Variations on Buenos Aires Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble, Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss

• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992): Tangazo:
• 1 Piazzolla, Neuss: Tangazo 13:31
• 2 Piazzolla, Neuss: Tres Minutos Con la Realidad 03:03
• 3 Piazzolla, Neuss: Oblivion 05:11
• La Camorra:
• 4 Piazzolla: La Camorra 09:35
• Homenaje a Córdoba:
• 5 Piazzolla, Neuss: Homenaje a Córdoba 07:07
• Adiós Nonino:
• 6 Piazzolla: Adiós Nonino 08:48
• Soledad:
• 7 Piazzolla: Soledad 08:02
• Fugata:
• 8 Piazzolla, Neuss: Fugata 03:40
• Tangata:
• 9 Piazzolla, Neuss: Tangata 08:41
• Total Runtime 01:07:38

Info for Variations on Buenos Aires

For the Piazzolla album "Variations on Buenos Aires", which will be released by Berlin Classics on 28 January 2022, the Dutch violinist Isabelle van Keulen has brought together two different ensembles - her own ensemble specialising in tango nuevo and the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, which she artistically directs. A special chance that allows the music of Astor Piazzolla to be heard in a new way due to its unusual combination of tango ensemble and string orchestra.

In 2011, Isabelle van Keulen founded the "Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble" with bandoneonist Christian Gerber, double bassist Rüdiger Ludwig and pianist Ulrike Payer. Together they have already released several Piazzolla albums and are dedicated to his music. On "Variations on Buenos Aires", Christian Gerber has made the necessary arrangements. In some pieces, he merely adapted the instrumentation carefully to the tonal and dynamic differentiation possibilities of the large instrumentation; in others, he, who is familiar with Piazzolla's oeuvre from decades of study, composed counterparts. For example, he added a bandoneon introduction to "Oblivion", which has become famous as a film score. Together with the DKN, the musicians give the music a new coat of paint and offer a new, exciting Piazzolla experience.

"The orchestra and ensemble should be equally challenged - neither has an exclusively accompanying function," Gerber says of his arrangements. "My intention was to create a dialogue." But it is not only the dialogue between the musicians that is significant. "We want to create a comprehensive result for the audience," says Isabelle van Keulen, "we draw the emotions of the listeners to us, and equally give off ours. It is precisely this bridge, the communication, that is the exciting thing."

When the tango was brought to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, its popularity also increased immensely. In Buenos Aires, hundreds of so-called orquestas típicas played every evening. They consisted of bandoneons, strings and piano and had up to 100 players. The Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble is thus an orquesta típica in essence.

The roughness of the beginnings still characterises the sound of the tango today. Classically trained musicians first have to acquire the appropriate playing techniques. "Tangazo", with which this album explores the range of Piazzolla's sound worlds, begins with a sombre, western-modern sounding introduction. When this turns into a fast-paced section, a ratchet creaks to the dance of the bandoneon and bright whip lashes.

Nevertheless, it can be heard at all times that Piazzolla's music is not traditional tango. The highly virtuosic interplay in "Tres minutos con la realidad" with its shifts in emphasis reveals echoes of Stravinsky, and before the solo violin fires off its staccati in dialogue with the strings of the Kammerakademie - it is the only piece without the participation of the tango quartet - the composer allows himself a brief vocal passage of almost ironic sweetness and harmony.

Throughout his life, Piazzolla revered the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. This influence is clearly noticeable in his music, especially on this album in the pieces "Soledad" and "Fugata".

Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble
Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss

Isabelle van Keulen
”Her taut musical intelligence and vivid sound combined with a fine instinct for the tender, searching quality of this music … absolutely magical.” The Guardian

Since her breakthrough in 1984 winning the Eurovision Young Musician of the Year, a competition that was broadcast all over Europe and watched live on television by millions, Isabelle van Keulen can now look back on many years of musical diversity. Not only is it always vital for her to approach the musical score with honesty and with an extremely consious approach to interpretation, she also strives to communicate with her audiences and musical partners, allowing her to perform in an inspirational, lively and enthusiastic manner.

Her versatility lies in the fact that she not only plays the violin, but as well viola with the same energy, performing chamber music in any thinkable combination and directing chamber orchestra performances. Whether in the over 20 year intense collaboration with the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, concerts with mezzo Christianne Stotijn, performing/directing the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, combining violin and viola in one appearance, founding a chamber music festival – from 1997 until 2006 Isabelle van Keulen was Artistic Director of the Delft Chamber Music Festival – giving masterclasses or being a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic or NHK Tokyo. Above all, being faithful to the music is her highest priority.

She has over the course of her career engaged works written by contemporary composers. She had many concertos written especially for her (Theo Loevendie, Erkki-Sven Tüür) and has many other 20th and 21st century works in her repertoire: Concertos by Henri Dutilleux, John Adams, Lera Auerbach, Oliver Knussen and Brett Dean. She also likes to perform less known works by Colin Matthews and Concertos by Krenek, Pettersson and Busoni.

Isabelle van Keulen has made many recordings in the past decades, the most recent ones are Berg Violin Concerto (Chandos), a CD of violin-piano sonatas by Strauss, Nino Rota and Respighi (Channel Classics), Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with Sharon Kam (Berlin Classics) , Bach’s Goldberg Variations with the Leopold String Trio (Hyperion) and Prokofiev Complete Works for violin and piano with Ronald Brautigam (Challenge, December 2012). In May 2013 a high profile CD with music by Astor Piazzolla was released on Challenge Records, Tango!, combined with DVD/Bluray and documentary, with the Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble.

Since autumn 2012 she is professor for violin, viola and chamber music at the Luzern University of Arts.

Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble
Since her earliest youth, Isabelle van Keulen has committed herself to chamber music, in all combinations and with all repertoire. As a child and young student she visited several chamber music courses and festivals, resulting in her early twenties to continuous invitations from Festivals like Lockenhaus Festival, Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, Verbier Festival, Edindurgh Festival and many others.

She also founded her own festival, Delft Chamber Music Festival, in 1997, which she led till 2006.

With the Isos Quartet she made a recording of the Bruch string quartets, in 1997.

In 1990 she started a long musical relationship with Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, in the 23 years they have collaborated so far they made 10 recordings.

From 2006 till 2012 she was member of the Leopold String Trio; the most recent recordings were with Tanejev Trio's and Bach’s Goldberg Variations for the label Hyperion.

Since 2011 she has her own Tango Nuevo quartet, the Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble, with Christian Gerber, bandoneon, Ulrike Payer, piano and Rüdiger Ludwig, double bass. Apart from numerous appearances to come in summer 2013 at festivals like Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau, and concerts in Delft, Amsterdam, Den Haag, Haarlem they have just finished recording their first CD- and DVD-production for Challenge Classics, with several of Piazzolla’s master pieces.

This album contains no booklet.