Thank You Eduardo Abramson - II

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

The second video is also from a festival in Israel in the year 2000. It is a recitation of the poem, Mi viejo Piazzolla, by the poet himself - Horacio Ferrer. Accompanying the recitation is a performance of Oblivion by the Orquesta Sinfonica de la Radio Television Israeli conducted by Luis Gorelik with the bandoneón lead played by Eduardo Abramson

Ferrer wrote Mi viejo Piazzolla in Brussels in 1994. It is a heartfield paean to his musical colleague of many years. I do not know when it was first read or recited publicly but it certainly received its first broad audience in 1995 when it was included in the album Piazzolla by Piazzolla with music composed by Piazzolla's son, Daniel Piazzolla. The combination of Oblivion and Mi viejo Piazzolla is an inspired alternative to Daniel's tribute and this video represents perhaps the first time the two were combined although others have done so since.

For those interested, the words to the poem are included below the video. Those words were found accompanying this video.

A special thanks again 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.

Mi viejo Piazzolla, mi mágico Astor,
tocá con las teclas de mi corazón.

Vivir fue tu más honda melodía
y el júbilo de Dios al darte el genio.
Y vos te diste a muerte, con la angustia
de un toro fantaseando en el misterio.
La burla del mañana se ilumina
zampándole diez lunas a tus dedos
y un ángel y un demonio en contrapunto
la zurda te gatillan oro y fuego.

Mi viejo Piazzolla, mi mágico Astor,
tocá con las teclas de mi corazón.

Con qué insolencia heroica nos salvaste
del pozo de los sordos y los necios,
inmortalmente joven, retobado
tu testamento fue como otro estreno.
En un café irreal de cualquier mundo
tu sombra viva sigue componiendo
y el alba desnudita de mil noches
te escucha con su asombro de concierto.

Mi viejo Piazzolla, mi mágico Astor,
tocá con las teclas de mi corazón.

Tu bruja Buenos Aires goza y dice:
"Te amo, Astor, mi mozart milonguero",
y allá, en las azoteas de tus tangos,
bendice tus dos manos con un beso.
Te haré una misa rea y una orgía
de música y de lágrimas por dentro,
al ver tu ser sinfónico caído
tocar tu bandoneón, de pié, en el cielo.

Mi viejo Piazzolla, mi mágico Astor,
tocá con las teclas de mi corazón.

Horacio Ferrer, 1994