My wife was watching Dancing with the Stars and evidently it's tango week. Hearing a bandoneon (look it up) on that show reminded me of this CD, which I haven't listened to in a looooong time. Even though it is a Kronos Quartet release, it is Piazzolla who is the composer as well as the performing star, while Kronos delivers a strong accompaniment to his bandoneon playing. The entire piece clocks in at 29:46, making it a candidate for the shortest CD in my collection.
Tracks: the five sensations are, in order, Asleep, Loving, Anxiety, Despertar, and Fear. Loving is hauntingly slow and beautiful. Anxiety is just agitating enough to earn its title. My favorite movement is Fear which has some great counterpoint and variations as Piazzolla adds layer after layer of texture.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was introduced to this release by my friend Richard, a fan of the Kronos Quartet. He and I saw the quartet perform at the Wortham Center in Houston in 1992, not long after this CD was released. Front row seats! Unfortunately, I don't remember if they performed any of this work.
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