Argentine Tango - Music

Music

Argentine tango music is much more varied than ballroom tango music. A large amount of tango music has been composed by a variety of different orchestras over the last century. Not only is there a large volume of music, there is a breadth of stylistic differences between these orchestras as well, which makes it easier for Argentine tango dancers to spend the whole night dancing only Argentine tango. The four representative schools of the Argentine tango music are Di Sarli, d'Arienzo, Troilo and Pugliese. They are dance orchestras, playing music for dancing. When the spirit of the music is characterized by counterpoint marking, clarity in the articulation is needed. It has a clear, repetitive pulse or beat, a strong tango-rhythm which is based on the 2x4, 2 strong beats on 4 (dos por cuatro). Ástor Piazzolla stretched the classical harmony and counterpoint and moved the tango from the dance floor to the concert stage. His compositions tell us something of our contemporary life and dancing it relates much to modern dance.

While Argentine tango dancing has historically been danced to tango music, such as that produced by such orchestra leaders as Osvaldo Pugliese, Carlos Di Sarli, Juan d'Arienzo, in the '90s a younger generation of tango dancers began dancing tango steps to alternatives to tango music; music from other genres like, "world music", "electro-tango", "experimental rock", "trip hop", and "blues", to name a few. Artists like Kevin Johansen, Gotan Project, Tanghetto, Otros Aires, Tom Waits, Portishead, and Louis Armstrong are among those favored in alternative music playlists. Tango nuevo dance is often associated with alternative music, see nuevo tango, but it can be danced to tango as well.

Read more about this topic:  Argentine Tango

Famous quotes containing the word music:

    What is our life? a play of passion;
    Our mirth the music of division;
    Our mothers’ wombs the tiring-houses be
    Where we are dressed for this short comedy.
    Sir Walter Raleigh (1552?–1618)

    The time was once, when thou unurged wouldst vow
    That never words were music to thine ear,
    That never object pleasing in thine eye,
    That never touch well welcome to thy hand,
    That never meat sweet-savored in thy taste,
    Unless I spake, or looked, or touched, or carved to thee.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    Let music sound while he doth make his choice;
    Then if he lose he makes a swan-like end,
    Fading in music.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)