OBLIVION - (Astor Piazzolla) - Roland Dyens

As performed by Roland Dyens at the Guitar Salon International showroom in Santa Monica (CA) on June 27, 2015.

"Oblivion" was composed by Astor Piazzolla in 1982 and used in 1984 as music for the film "Enrico IV" by Marco Bellocchio, with Claudia Cardinale and Marcello Mastroianni. The film is a free transposition of the homonymous tragedy by Luigi Pirandello in which the protagonist, falling from a horse during a costume party, assumes the identity of the costume he wears, Henry IV. Twenty years later, the truth will be revealed, but madness will have no end. The meaning of "oblivion" is "forgetfulness". The soundtrack album was released in different versions with the name "Oblivion" or "Henry IV (Bande Originale Du Film)" or "Henry IV - Le Roi Fou OST". In the album the song "Oblivion" appears in four different instrumental versions: bandoneon soloist, trombone soloist, oboe and orchestra, guitar soloist. In the same year, in the album "Live At The Bouffes Du Nord" appears a further version of Oblivion called "J'oublie" specially adapted by Piazzolla for the Italian singer Milva, with french lyrics by David McNeil.

In 1993 in Los Angeles the song "OBLIVION" gets the GRAMMY AWARD nomination in the "Best Instrumental Composition" category: according to many critics of international fame, this song is one of the most beautiful compositions ever written by Piazzolla.

"Oblivion" is one of the ten Piazzolla's compositions that Roland Dyens has transcribed for guitar during his last three years of life (he died on October 29, 2016). He had no way of recording his work on an album but fortunately, during one of his last live performances, at the Guitar Salon International showroom in Santa Monica (CA) on June 27, 2015, he played Oblivion and this recording, published on youtube, is the one I used for this transcription.