Astor Piazzolla

"This is the first of three discs Piazzolla recorded in New York toward the end of his career, with his Second Quinteto Nuevo Tango. This group was put together from arguably the most flexible and imaginative musicians in Buenos Aires in the early 1980s, and the chemistry is clear. On all tracks the five players produce a devastatingly tight, orchestral, supple and masculine sound. There are several possibly disturbing aspects to the disc: these include the chanting of a tango mantra at the start, the startling percussion effects achieved by subjecting the instruments to various acts of violence, and the hair-raising piano playing of Pablo Ziegler (who does calm down a little bit after the first track). For these reasons I would not reccommend this disc to classical fans thinking of testing the water (Gidon Kremer's recordings are a much safer bet here, and retain most of the music's passion). However, if you want to experience the often overwhelming tumult of Piazzolla's mature vision for the tango, this album promises a dark roller-coaster ride if nothing else. As the earlier review stated, it is most definitely not one for a dinner party. Piazzolla at the time considered it the best thing he had done; this judgement was superseded with the recording of La Camorra a few years later. Use Zero Hour to get used to his sound, and then hear La Camorra, which takes the same players to even greater heights, and is possibly the greatest contemporary chamber music recording of the 20th century."
- Amazon.co.uk