On the Track of Tango – "Cuarteto Rotterdam" at the Lüneburg Cultural Forum Its birthplace is at the Rio de la Plata. However, experts disagree on the exact geographical position. Some say it is Montevideo, while others believe it to be Buenos Aires, or more specifically, the La Boca district. The dimly lit drinking holes at the old harbour were closed down long ago, and today, tango lovers are attracted to the noisy Avenida Corrientes with its theatres and dance halls. Tango has become a real export hit. „Cuarteto Rotterdam“ dedicate themselves to performing this music with passion and academic impetus. This excellent ensemble gave the latest summer night concert at the Cultural Forum Gut Wienebüttel. For eight decades, tango has been booming on an intercontinental level with new upswings again and again; it can be found in musical songs and even in contemporary operas, has found its way into musical comedy dozens of times, and inspired various composers of German post-war Schlager music to writing potential box-office hits. True tango enthusiasts, of course, are not very fond of the tango swimming in the shallow waters of light muse. They mainly consider this cultural creation to be life, life in all its facets. Tango – these are stories of love and longings, of fiasco and burning excitement. Tango ranges from orchestras to small ensembles, there are waltzes and milongas, a lot of traditional pieces and Avant-garde with strong relation to rock, and there is Tango Nuevo and the inscrutable Tango Negro. Being often unfathomable, this music tells unvarnished stories of seething emotions, sometimes poetically, rarely gently, often wildly, and without restraint. Tango is performed instrumentally, it is sung, and it is danced with real passion. In Wienebüttel, Gerrit Schüler and Gustavo Vidal performed the dancing part, which was characterized by wonderfully accurate step sequences, complex figures and sophisticated turns. Authenticity was their main focus. The same applies to „Cuarteto Rotterdam“. Judy Ruks (piano), Cordula Welsch (violin), Frances Dorling (double bass) and Michael Dolak (bandoneon) like it tough, vivacious and vigorous, but still a little rough, powerful and sometimes with a touch of irony. Their performance goes without pathos and needless effects, it is rather puristical. The quartet exclusively concentrates on Argentine tango of traditional character. The same applies to more recent compositions. Their repertoire comprises many unknown pieces, Piazzolla, of course, and the famous ones from past times. They brilliantly apply variations in speed and dynamics, thus giving prominent features to the different characters. These guest performers proved to be competent advocates of tango, presenting a rousing show which the audience rewarded with lots of applause. Landeszeitung Lüneburg, 21.07.2008 |