Misa Tango

One day someone was bound to do it, but it could have been totally daft; praise be, this tango Mass is a total success. Conceived by composer Luis Bacalov, an Argentinean Jew who lives in Rome, it welds what might be considered disparate elements--operatic solo voices and clubland instruments from Buenos Aires--into an entirely satisfying unity. Verdi is the first thought that comes to mind as the chorus begins the Kyrie, and the Gloria that follows it has strong echoes of Bernstein, hotly pursued--as a solo violin swings into tango rhythm--by Piazzolla. And it's appropriate that the last two tracks should be Bacalov's own arrangements of two Piazzolla classics, "Adios Nonino" and the immortal "Libertango." Bacalov himself officiates brilliantly at the piano; the tenor is none other than Plácido Domingo, in sweetly mellifluous voice. Myung-Whun Chung and the choir and orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia provide the musical foundations, on which Hector Ulises Passarella weaves gracefully angular patterns on his bandoneon. --Michael Church