Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 22, 2017

The tango has a redolent and often fascinating history, supposedly having sprung organically from previous (and sometimes ritualistic) choreography, and then blossoming supposedly more or less simultaneously in both Argentina and Uruguay in some form as early as the 18th century. There’s probably a doctoral thesis (or two) investigating why Uruguay seems to be the forgotten sibling in this history, since for many people the tango and Argentina are so inextricably linked. I’m frankly not sure if Venezuela has its own tango tradition, but Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in an agreeable program at the Hollywood Bowl which features compositions from three iconic Argentinian composers, Astor Piazzolla, the progenitor of so called neuvo tango; Lalo Schifrin, the brilliant film and television composer whose work is probably genetically imprinted in many Baby Boomers’ souls courtesy of his themes for Mission: Impossible and Mannix; and Alberto Ginastera, long considered one of Argentina’s most important and influential musicians and a writer who in a way is the Argentinian counterpart to other “nationalist” composers like Edvard Grieg. Just how much traditional “tango” is on display in this concert may be debatable, this despite the presence of Tango Buenos Aires, a dance troupe who puts their own spin (literal and otherwise) on this iconic form of movement. But that same ineluctable rhythmic sway which helps to make the tango so alluring frequently runs coursing through these quite varied selections, ones that often touch on other hypnotic forms like the bolero.

Astor Piazzolla’s Tangazo starts off the program and in a way serves as an apt summation for what will be in store for the rest of the concert. While certain elements of this piece are decidedly “latin” in feeling, the opening is much more generally European in feeling, and in fact the string writing actually reminded me of some of Mahler’s more meditative moments from his often gargantuan symphonic pieces. But once Tangazo kicks into high gear (so to speak), the rhythmic acuity that many tend to associate with South American music from many different nations becomes fully evident.

For those who only know of Lalo Schifrin through his appropriately beloved scoring of classic television series and films, his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 2 may come as something of a surprise. The piece was written expressly for the wonderful Angel Romero, who ups the already considerable “fashion ante” (note those natty white jackets on the male orchestral musicians that can be seen in the screenshots accompanying this review) by wearing an insanely colorful shirt that sets the right mood for this evocative piece before Romero’s fingers ever hit the neck of his instrument. The Concerto, like Romero’s shirt, is an incredibly colorful piece, one that allows Schifrin’s orchestrational talents full flower, with some excellent interplay between the soloist and ensemble.

Arguably the most “traditional” (at least in the Classical European sense of the term) work of the evening is Alberto Ginastera’s Four Dances from ‘Estancia’, an interesting amalgamation of propulsive rhythms and at times slightly astringent orchestral writing which is both decidedly “20th century” in general ambience while also harkening back to an earlier and perhaps more stately era. Four more pieces by Piazzolla close out the evening, this time accompanied by Seth Asarnow on bandoneon, the so-called “tango accordion” (which looks more like a traditional squeezebox), as well as Tango Buenos Aires, the aforementioned dance troupe. The musical content here is outstanding, but I personally found the dance additions kind of distracting and ultimately needless, though given the celebratory “outdoor” feel of the concert, their inclusion is understandable from a programming angle.

The entire evening shows what a broad subgenre classical Latin American music can be, and while this concert’s emphasis on Argentina is commendable and worthwhile, I personally hope it’s just one of several South American countries Dudamel and the excellent musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic might explore in similar Hollywood Bowl performances. As someone who was hooked at an early age on the almost seductive pleasures of Brazil’s bossa nova, there are manifold delights to discover in virtually every nook and cranny of our southern neighbors. This appealing concert certainly offers ample evidence that the equator certainly doesn’t create a virtual wall between elegant (if often almost atavistic) music and willing listeners.

Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tango Under the Stars is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of C Major with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. The closing credits mention Great Performances, so I assume this may well have aired on Public Broadcasting, though I frankly never remember seeing it listed and never saw it broadcast. This is a decently detailed transfer, though its interlaced presentation encounters recurrent hurdles with combing artifacts and even slight aliasing on things like violin strings. (The combing artifacts made it very hard to get decent screenshots for the review, and I had to resort to taking at least two with titles of pieces superimposed (something I generally try not to do), since there was a relative lack of movement in those moments—I've placed those two at in the eighteenth and nineteenth positions.) The palette looks natural, and contrast is excellent, offering nice delineation between those aforementioned white outfits and the increasing shadows as dusk turns to nightfall. That said, once again some less than helpful stage lighting regimens, including an emphasis on light purple, tends to tamp down detail levels at times.

Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tango Under the Stars features LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes, and they are resolutely different listening experiences. The surround track has noticeably more fullness and a lot more low end, but that said, I found a lot of the solo instruments decidedly buried in the overall mix. For example, an early oboe solo goes virtually unheard in the surround mix, while it's much better prioritized in the standard stereo offering. This tendency happens over and over throughout the concert (including in the guitar concerto, where at times the surround mix even buries the featured soloist when orchestral tuttis comes into play). I'd typically ascribe this to mic issues, especially considering the fact this an outdoor concert, but the fact that there are what I consider to be variable prioritization issues between the two versions may indicate this is more of a mixing choice. One way or the other, fidelity is fine on both tracks, easily supporting rather wide dynamic range and the often provocative timbres and sonorities the composers employ.

Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Extras include relatively brief but interesting interviews with:

  Gustavo Dudamel (1080i; 6:06)

  Lalo Schifrin (1080i; 6:35)

  Angel Romero (1080i; 6:35)

Tango Under the Stars Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tango Under the Stars may not be "just" tango, or at least the kind of tango you might associate with smaller, more intimate, forms, but the concert has a huge array of exciting rhythms and some really interesting and often quite stunning orchestrations. Dudamel is an observant and vigorous conductor, and it shouldn't come as any surprise that the Los Angeles Philharmonic sounds fantastic throughout. Romero's guitar and Asarnow's bandoneon are also highlights. Video and audio have occasional (and differing kinds of) hurdles, but nothing that I'd personally term a deal killer. Recommended.