Astor Piazzolla’s centenary in 2021 was marked by a slew of recordings, including superb releases from Karen Gomyo (BIS, A/21), Juanjo Mosalini (Centaur, 11/21) and Ksenija Sidorova (Alpha, 3/21). This BIS album from the quintet Escualo5 adds to that bumper crop, and it too is absolutely terrific.

I’ll admit that on first glance the programme didn’t appear especially enticing given that Adiós Nonino, Histoire du Tango, Primavera Porteña and Soledad have all been recorded many times over. But not only are the performances unfailingly stylish and fiery, they’re also marvellously detailed in tone, texture and harmonic colour. I love the ensemble’s various atmospheric additions, like the hazy string glissandos at 5'58" in Soledad, for instance. Their arrangement of Histoire du Tango, originally for flute and guitar but played here by accordion (taking the flute part), guitar and double bass, brings welcome expressive intensity to one of the composer’s lighter works. And by taking one of the two guitar parts of the Tango Suite, pianist Débora Halász clarifies both the intricate instrumental interplay and the score’s harmonic richness.

A decidedly international ensemble, Escualo5 replicate the instrumentation of Piazzolla’s own quintets (bandoneón, violin, piano, guitar and bass), although with an accordion replacing the bandoneón. The mellower sound of the accordion can smooth over some of the music’s rough edges but the focused intensity Escualo5 bring to this music more than makes up for that. Even Adiós Nonino sounds fresh, thanks in large part to pianist Halász’s blistering opening cadenza and the unfettered fervour violinist Iason Keramidis brings to the famous central melody. Indeed, there’s something in his playing that evokes the Romani style – a connection I’d never considered before.

The less familiar pieces are especially welcome. The breezy, dizzyingly modulating Bandoneón, Guitarra y Bajo sounds like something you’d hear at a Parisian café while sipping Pernod. Fracanapa, on the other hand, is a taut moto perpetuo, and the savagely dramatic Contrabajísimo (from ‘Tango: Zero Hour’, Piazzolla’s last and arguably greatest album) is played with tremendous improvisatory fire and flair. Now let’s hope that Escualo5 and BIS have a second volume in the works.