Piazzolla Reflections

“… The disc isn’t all Piazzolla … Sidorova has also programmed a series of other works to “reflect” on the Argentine composer, hence the disc’s title. The other works are interpolated among the Piazzollas, and that approach works pretty well because they have interesting conversations with their surroundings. They're all by contemporary composers, and if they can't escape Piazzolla’s orbit then that's kind of the point. I loved the seductive wheeze of Voitenko’s solo Revelation, and there is an exquisite melancholy to Roffi’s Nocturne. Angelis’ Piazzolla Fantasie is an affectionate homage (in which I loved the way the accordion dashes in, panting, from nowhere), and there is a beautiful strangeness to Akhunov’s Two Keys. The Bach/Marcello transcription is utterly magical however, giving the accordion a lyrical cantabile that I never knew it possessed. The disc ends with Piazzolla’s Libertango… The piece pulses with heart-thumping brilliance, and Sidorova plays it with the affection and expertise that you would expect from its place in her story. It's an exciting and brilliant way to end an exciting and brilliant disc, one that has fired my interest in Piazzolla and left me hungry for more…”

“… Engineering throughout is uniformly impressive, even though the recordings come from three different sessions and locations. The program is intelligently designed, with a diversity of styles that allow Sidorova to display her complete mastery of her instrument. Warwick Thompson’s liner notes are engaging and informative. A highly enjoyable album.”