivion by Stjepan Hauser on cello but the video that emerges as the winner was the performance of Café 1930 by flutist, Ann Elkjär, and guitarist, Martin Fogel, selected for the sheer musicality of their performance.

The choice for most bizarre this month was less difficult. A solo accordionist serenading Japanese tourists with Libertango in a gondola in the canals of Venice was the winner.

The best and most bizarre videos may be viewed below.

I have put a table with links to all 525 videos as well as some more information on the videos on the June link in my Piazzolla on Video website.

Best video for June, 2009:


Most bizarre video for June, 2009:


To learn more about Piazzolla videos, visit the Piazzolla Video site.