Tango Orchestra Preferences

[bastet]

Perhaps 'school' is the wrong word, but most tango music sites seem to suggest that these four are the most popular/leading orchestras, each representative of a particular style (although each recorded over a long period, and their individual styles changed over time too).

For example, www.milonga.co.uk suggests that:

And then suggests particular albums (and I took the advice and bought them).

And at www.tejastango.com we find similar advice:


I wouldn't read too much into my limited experience, because it is, well, limited, but I am suprised at how little Pugliese or Troilo I hear.

Well, I stand with dchester with this. It's the same around here, most times and my Di Sarli tends to be of better sound quality than some others I also like. Fortunately, I don't particularly like dancing to either Troilo or Pugliese, so it's no skin off my nose that its not played as much by most DJs in my area, and certianly not by professional DJ's at festivals, thank goodness.

I would say the reason you don't tend to hear as much Pugliese is partly because it's fairly difficult to dance to and maybe partly that the melodrama or intensity of the music tends to make people act crazy and a good DJ isn't going to let that happen on a dance floor and perhaps other reasons I can't think of.

There is some earlier Pugliese that's a bit more danceable, but the melodramatic late 50's stuff gets on my nerves for dancing to, though I enjoy listening to it well enough.

As for recommending beginners to have it in their collection, well, as an appreciation exercise and a "save it for later" piece for advice for dancing, then I say sure why not?

 

[Andreas Wichter]

I'll give it a try, gearing up for a DJing gig in Italy I have to deal with these issues anyway.
So this doesn't get too unwieldy, I'll do single posts for each of the 4 orhcestras mentioned.
Some people seem to regard Di Sarli as simple and straightforward. I can't quite agree on that view, as his music has great depth and complexity. However, it is quite danceable for beginners, too, as evidenced by its frequent use in beginner classes. Di Sarli's strength lies in the fact that the same tracks that are quite easy for beginners to dance to (due to the relatively clear beat) are at the same time challenging and rewarding for seasoned dancers who can squeeze much more out of it. Add to that the fact that Di Sarli has recorded from 1928 until 1959, and you have a wealth of markedly varied music that can fuel a wide range of moods. Rhythmic, lyrical or dramatic - Di Sarli delivers.
Furthermore, I regard Di Sarli as the greatest of the Golden Age orchestras. If I were to pick one orchestra to demonstrate what tango is, and can be, Di Sarli would be my pick. It's iconic.
From a DJ's perspective then: I always find it hardest about the job to pick what *not* to play, something especially bad with short milongas (less than 6 hours or so). Only one tanda of Di Sarli during the evening? Impossible. Two? The bare minimum that still leaves me with tough choices. My first pick is usually Rufino, as I can't really not play him. But then you still have Podesta, Duran, early instrumentals (Sexteto) and at least the classic 40s instrumentals clamouring to be played. And let us not disregard the 50s stuff - at the right moment in the milonga those can be exceptionally good.
So with a 5-6 hour milonga I usually end up playing at leat 3 or 4 tandas of Di Sarli, not counting valses (sometimes Di Sarli makes the cut there) and milongas (rarely makes the cut).
Shall I go on or are you guys bored already?

 

[opendoor]

...There is some earlier Pugliese that's a bit more danceable, but the melodramatic late 50's stuff gets on my nerves for dancing to, though I enjoy listening to it well enough...

It took almost 5 years since I had enough courage to dance openly to a Pugliese piece. And actually, my dear minimalistically dancing friends: you also feel much better on the dance floor with some figures in your repertoire when this kind of music is on.

Last weekend I was thrown out of a milonga. Ouuuuutch. It came this way. I arrived late, and was hyper and binged up, but that Pugliese tanda just started in that moment. I could not start the milonga with Pugliese then, and also all suitable women already were on the dance floor. And by the way, 5 Pugliese pieces will take almost half an hour (5 Biagis only 10 minutes). After 15 minutes I ran to the argentine owner and former show girl complaining, that this must have been the sixth piece. During this tanda she was sunken in her little shop selling shoes and other fancy tango stuff: My reproachful question woke her up and she exploded: "Are you unable to count, you are not musically, you are disturbing all that atmosphere, please leave the party, leave us alone, I dont want to see you any more..... a.s.o

 

[bordertangoman]

And at www.tejastango.com we find similar advice:

.

at www.tejas it also says We think, however, that the beginning dancer will do better by listening and moving to the tangos on Francisco Canaro's La Melodia de Nuestro Adios and Miguel Caló's Yo Soy el Tango before moving onto Di Sarli.

 

[bordertangoman]

partly that the melodrama or intensity of the music tends to make people act crazy and a QUOTE]

 

[UKDancer]

at www.tejas it also says We think, however, that the beginning dancer will do better by listening and moving to the tangos on Francisco Canaro's La Melodia de Nuestro Adios and Miguel Caló's Yo Soy el Tango before moving onto Di Sarli.

I don't have that particular Canaro disc (but several others), but I do have the Caló, but I would probably happily take that advice. I don't like the balance of Di Sarli's sound, much. Those 'lush' strings (his trademark?) just drown out the bandoneons, and in thin 50s sound, they whine rather than sing in my ears. Perhaps it's just me.

Anyway, I must be a philistine - I like Color Tango! No one else seems to...

 

[dchester]

Perhaps 'school' is the wrong word, but most tango music sites seem to suggest that these four are the most popular/leading orchestras, each representative of a particular style (although each recorded over a long period, and their individual styles changed over time too).

For example, www.milonga.co.uk suggests that:

To begin your collection, we suggest you get discs of Di Sarli, D'Arienzo, Pugliese and Troilo.

And then suggests particular albums (and I took the advice and bought them).

And at www.tejastango.com we find similar advice:

A purchaser can improve the odds of finding good dance music by watching for the four big names in tango social dance music: Juan D' Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, and Anibal Troilo. Their orchestras were among the most popular during the golden age of tango, and their music is still prominently featured at milongas in Buenos Aires.

I wouldn't read too much into my limited experience, because it is, well, limited, but I am suprised at how little Pugliese or Troilo I hear.

Before I start, let me say that I do like (a lot) some of the really dramatic Pugliese and Troilo stuff. However, it's simply not played as much as some other orchestras, at most milongas I have been to (and that would include some of the traditional milongas in BsAs). When it is typically played, is later in the evening, when the newbies have left, and there is more space to dance. I will concede that people who go to a lot of the alternative/nuevo milongas might have a completely different experience from me.

In any case, I disagree with the quotes you presented, as some of the other orchestras previously listed (in the prior posts) will comprise the majority of a "typical" milonga, IME.

For a newbie, Canaro, Calo, & Rodriguez should be right up there, along with Di Sarli & D'Arienzo.

BTW, this Di Sarli CD has very good sound quality (at least for a tango CD).
http://www.tangocd.com/Tango_Music/prodView.asp?idproduct=193&idCat=47&curPage=1&sortField=pop

 

[UKDancer]

BTW, this Di Sarli CD has very good sound quality (at least for a tango CD).
http://www.tangocd.com/Tango_Music/prodView.asp?idproduct=193&idCat=47&curPage=1&sortField=pop

I already have the RCA Inolvidables (20 Grandes Exitos) disc, which also includes many of the same late instrumentals, but I did order the other one the other day, but it's only available here now as an import, and I'm waiting for it to arrive. It fills some gaps, but even with the duplications, is good value at less than £6, including air mail postage from the US (via Amazon).

I don't have much Rodriguez, but have just been listening to 'Mujeres Feas', which made me laugh out loud (from the 4-disc set by Tango Federico, which was very inexpensive, and full of good music).

 

[dchester]

I don't have much Rodriguez, but have just been listening to 'Mujeres Feas', which made me laugh out loud (from the 4-disc set by Tango Federico, which was very inexpensive, and full of good music).

That song (actually the Rodriguez CD it's on), is on my list of CDs to get, the next time I place a big order (assuming I don't arrange a swap with another DJ who has it).

I've only heard it played (as a milonga) by one Teacher/DJ (originally from Argentina), and I really liked it. Although, Tango CD says that it is actually a Foxtrot.

Here is the song, for others to know what we are talking about.

[yt]XWRVpuybPnM[/yt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWRVpuybPnM


BTW, the majority of the Rodriguez songs typically played around here can be found on these two CDs:

Tangos Con Armando Moreno
http://www.tangocd.com/Tango_Music/prodView.asp?idproduct=375&idCat=60&curPage=1&sortField=pop

Tangos Con Armando Moreno vol 2
http://www.tangocd.com/Tango_Music/prodView.asp?idproduct=203&idCat=60&curPage=1&sortField=pop

 

[ant]

However, the biggest difference (between what you described and my experience) is in the various orchestras played at milongas. Di Sarli is not played any more than possibly a list of other orchestras, like (Canaro, D'Arienzo, D'Agostino, Calo, Rodriguez), probably others too, but I'm not at home to look up songs right now

The amount of Pugliese tandas played at a typical milonga here varies from one to zero on a given night (same with Troilo). Some other Orchestras that might be played as often as those two (or possibly even more), are Tanturi, Donato, Fresedo, De Angelis, Biagi, and others.

I would say that this is in line with my experience for milongas but I would add Laurenz as well to your first grouping.

 

[salthepal]

Maintaining an orchestra is hard work. You need regular practice and it costs a lot. The Golden-age orchestras weren't doing it solely for the pleasure of making good music; they were being paid big money. Modern ensembles have to set aside time from their main bread and butter work to practice their tango songs and have to travel far and wide. You would need a really big population of tango dancers concentrated in a small geographic area and who dance very often and are willing to pay a premium for having good live music to dance to. Make these conditions happen, and you will probably see a lot of really good tango orchestras.

 

[UKDancer]

Maintaining an orchestra is hard work. You need regular practice and it costs a lot. The Golden-age orchestras weren't doing it solely for the pleasure of making good music; they were being paid big money. Modern ensembles have to set aside time from their main bread and butter work to practice their tango songs and have to travel far and wide. You would need a really big population of tango dancers concentrated in a small geographic area and who dance very often and are willing to pay a premium for having good live music to dance to. Make these conditions happen, and you will probably see a lot of really good tango orchestras.

And they don't even exist in BsAs? Well, obviously not, I guess.

 

[salthepal]

And they don't even exist in BsAs? Well, obviously not, I guess.

There are a few that do play regularly at milongas(Fernandez Fierro, Sexteto Milonguero, Sexteto Canyengue), but Argentina is not as rich as it was in the 1930-40s.

 

[opendoor]

encillamente increible

That song (actually the Rodriguez CD it's on), is on my list of CDs to get..

Linda

Think the clip stems from the Clipper energy-drink ad.

 

[dchester]

And they don't even exist in BsAs? Well, obviously not, I guess.

I'd say that every 2 months (or so), there will be a milonga (close enough for me to drive to), that has live music. (Basically, every now and then, different milongas will bring in a band).