Anna Maria Mendieta & Tango Del Cielo

Performing Artist And Touring Concert-Show Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA United States

About Anna Maria Mendieta & Tango Del Cielo

Harpist Anna Maria Mendieta performs Classical to Tango as a soloist, with orchestras, and with her touring ensembles including: "Tango Del Cielo" (Tango From Heaven) - A multimedia concert! ...

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CONCERTO REVIEW "Vallejo Symphony Opens In Style" Publication: Bencia Herald, Benecia, California Review by Elizabeth Warnimont The The Vallejo Symphony opened its 81st season Saturday with popular favorites from Mozart and Mendelssohn, plus a more unusual, modern piece by Astor Piazzolla featuring guest soloist Anna Maria Mendieta on solo harp. The concert, held at the Empress Theatre in Vallejo, marked conductor David Ramadanoff’s 30th year with the symphony. Following the Impresario Overture was an unusual and exciting work, Astor Piazzolla’s “Tango Suite,” an arrangement for solo harp, strings, percussion and bandoneón. Mendieta is a true master of her instrument and in fact dedicated much of her music study to gathering and arranging tango works for the harp. She often incorporates dance into her performances and conductor Ramadanoff would have gladly accommodated but for the limited space available on the Empress stage: “We got the orchestra on with a shoe horn,” the maestro quipped. The suite begins with a melody played primarily by the harp. Unlike most music composed for harp, Piazzolla’s suite calls for more plucking and less strumming, resulting in a stronger feel and more dominant melodic lines. Mendieta’s performance was exciting and beautiful, and the orchestra was finely tuned to her sound and style. The violin section came in early in the first movement, with a gentle response to the harp’s theme. The second movement was more march-like, with percussive effects from the string section, striking their instruments for that distinctive tango beat. Moods shifted even within movements, from sad and contemplative to thrilling, with distinct interplay between the harp and the orchestra. The third and final movement of the suite features an accordion-like instrument, the bandoneón. It is actually more like the concertina than an accordion, having no piano-like keys, only bellows and buttons for sound manipulation. Soloist Seth Asarnow played the part on the instrument that was actually owned and played by the composer. The bandoneón part builds gradually, transforming from a serene, almost hypnotic effect to the ultimate, aggressive tango sound. “Tango Suite” exemplifies Piazzolla’s unique talent for incorporating influences from various tango forms into a coherent and pleasing sound. His music was not initially well received, according to symphony board member Mary Eichbauer, but by the 1950s it was “all the rage,” most notably in France. It hit the U.S. in a wave of popularity by the 1980s.

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