DPA Microphones Capture the Drama Of the Tango

DPA Microphones Capture The Drama Of The Tango

Accordionist Richard Galliano relies on DPA's d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones to deliver the true acoustics sound of his live tribute to King of Tango' Astor Paizolla.

Richard Galliano, a musician widely regarded as the world's greatest living accordionist, is currently touring the world with a quintet of musicians to celebrate the life and works of his mentor, Astor Piazolla.

In order to deliver the true acoustic feel of Piazolla's acclaimed tango music, the tour's sound engineer Rmi Bourcereau has chosen eight DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones, which his is using for Galliano's accordion and bandonen and also for the violins, viola, double bass and cello played by Galliano's quintet. For the piano, Bourcereau is using two DPA 2011C twin diaphragm cardioid microphones, which are positioned on a stereo bar. All of these microphones were bought from DPA's French distributor Audio.

I first used DPA microphones a year ago on a different tour and was delighted with the results they gave me, Bourcereau explains. For this tour, we wanted the audience to feel as acoustically close to the instruments as possible and that is why I chose DPA. In close miking conditions they deliver a very natural sound, which is exactly what this type of music requires.

Richard Galliano, who was born in 1950 of Italian/French parentage, was taught to play the accordion by his father when he was just four years old. In 1983 his musical talent was recognised by Argentine tango composer and bandonen player Astor Piazolla, a man whose ability to integrate classical, modern and jazz music influences had elevated tango music to concert hall status and earned him the title of the King of Tango'.

Piazolla invited Galliano to be the bandonen soloist at the Comdie Franaise where his original music was being used to accompany William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was the starting point of their decade-long friendship that lasted until Piazzolla passed away in 1992.

Galliano's current tour, which is designed to mark the 20th anniversary of Piazolla's death, has already taken him to numerous concert halls in the USA, Canada, South America and Europe. Most recently he has been in China where he performed a number of concerts in Guangzhou, Changsha, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi'an, Beijing and Shenzhen.

We have attached the DPA d:vote 4099s to Richard's accordion and bandonen using magnetic piano holders with scratch tape wrapped around the clips for added security, Rmi Bourcereau says. Richard is really enjoying the sound he is getting from the DPA microphones and, because they are now his regular microphones, he is finding that he can always get the dynamic that he wants.

The other musicians in the quintet also appreciate the audio quality delivered by their DPA microphones and the fact that having the same microphone in every venue means they know exactly how they are going to sound and don't face any nasty surprises.

The d:vote 4099s are very easy for the musicians to use because they simply clip onto their instruments something that is really helpful when you are on tour, Bourcereau says. From my point of view, I'm really happy with the sound the DPA microphones are delivering, especially with the strings. The d:vote 4099s have a good sounding off axis response and this brings a lot of acoustic coherence on strings.

Richard Galliano's Piazolla tribute tour will continue into 2013, taking in more European dates. DPA microphones are now a permanent feature of this tour, ensuring the highest possible audio quality in every venue.

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