Thank You Eduardo Abramson - I

Eduardo Abramson has contributed two videos to YouTube which I consider important additions to the video catalog of Piazzolla works.

The first is a performance from the year 2000 by Susana Rinaldi of Balada para mi muerte. There are many fine performances of this canción - for example those of Amelita Baltar, and Raul Lavié, and Mina - but you will find no more bravura performance than this by Ms. Rinaldi. The arrangement is by Juan Carlos Cuacci, the orchestra is conducted by Luis Gorelik and the excellent bandoneón playing is provided by Eduardo Abramson - all three from Argentina, as is Ms. Rinaldi. They all clearly understand the music.

The work itself arrived arrived early in the collaboration between poet Horacio Ferrer and Piazzolla. It is one of three ballads created in 1968 or 1969 by Piazzolla and Ferrer for Amelita Baltar. It and the other two, Balada para un loco and Balada para él, can be found in original form in the classic CD, Amelita Baltar Interpreta a:Piazzolla-Ferrer. The similarities between Balada para mi muerte and some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's compositions in Phantom of the Opera have always made me wonder if Webber is a Piazzolla fan. Even the "trick" of modulating the last chorus up a major second to signal a climax is shared. And you can't miss the descending "ba-da-da-da-dum" theme in both.

While the instrumental music is wonderful, Susana Rinaldi is the star here. For more discussion of Ms. Rinaldi, I refer you to this earlier Piazzolla on Video posting where you can see Ms. Rinaldi sing another Piazzolla classic, Los pájaros perdidos.

A special thanks to Eduardo Abramson for his excellent bandoneón playing, for organizing the festival in Israel where this performance was held, and for posting this wonderful video.

If the video does not appear below, click here.



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