Program Notes
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Libertango
by Astor Piazzolla, arranged for piano/four-hands by Anderson & Roe (2004)
Watch the Anderson & Roe Libertango music video!
Buy "Reimagine," the CD/DVD combo featuring this work!
What do tango dancing and piano duo performance have in common? Racing heartbeats, intense eye contact, physical friction, a charged chemistry, and an element of danger…
In transcribing this Piazzolla’s irresistible melody for four hands at one piano, not only did we emulate the sonic textures of a tango band, but we also aimed to capture the spirit of the tango. Four-hand playing already hints at an intrinsic eroticism -- a fact not ignored by many great literary figures -- but in this work, we ratcheted it up a level. We do not merely bump into one another within the cramped confines of a single keyboard; we unabashedly invade one another’s personal space, while also exploring regions of the piano that typically remain unseen. The effect is at once sensual, visceral, and intensely dramatic.
Quotes from a review regarding Anderson & Roe's Libertango in the Southampton Press, April 21, 2005:
"riveting"
"extremely imaginative"
"They bypassed in part the fact that the piano is a percussive instrument by reaching into its belly and plucking the strings, much as a string player uses pizzicato. The unique combination of playing and plucking, involved a physical intertwining, not only of hands but also of bodies."
Unfortunately, the score to this arrangement is not available for sale at this time. Read more about why in the "Ask Greg & Liz: Libertango archives" section of this website.