[Tango-L] Contemporary classical tango orchestras, interpretations, recordings, compositions

Tue Oct 2 00:18:21 EDT 2007

Hi all,

This is an attempt to provide some starting points for exploration of
contemporary classical tango orchestras, interpretations, recordings,
and compositions.

A.
I will try to focus on what is for dancing, not just for listening,
but in any case it should be confined to classical tango (as
previously defined).

B.
Size does matter, in my opinion. Krasimir says he does not care if a
band is a cuarteto or sexteto or a trio or larger size, as long as it
is a danceable tune. I would like to suggest that Orquesta Tipica (OT)
configurations do make a significant difference in (a) sound quality
and complexity and (b) danceability. These two are related, so it does
matter, for dancers, what the size of the band is. Why?

Smaller configurations just cannot provide the sheer wall of sound of
4-5 bandoneons or violins, or the density and complexity of the
musical texture that OTs produce. Consequently, it is easier to get
tired of the sound of a trio or a duo or a cuarteto (there are some
exceptions) and it does sound sparse in most cases. I also find that
it is much harder for smaller bands to offer the kind or rhythmic
consistency that experienced argentine OTs can.

C.
In exploring what is available, I think one would find growing amounts
of danceable music in the following general categories:

1. New interpretations or recordings of well-known compositions

2. New interpretations of existing but not well-known compositions

3. New compositions in new or historical orchestra styles or streams(*)

4. Re-creating historical orchestra styles

5. All of the above applied to Milongas and Valses

(*) a "stream" here means a style of orchestral interpretation that
has a lot of common ground with a historical style, but also a number
of different elements.

In what is below I am only addressing a subset of what fits into these
categories.

D.
Here is a list of tango orchestras playing in historical or own
styles/streams. Most are active and formed within the last ten years,
most are full OTs; some are defunct or older formations (but past
1970s), and some are sextetos/septetos or cuartetos (noted below).

Of course we are waiting for musicians to branch more, away from the
usual Pugliese/Piazzolla - D'Arienzo major-minor dichotomy of streams.
It is already happening - with the M. Calo and Di Sarli streams, and
the Orquesta Escuela de Tango phenomenon. Patience!

Miguel Calo style:
Sans Souci
	Don't know about original copositions, but their Calo is almost
perfect, as faithful to the original style  as possible without
completely losing separate identity.

Carlos Di Sarli style/stream:
Fervor de Buenos Aires, Gente de Tango. I know more about Fervor de
BA. The pianist/leader Javier Arias does a great Di Sarli stream
orchestration, and has a growing list of original compositions in the
same stream.

Juan D'Arienzo style/stream:
Los Reyes del Tango, Orquesta Juan D'Arienzo, Los Solistas De
D'Arienzo (cuarteto?). Los Solistas, even though only
cuarteto/quinteto (I think), plays so well it is almost hard to
believe it is not a full OT. OJDA focuses a bit too much on rhythm and
late D'Arienzo; Los Reyes is imaginative but their lead violin bothers
me as it seems too inferior to the magic of someone like Puglisi's.

Other Orquesta Tipicas:

Orquesta Escuela de Tango:
Many historical styles - this is a tango orchestra school (!) -
probably the most exciting and significant development in the last ten
years. Look up Ignacio Varchausky, who along with friends seems to
have been the engine behind organizing this and literally saving the
tango orchestra expertise from extinction! Notice the names of Ramiro
Gallo (violin soloist/teacher; has a quinteto Ramiro Gallo, also plays
in El Arranque), Andrés Linetzky (piano and teacher, plays in Vale
Tango), Ignacio Varchausky (plays contrabajo in El Arranque)
Historical tango styles:
	recorded(?): Di Sarli, Troilo, D'Arienzo, Pugliese, Gobbi
	taught: Troilo, Pugliese, Salgán, Piazzolla, Di Sarli, Federico,
D´Arienzo, Fresedo, Gobbi, De Caro

Fernandez Fierro (late Pugliese, Piazzolla streams but mostly steady rhythm)

Imperial (Pugliese, mostly steady rhythm)

La Furca  (Pugliese-like stream)

Rodolfo Mederos OT (Troilo, Pugliese streams)

Cerda Negra (Troilo, Pugliese streams)

El Afronte (mixed; Pugliese)

Other smaller configurations (quinteto, sexteto, septeto), of
potential interest to dancers:

La Excelsior (Pugliese/Piazzolla?)

Color Tango (Pugliese)

El Arranque (various)

Vale Tango (various, Pugliese, does a bunch of milongas and valses)

E.
Here is an incomplete list of new original classical tango
compositions. Most of these are danceable:

Fervor de BA (Di Sarli stream)
	Javier Arias (leader of)
		Quien Sos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQL96Wa6aMs
		E.G.B.
		Despojo (con Bonfiglia)
		Pibita (con Mauricio)

Rodolfo Mederos OT: (Troilo/Pugliese stream?)
	Rodolfo Mederos:
		Abran Cancha (milonga)
		La Alegria De Encontrarte
		En Otro Lugar De Mi
		Contraluz
		Ropa Vieja

Fernandez Fierro (late Pugliese stream):
	Yuri Venturín (Contrabajo y dirección)
		Sin dudas y con firmeza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQJAMfgeZTM
		011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McetUSo72Tc

	Julio Coviello (bandoneon)
		Lengua seca

	Julián Peralta (piano, but not in band anymore)
		Waldo
		Punto y Branca
		Prólogo
		Mal Arreado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-OdhwySdQ
		Final

Imperial (Pugliese stream):
	Gerardo Martinez Argibay:
		A Salvador Aliende
		El Equilibrista (vals)
	Pablo Bernaba
		Maradoneando (milonga)

	Matilde Vitullo:
		Feos, Sucios y Malos
		El loco Milonga (tango)

	Karina Martinelli:
		Facón grande
		Tango villero

Hernán Bartolozzi (Bandoneón, with Imperial; also with Color Tango)
		Cadenero
		La Maquina Tanguera
		Mina
		America Antes De La Memoria

Cerda Negra (mostly teenagers!)
	Agustin Guerrero (leader of)
		El Flaco
		La Bronca del Pueblo

El Afronte: (mixed; Pugliese)
	Gabriel Atum:
		Pueblada
		Maldita

Vale Tango (has Ariel Espandrio on violin, do a lot of milongas and valses)
	Andres Linetzky:
		Vals De La Rosa (vals)
		Rey De Copas
		Los Ojos

If you want to explore these, or want to get your hands on the
recordings, please buy their CDs. These are mostly young people that
have contributed to saving from
extinction, preserving, and restarting the classical tango stream, and
they deserve all the support we can give them.

One place that has most/all of this material above is
www.tangostore.com (I have no affiliation or interest in their
business or prosperity). They would ship to most regions of the world,
as far as I know, and there are 45-second previews on the songs on
most of the CDs.

I hope this helps a bit. Please do not shoot me down for omitting
something or misplacing or mis-classifying something. It took a long
time to compile and write this, and I offer it as is.

With best regards,

Konstantin
Victoria, Canada