Album Reviews

Hugo Diaz

‘Tangos’

(Warner Music Korea)

Harmonicas and… tango?

The combination might be new to some here, but it’s a classic mix that dates back to previous decades. Argentine Hugo Diaz (1927-1977) was one of those few who brought the sensual combination together. Though best known as a folklore musician, the jazz harmonica player’s work in tangos stands out to those looking for a dose of the intimate, the personal and the grittily charming.

``Tangos,’’ a collection of covers by legendary tango singer-songwriter Carlos Gardel (aka ``the King of Tango’’), was originally released in 2001 by Aqua Records, but makes its way to Korean shores a decade later ― following long disputes over licensing.

As late as the album is, the effect is nonetheless enrapturing. Diaz first picked up the harmonica at the age of five, blinded after being hit by a ball and unable to work with many other instruments. Though surgery two years later returned his sight, the harmonica stayed; the child prodigy was already playing local radio gigs.

Though classified as tango, an array of genres peek out throughout the album, leading to the highlights of the tracks. ``Mano a mano’’ kicks off with a clean harmonica call and guitar answer, before dipping into jazzy piano plays then near-Gershwin detours.

``Volver’’ trills the way only a harmonica can against a dramatic piano and love-drawn acoustics. Diaz, accompanied by Jose Colangelo on piano, Oscar Murtagh on contrabass and three guitarists, manages to stay alight the musical crowd while never overwhelming, never drowning.

Diaz weaves an emotional tale with each piece. His ability to thread atmosphere into his melodies led to his inclusion in a variety of soundtracks, from the tango-inspired ``Scent of a Woman’’ to the acclaimed 2007 holocaust drama ``The Counterfeiters.’’

The recordings also capture the pure physicality of Diaz, and grunts, breaths and gasps punctuate the pristine recordings. The contrast simultaneously snaps the listener into reality while assuaging another surrealist quality to the music. The effect: recreating the ambiance of those intensely up-close, rare encounters that speak of romance and the divine.

Three stars out of four.

― Ines Min

Kim Joo-hyun

`Kim Joo-hyun Plays Mozart Violin Sonatas’

(Sony Classical)

Following ``Estrellita’’ and ``Arietta,’’ violinist Kim Joo-hyun brings a third album recorded at the Bavaria Music Studios in Munich, Germany.

Kim, the first Korean to win the Brahms Association Competition, has been steadily building a unique range of oeuvre; in ``Arietta,’’ she ingeniously ordered her selection of Schumann and Mendelssohn not according to composer but in a scrambled way that has listeners contemplate anew the spirit of Romanticism. Her latest recording of the Mozart violin sonatas seems to reflect a wish to explore something more basic and profound.

The album opens with a bright, warm KV. 305 that reminds one of a beautiful June afternoon, before crossing over to something darker in KV. 304 and KV. 379. Yet the latter two pieces aren’t marked by a melodramatic display of melancholy _ Mozart’s unique sonata in E minor in particular refuses to be drowned by sad melodies and the Kim’s warm tones suggest a deeper yearning for life and beauty.

Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

―Lee Hyo-won

Various Artists

`Classical 2011’

(EMI Classics)

Every year fans await the release of EMI Classics’ compilation album, a steady seller that has bashed the conception that ``Best Of’’ anthologies are for amateurs. It showcases the signature work of featured artists, the 2-CD set is perfect for those who don’t want to splurge on a dozen different albums or those wanting a balanced initiation into the world of classical music.

This year’s selection offers yet another tasteful collection by classical music’s iconic stars, from veteran artists such as the late Luciano Pavaroti and Maria Callas to more recent superstars like Paul Potts. Also included in the album are opera divas Anna Netrepko and Angela Gherghiu, who are both due to perform in Seoul this year.

Instrumentalists such as violinist Sarah Chang (third movement of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1) and pianist Yundi (Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2) are included, as well as 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic dreaming up Debussy’s ``Moonlight.’’

Also included are crossover artists such as Sarah Brightman and Nigel Kennedy. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.