LA CUMPARSITA for viola & piano

LA CUMPARSITA for viola & piano
Gerardo Matos Rodríguez (1897-1948)
arr. Lucian Moraru
SonArt Publications SON-60-4, 2022

There are quite a few arrangements of this famous tango for many different instruments, and these come in varying levels of difficulty and keys. This colourful arrangement works well in the key of G minor, with crisp resonant chords and lyrical melodies alternating with virtuosic chromatic passagework. For a few bars in the central section, there are alternate parts, allowing for choices in difficulty, and the piano part uses excellent registration and rhythmic drive to really highlight the viola line. Bravo!

Arrangements by Lucian Moraru:
The highly prolific Romanian violist, digital creator and arranger Lucian Moraru studied in Bucharest, then the Netherlands and Great Britain. He has an extremely diverse musical skill set, working as a violist in orchestras, chamber groups and as a soloist, working as a studio producer, as well as substantial experience as an arranger for a diversity of musical instruments and genres. SonArt Editions come with very beautiful graphics on the covers, which do not always acknowledge the source of the images. The publication website contains audio links, as well as a shop. Website: https://sonartedition.com

Stringendo (Australian Strings Association’s magazine) - October, 2023