|
THE MUSIC
The heart of Tango music is the bandoneon instrument. It has been said that
“the bandoneon and tango are but one and the same thing”. Of German
origin, it used to be the instrument replacing the organ in the Lutheran
churches of humbler communities where services were sang and organs
could not be afforded. It was adopted by “Tangueros “ at the beginning
of the 20th Century in order to replace the flute and
complete the unmistakable sound of Tango. Fatulo Castillo says that :
“the bandoneon gives Tango the sounds of lament and its inclination
towards moaning and grumbling”.
The bandoneon gave Tango a definite,
complex form, integrating melody into a simultaneously rhythmic and
harmonic base. This melodic-rhythmic-harmonic complexity will later be
strengthened by the piano replacing the guitar and the development of a
new “tanguera” technique founded on rhythmic percussion. The
instrumental base of Tango is therefore a trio made up of violin, piano
and bandoneon.
The typical Tango orchestra designed originally by Julio
de Caro in the 1920’s is a sextet with a piano, two bandoneons, two
violins and one contrabass. The Tango orchestra follows the same line
but adds more bandoneons, violas and violoncellos to the strings.
|