Pablo Ziegler: The Pianist That Caresses Our Listening

“Tango is a musical style that must constantly evolve and not be some ridiculous folklore to lure tourists” – Astor Piazzolla

The celebrated Argentinian pianist Pablo Ziegler returned home after two years, to mesmerise us with a performance that features Jazz Tango repertoire, and a performance of “Dos Pianos Quinteto” at the national auditorium, Kirchner Cultural Center [CCK] in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ziegler has played “Dos Pianos Quinteto” with such great classical pianists as Emanuel Ax and Christopher O’Riley. This performance was a debut of the work in Argentina, with the Japanese pianist Masae Shiwa.

“Masae has shown that she mastered Astor’s music and mine, and interprets it with great depth and elegance,” Ziegler said. “We have been working together for many years but finally, I have discovered the possibility of playing together. I’m really happy with how this duo sounds,” the pianist affirmed.

This performance included themes by Piazzolla as well as his [Ziegler’s] own compositions. He was accompanied by: Walther Castro on bandoneón, Armando de la Vega on guitar and Horacio “Mono” Hurtado on double bass. The special guest was Astor Piazzolla’s grandson, Pipi Piazzolla, who played drums.

The auditorium was packed to capacity. The air was heavy with melancholy and joy; the kind you can only experience when you listen to music like Ziegler’s… and Piazzolla’s… then you are transported to another world, a world where the art of music soars high into a rarefied realm.

Pablo Ziegler is made entirely of music: tango – and jazz – seemingly in equal parts. Whether he is playing a simple melody or indulging in a complex, beckoning improvisation, you get a sense that he is inhabiting a completely new world, where the earth spins to the ink-dark rhythm of the tango. This is music at its finest, played in an atmosphere that is singularly free. This is Pablo Ziegler’s world and it is mesmerising, and irresistible.

When it came to the performance of “Dos Pianos Quinteto,” Masae Shiwa invited us to imagine a perfect world where everything is in tune with nature; with swirling, sensuous movements of her body in absolute tune – and rhythm – with her hands she beckoned us to go deep inside the heart of the music. Her interpretation of the repertoire was powerful yet pliant; in complete concord with the sinewy masculinity of Pablo Ziegler’s pianism. Shiwa was the epitome of poise, accuracy and pristine delicacy.

It seemed as if we were witness to the perfect – and proverbial – musical ikigai* [*the Japanese symbol for balance in nature] if ever there could be anything like it in a programme that was perfectly focused on Jazz Tango.

Masae was so thrilled by the end of it all that she said, breathlessly: “For me it was a surreal experience to play the music of Piazzolla and Ziegler in Buenos Aires where the public knows very well what it is about. It was an honor to have been able to make my debut in Argentina sharing the stage with Pablo, his musicians and Pipi Piazzolla.”

Ziegler met Piazzolla in 1978 and a deep and enduring friendship ensued. They share an abiding love for music – especially Piazzola’s music – and this left a lasting impression on the Young Ziegler. His training was more in the realm of jazz and classical music, but playing with Piazzolla left its indelible mark on the impresionable young genius.

When Astor passed away, Ziegler slipped into the role of shepherding the master Piazzolla’s music into a new era, without Piazolla. Thus Ziegler laid infused the repertoire with his own imprint.

Ziegler now lives in New York City, but his acclaim and recognition is spread throughout the world. He has won a Grammy Award in 2005 for his CD “Bajo Cero”, and in 2018 he won another Grammy for “Jazz Tango”. With the latter recording Ziegler firmly established himself in the vanguard of Argentinean music, which is played with a smoky flavour and dances to a rhythm that combines classical, tango, jazz and a myriad of traditional dance forms.

A few years ago, it felt as if audiences failed to understand Ziegler and questioned his music, just like the audiences in another time had once questioned the nuevo tango of Astor Piazzolla. But in recent times audiences have come to appreciate – nay, even love – music played in the inimitable rhythm and idiom of Ziegler. For this concert Ziegler received the well-deserved honor of being sponsored by Steinway & Sons.

2022 María Cabeza | All photos by Manuel Pose Varela, Centro Cultural CKK