Piazzolla: Invierno Porteño (Tariq Harb, guitar)

Guitarist Tariq Harb plays Astor Piazzolla’s “Invierno Porteño“ from a beautifully crafted arrangement by Sérgio Assad. Please enjoy! Notes: It’s not only Vivaldi who composed music for the four seasons in the year; Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla applied the same idea to Buenos Aires in a set of tangos called the Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas. The adjective “Porteñas” refers to the seasons in Buenos Aires, hence the English title - The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Piazzolla’s set of four tangos were composed in the late 1960s and the beginning of 1970 for his quintet of piano, bandoneón, violin, electric guitar, and bass. He often used one of the movements as an overture to his concerts. These four, single tango movements contain several references to Vivaldi’s famous work. However, they were not originally conceived as a suite. He first composed Verano Porteño (Summer) in 1965 as incidental music for the play Melenita de Oro by Alberto Rodríguez Muñoz. Piazzolla also created an arrangement of the piece for Aníbal Troilo, a traditional tango orchestra that recorded the work in 1967. Otoño Porteño (Autumn) was written in 1969, and Primavera Porteña and Invierno Porteño (Spring and Winter) were written in 1970. Through four ensemble works, Piazzolla’s tango compositions depict the opposing seasons and moods of Buenos Aires, the big city on the banks of the Río de la Plata, where his music originated. This arrangement for solo guitar is by the great Brazilian guitarist and composer Sérgio Assad. It was commissioned by the Augustine Foundation. Performance: Tariq Harb Arrangement: Sérgio Assad Guitar: Martin Blackwell, cedar double-top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides, 2019 Strings: Savarez, CR 540 Guitar support: Woodside Audio and video: Tariq Harb Tariq Harb teaches at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada: Online store: