Omar Massa (bandoneon)
Biography, Audio/Video, Discography, Photos, Concerto repertoire, Programmes
www.omarmassa.com
Biography
Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)
Omar has been a pioneer in taking his instrument to concert halls to play works from the academic repertoire, especially those from the European and Latin American Baroque. As a soloist he has performed with symphony orchestras and chamber groups like the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, the Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra, the Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Stat Sibiu, the Brasov Philharmonic, the Kamerata Kronstadt among others. Omar has played in several important venues such as the Lincoln Center (New York), the National Concert Hall (Dublin), the Colon Theatre (Buenos Aires), the Palace of Fine Arts (Mexico DF) and the George Enescu Festival (Bucharest). As a composer he has written several works, among which his ‘Suite Patagonia’ and ‘Concertango’ were premiered in the Chamber Music Season of the Palace of Fine Arts of Mexico in 2013. Omar was nominated for the Gardel Music Awards 2014 (most important award in the recording industry in Argentina) for his CD ‘Tribute to Piazzolla’ and 25 years after Astor Piazzolla´s death (2015) his family invited him to play Piazzolla´s bandoneon. In addition to his artistic endeavours, Omar has conducted courses and masterclasses on bandoneon and on Astor Piazzolla’s music in universities around the world. His tours have been declared of ‘Cultural and Artistic importance to the country of Argentina’ by the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Audio/Video
Photos
Photographer: Michael Reinicke
Photographer: Camilla Berio
Concerto repertoire
Tango for bandoneon and chamber/string orchestra
Astor Piazzolla
1. Bandoneon Concerto “Aconcagua” for Bandoneon, Strings Orchestra and Percussion (20 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTH4h6RCxg&t=5s
2. “3 Tangos” for Soloist Bandoneon, Strings Orchestra and Percussion (20 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alUkH-iPc48
3. “Suite Punta del Este” (18 minutes) for Soloist Bandoneon and Chamber Orchestra (strings orchestra and woodwinds)
4. “Double Concerto” for Bandoneon and Guitar with String Orchestra (16 minutes)
5. “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” (25 minutes) arranged for Bandoneon and String Orchestra.
6. “Five Tango Sensations” (28 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra, Original for Bandoneon and String Quartet but commonly played with complete string section.
7. Instrumental pieces selection arranged for Bandoneon soloist and String Orchestra: “Adios Nonino”, “Oblivion”, “La muerte del Angel” , “Libertango”, “Milonga del Angel”, “Fuga y Misterio”, etc.
Omar Massa
- Tango Concerto for Bandoneon, Piano and String Orchestra (15 minutes), comissioned by the Embassy of Argentina in Germany for the Gala concert in Berlin Philarmonic on May 2019. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the partner city arrangement between Berlin and Buenos Aires under the auspices of the Embassy of Argentina together with the Berlin Senator for culture and Europe.
Baroque with bandoneon and chamber/string orchestra
- Organ Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) HWV 309 – Op. 7 No. 4 in D minor (16 minutes) Bandoneon and Chamber Orchestra
- Concerto for Harpsichord (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) RV 780, in A major (10 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra
- Oboe Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) SF 935 – Op.1 , in D minor(10 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra
- Harpsichord Concerto (Bandoneon version by Omar Massa) BWV 1055 – in A Major (15 minutes) Bandoneon and String Orchestra
Programmes Recitals/Chamber Music
From Baroque to Nuevo Tango
1a) Bandoneon + Violin (with Markus Däunert)
SOLO BANDONEON
Toccata N7 for Organ from “Secondo Libro di Toccate e Canzone” (1637) (4 min)?
excerpts from Partita by J.S. Bach (5 min)
violin sonata in C major no. 3, Op. 5 (12 min)
violin sonata in g minor (9 min)
violin sonata in d minor, RV 12 (12min)
“Ave Maria” (6 min)
Intermission
“Lo que vendra” (5 min)
Tango Etude 3 or 4 (4 min)
“Bruno & Sarah” (3 min)
“Calambre” (2 min)
“History of Tango”: Bordel 1900, Cafe 1930, Nightclub 1960, Concert d’aujourd’hui (20 min)
“Oblivion” (5 min)
O. Massa, “Avincis Tango” (click, 4 min 37s)
Encore:
Astor Piazzolla, “Libertango” (2min 30sec)
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1b) Bandoneon & Violin (with Maya Levy)
“From Baroque to Piazzolla”
“Obra de lleno de séptimo tono” , Latin American Baroque from National Cathedral of Mexico (5 min 10s)
violin sonata no. 3 Op. 5 (12 min)
Tango Etude (3 min)
“Bruno & Sarah” and “Calambre” (5 min)
„Café 30“ from History of the Tango (7 min)
“Nightclub 1960” (7 min)
(38 minutes music plus moderation)
O. Massa, “Avincis Tango” (4 min)
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2) Bandoneon + Piano (with Pavlin Nechev)
Concerto in A Major BWV 1055 (15 min)
Concerto in d minor SF 935 – Op.1 (10 min)
sonata in c minor BWV 1017 (16 min)
Intermission
“Milonga del Angel” for bandoneon and piano (6 min)
Nuevo Tango for bandoneon and piano (3 min)
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(with Markus Däunert, Danusha Waskiewicz)
Prelude and Fugue in d minor, BWV 554 (4 min)
“Obra de lleno de séptimo tono”. Latin American Baroque from National Cathedral of Mexico (5 min)
Violin Sonata no. 3 Op. 5 (12 min)
Viola Sonata no. 3, BWV 1029 (14 min)
“Ave Maria” (6 min)
Pause
“Pedro y Pedro” (3m 30s)
“Bruno & Sarah” and “Calambre” (5 min)
“Adios Nonino” (6 min)
“Avincis Tango” (4m 30s)
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4) Bandoneon, Violin, Viola, Cello
Toccata no. 7 for Organ from “Secondo Libro di Toccate e Canzone”
Prelude and fugue no. 1 from “8 small Preludes and fugues for organ”, BWV 553-560
Cello sonata in a minor RV 43
Violin Sonata no. 3, Op. 5
Ave Maria
Intermission
Adiós Nonino
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5) Bandoneon, Guitar (with Julia Lange)
3 pieces 13″
Intermezzo from the opera „Goyescas”
Spanish Dance „Oriental“ Op.37/2
Spanish Dance „Andaluza“ op. 37 Nr.5
Asturias 7’ (Guitar solo)
Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 Aria 5’
Histoire du Tango Cafe 1930 5’
Intermission
Suite ffor violoncello 16′
Manuel de Falla
7 Canciones populares Españolas 13’
All Arrangements by Omar Massa