Many of the concerts in this year’s OCMF included pieces by Astor Piazolla, the Argentinean composer. Rooted firmly in tango, Piazolla drew on jazz and classical traditions to produce works of a unique character. It is music which defies easy classification. Central to his work is the bandoneón, a type of accordion which is the quintessential tango instrument. Marcello Nisinman, a protégé of the composer and a contemporary master of the bandoneón, was a key figure in the festival.

Friday evening’s event offered festival goers an opportunity to learn more about Piazolla’s life and work. After showing extracts from a BBC film about the composer, Nisinman added some of his own anecdotes. He then demonstrated how fiendishly complicated the bandoneón is to play, with its four keyboards and the pitch of some notes changing as the instrument is stretched or compressed.

The festival musicians performed two of Nisinman’s own compositions — 4 o’clock (am) tango and Devil’s insomnia — the first of these written especially for the event. The spiky, insistent rhythm of both pieces evoked the sleep-deprived unreality of the early morning hours. Several pieces by Piazolla followed, starting with Libertango. The musicians were joined by two dancers who demonstrated the grace and power of tango.

Later, the audience adjourned to the Vaults Restaurant where, after a tasty supper, the ensemble played more Piazolla, this time in an unrehearsed session. In the dim light people held candles and torches over the scores so the players could read the music. The repertoire included movements from Five Tango Sensations. It was a joy to listen to these talented players from such a range of countries, creating music together. There was a timeless quality about the evening in this setting. The shared enthusiasm and close relationships between the musicians came through strongly in performance and the charismatic Nisinman played with wonderful expressiveness.

Anyone interested in exploring Piazolla’s music should buy a copy of Tango: Zero Hour on the American Clavé label. Piazolla considered this his greatest recording achievement and it is a magical album.