Tangos Among Friends / Daniel Barenboim, Carlos Gardel

In this personal pilgrimage, world-renowned pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim travels to Buenos Aires to rediscover his home town, the magic of tango and the legend of its greatest pioneer, Carlos Gardel. Interviews and fabulous archive footage evoke the glamorous and optimistic spirit of Buenos Aires in the early 20th century, and provide a framework for investigating the forces which brought such material and artistic wealth to its impoverished, immigrant communities. Barenboim demonstrates tango styles and techniques, and brings the music of Gardel, Salgán, Píazzolla and Ginastera to life in performances with Rodolfo Mederos and Hector Console, and in a thrilling partnership with Placido Domingo.

Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

 An enchantig introdution to Tango!
Daniel Baremboim is one of the most dazzling figures in music today. Not only is he a superb classical pianist, with works of the stature of the video recording of all the Beethoven's piano sonatas, but an orchestra conductor at the title role in the Berlin Sttatsoper, which at anytime can be found conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, Teatro Alla Scala, or the Wiener Philharmoniker.

He took some time to come to his birthplace, Buenos Aires (although he is an Israel citizen) to have his guests in a session of tango.

With a beautiful selection of old and modern tango, including Gardel, Piazzola and Argentinean classical composer Alberto Ginastera, Mr. Baremboim in the piano with Rodolfo Mederos in the bandoneon and Hector Console in the bass, give us a delightful concert of tango, as well as comments on history, legend and the current importance of tango.

A couple of young Argentinian dancers, give us a thrilling Tango dance. It makes you want to know the different steps and sections of tango dancing (caminada, corte and figuras) and join a club to dance.

As this were not enough, Baremboim and Placido Domingo join to give us Gardel's Mi Buenos Aires Querido and Domingo plays tango in the piano.

A pleasure for all who like tango, and for those that still don't know anything about tango.

Although in one of the interviews you can hear some hiss and background noice, this doesn't dimishes the beauty of this Tango homage.

An exciting video. Don't miss it! January 31, 2008

 Great!
Not much to say other than, i got it as a gift and i love it! thanks mom! :) June 8, 2007

 Poorly engineered DVD
I regret having spent $17.99 to acquire such a poorly engineered DVD.
The sound level is abnormally low so I have to pump up the volume, almost double the level I use for other DVD.
When I do it there is this low sound that comes from the equipment and makes the whole experience painful.
There is no way to choose the type of sound reproduction you want - regular stereo sound or 5+1. And this DVD was manufactured recently.
You pay $17.99 for a 50 minute documentary. There is nothing else on the DVD. Not a single extra.
The music is altogether a different thing, it is magnificent.
My recommendation to anyone is to avoid this very poor edition. June 7, 2007

 stealth riches
There's a bunch of fabulous music in this film of concert tangos with the great Argentinian on piano, Rodolfo Mederos and Hector Console on bandoleon and double bass. Opening with three Carlos Gardel tangos, interspersed is a rich segment on Gardel and the city of Buenos Aires, fascinating old footage of the city, and tales of Gardel's pivotal historical place in the development of the tango in Argentina, including his fiery aeroplane death and the subsequent public mourning of Buenos Aires. But the film's NEVER dry, indeed the musical performances are each of a piece and filmed live. Moving to Piazzolla, they play his beautiful 'Adios Nonino' - the musicians are masters, and the seductive elevation of a unique musical art ensues. Particularly the bandoleon player matches Barenboim's memorableness in their native literature. Domingo sings tangos, relishing his native tongue with appealing roguishness &Barenboim accompanying him. Later, Domingo plays tango on piano for Barenboim and gets a bravo. Throughout the film the music is just spectacular! Barenboim's his customary intense and interested self, musing on the history of tango and his personal relationship to his native Buenos Aires. Pianistically, his mystical inhabitation of Ginastera's La moza donosa is a cache of stealth riches from beginning to end, much like the film itself. At just under an hour long, it fortunately feels longer! Whatever Daniel Barenboim touches sizzles, and this is a viewing experience to savor - inimitable music making in a winningly classy film. April 1, 2007

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