|
MARCELO ALVAREZ: IN SEARCH OF GARDEL In 2000, American Public Television aired a documentary by the above name. It starred the Argentine tenor Marcelo Álvarez. The documentary was produced by Rhombus Media Inc. and was contracted to run on PBS from June 30, 2000 to June 29, 2002. It was shown on TV only four times. The film was released as a companion to Álvarez 1999 Sony album Marcelo Álvarez Sings Gardel, in which he interpreted 13
of Gardel's songs. This CD shows up on eBay quite often for about $10. Marcelo Álvarez: In Search of Gardel documents Álvarez's return to his homeland to visit Gardel's old haunts on the seedy side of Buenos Aires, seeking inspiration and insight into his hero. In the process, he sings the songs of passion and despair, of longing and lust, that have made tango one of the 20th century's most popular music forms. On the Web: http://www.marceloalvarez.com CD: Here is another review of the documentary: The meteoric rise of Argentinean tenor Marcelo Alvarez has caught the world of classical music by surprise. Just a few years ago, Alvarez was a mere accountant in Cordoba, dreaming of a life on stage at the world's most prominent opera houses. But then he won a song contest and everything changed... Recently Alvarez returned to his native Argentina to take on a most meaningful artistic challenge - performing and recording the songs of Carlos Gardel, the legendary Tango crooner whose music has become an Argentinean obsession. Gardel, born illegitimately in Toulouse in 1898, rose to stratospheric heights in the 1920s. He was an international celebrity, performing for royalty in Europe and movie stars in New York. He made numerous recordings and a dozen motion pictures for Paramount. Although he was tragically killed in an airplane crash in 1935, his music only grows in popularity, and to this day continues to be the pulse of Argentina. Marcelo Alvarez seeks his inspiration from Gardel who in turn was heavily influenced by Enrico Caruso. He chats with colleagues and friends. He visits Gardel's old haunts on the seedy side of Buenos Aires that come alive only late in the night. But most importantly, he sings the songs - songs of passion and despair, of longing and lust - the songs that have made Tango one of the twentieth century's most popular music forms. Links:
|
