Piazzolla in the hands of a new generation - with passion, freedom,

and virtuosity. The fourth Supraphon album by the 21-year-old performer Daniel Matejca

brings a change of genre. Following virtuosic sonatas by Eugene Ysaÿe (2023),

a chamber music album with pianist Jan Schulmeister (Suk, Martinu, Fiser,

2025), and exciting concertos by Shostakovich and Prokofiev with

the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Tomas Netopil (2025), the focus

now turns to tango nuevo, inseparably associated with astor Piazzolla.

Besides the Argentine tango, his language as a composer reflects not only

the contemporary classical music he studied in Paris under Nadia Boulanger,

but also jazz and especially the music of Bach, which Piazzolla played on

the bandoneon to the surprise of many people. On a map, Piazzolla would lie

along an imaginary axis between Buenos Aires, Paris, and New York. It may

well have been this breadth of inspiration that captivated Daniel Matejca, who

plays piano and percussion as well as violin (not to mention the wide range

of genres he performs) and the exceptional accordion player Martin sulc,

whose palette of colours ranges from intimacy to an almost orchestra fullness

at times. Their flawless ensemble is a given; what is more striking is

the degree of freedom and expressivity they bring to it. Both suites (Suite del

angel, Histoire du Tango) contain clearly audible echoes of Piazzolla's studies

in Paris. Of course, the album could not omit Ave Maria, Oblivion, Escualo,

and Finale, irresistible works that alone would be enough to secure Piazzolla's

immortality. This recording by two young musicians captivated

by the Argentine legend may well contribute to that lasting legacy.