Pasión

On his debut album, 2011's Mediterráneo, the London-trained Montenegro native Miloš Karadaglić explored the classical repertoires of Spain, Italy, and Greece. Pasión, his 2012 follow-up, covers a wide swath of mostly Latin American compositions. From Brazil (Villa-Lobos, Sávio) and Argentina (Piazzolla, Ginastera, Cardoso, Morel) to Cuba (Brouwer, Farrés), Mexico (Ponce), Uruguay (Rodríguez), Paraguay (Barrios-Mangoré), and even France (Gardel) and Tunisia (Dyens), the guitarist interprets compositions influenced by tango, samba, and chôro. Piazzolla’s signature “Libertango” opens the album and features the disciplined and dramatic Studioorchester der Europäishcen FilmPhilarmonie (for the first of four collaborations) playing off of his bright musicianship. Karadaglic imbues Ponce’s “Scherzino Mexicano” with a deft touch and an emotive heart. The “Finale” to Ginastera’s only guitar sonata closes Pasión as a bonus track; it's a whirlwind tour de force that showcases the guitar as both a stringed and percussive instrument.