[Tango-L] Cadence, cadenza, cadencia

June Es esjune at hotmail.com
Thu Apr 28 03:05:27 EDT 2011



This is probably detracting from the main discussion of what is cadencia, so I've created a separate topic. I am making the point that words in different languages may appear similar but the meaning may be completely different. Depending on which term you use - cadencia (Spanish), cadenza (Italian),  or cadence (English), my point is that ideas get lost in translation and we need to use a term in its original language whenever possible. 
While the Italian term "cadenza" also translates to "cadence" in English, the two terms mean different things to musicians.
Now I'm venturing into the world of music. This is relevant because most tango musicians have Italian roots. However I won't go into what cadence (English) technically means to musicians (suffice to say that it refers to various forms to close musical phrases with generally two  chords). 
But I shall describe the Italian term "cadenza". When you speak with a musician, cadenza as marked in  orchestral scores refers to a fairly long passage of music during which a solo instrumentalist plays flourishes before ending  with a cadence (which is intended to signal to the conductor and the rest of the orchestra the close of the soloist's  exhibition of virtuosi). Because the cadence "bookmarks" the virtuosi passage, it has become the practice to call the entire virtuosi passage a cadenza. I've come across cadenzas during many concertos which I've had the pleasure of performing as a  member of the orchestra's rank and file, but I've never heard of a cadenza in any of the tango music I've danced to, so let's  disregard this meaning for tango. 
I've mentioned cadenza so that it is evident that one differentiates between what cadence  means to a dancer and what it means to a musician. Most importantly, the point is that the term "cadence" translate back to their original languages have different meanings.
 		 	   		  


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