Review

Astor Piazzolla
Libertango:

Arranged by Josef Burgstaller

Brass quintet

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Date of Publication: 1974 / 2017
URL: http://www.halleonard.com

Score and parts

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 5 brass

Libertango catapulted Piazzolla’s career and cemented his reputation as the innovative composer/performer of Tango Nuevo. He published and recorded it in 1974 and it has since become one of his most popular works, spawning more than 500 arrangements and covers. This version is part of the Canadian Brass Ensemble Series and was arranged by Josef Burgstaller, former trumpeter of the Canadian Brass and now a faculty member at the Peabody Institute and the Music Academy of the West. The arrangement is for standard quintet with first trumpet doubling on piccolo, which does not soar into the extreme upper register, so is playable by an intermediate level trumpeter. All parts share in the melodic material with the exception of the tuba. Score and parts are beautifully printed. It has been recorded by the Canadian Brass and can also be accessed on YouTube.