Azul, concerto for cello by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov that transforms the standard concerto structure and, in the words of one critic, “creates a sense of spiritual journey and quest.” Written for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), it premiered at the Tanglewood Festival on August 4, 2006, in a performance that featured cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Golijov revised and expanded the piece, and this early revised version was first performed in 2007, featuring cellist Alisa Weilerstein.
Among the influences Golijov claimed for the second version of his expressive and lyrical work were the poetry of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the summer sky and open-air setting of Tanglewood, the summer home of the BSO. In terms of form, Golijov used Baroque-era structures such as passacaglia and chaconne rather than the more usual Romantic-style sonata form. Another commanding aspect of Azul’s structure is its foundation on a continuo group consisting of percussion instruments (rather than harpsichord and cello, as in the Baroque period) and its use of a “hyper-accordion”—an electronically enhanced accordion. Both features give Azul a distinctly Latin American flavour.