Tanguísimo, Le Chant Du Monde ****

The music world is waiting for a definitive compilation of tango master Astor Piazzolla's music and sadly, due to various legal and technical obstacles, this nine-disc collection from French label Le Chant Du Monde is not it. But it's a game attempt, documenting the crucial period from 1945 to 1961, during which Piazzolla raised tango from a simple urban folk music to an art form that would conquer the world. Over 200 recordings, ranging from stock commercial arrangements to the first flowerings of his groundbreaking Quinteto Tango Nuevo, reveal a genius at work, whose skill as a composer and arranger was matched by his mastery of the bandoneon. Those with a serious interest in tracing Piazzolla's development will find the accompanying booklet thin and lacking in detail, but for those who just want to listen, Tanguísimo is 10 hours of some of the most stirring and evocative music of the 20th century. chantdumonde.com