Tango Masters: Anibal Troilo 978-0-9573276-5-8

Table of contents :
Tango Masters: Anibal Troilo
......Page 1
Introduction
......Page 13
The first orchestra
......Page 15
(1938)
......Page 19
Orlando Gobi
......Page 21
An introduction to the repertoire
......Page 31
Repertoire and recorded repertoire
......Page 34
Troilo’s favourite authors and composers
......Page 35
Selecting the repertoire
......Page 36
The first recordings:
......Page 37
How to listen to the music
......Page 39
Astor Piazzolla (Dec 1939)
......Page 41
On the radio
......Page 43
The lost recordings
......Page 45
T roilo-Fiorentino
......Page 47
Overview of the 1941 recordings
......Page 65
The Arrangers
......Page 87
Jose Basso
......Page 91
Marino solo
......Page 99
Floreal Ruiz
......Page 103
Chau, Rivero
......Page 127
The Troilo-Grela Quartet
......Page 141
La liltima curda
......Page 143
Roberto Goyeneche
......Page 147
Troilo for Export
......Page 151
Nocturno a mi barrio
......Page 153
His first bandoneon
......Page 159
First performances
......Page 160
Journeyman
......Page 161
Zita
......Page 162
The 1972 conceit in the Colon
......Page 163
Final days
......Page 164
If only they could speak
......Page 165
On tango
......Page 167
Appendix A: Troilo on CD
......Page 171
Arrangers
......Page 174
1939
......Page 189
1943
......Page 190
1945 -1946
......Page 191
1949
......Page 192
1952-53
......Page 193
1954
......Page 194
1962
......Page 196
1963
......Page 197
Glossary
......Page 202
Index of titles
......Page 205
For their help
......Page 208
By The Same Author
......Page 209

Citation preview

Tango Masters: Anibal Troilo

Michael Lavocah 3®

milonga press

Tango Masters: Anibal Troilo

Published in Great Britain by milonga press Copyright © Michael Lavocah 2014, 2016 Michael Lavocah has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author of this work This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condi­ tion being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All rights reserved First edition 2014 Revised 2016 1234567890 milonga press 33 Britannia Road Norwich NR1 4HP England www.milonga.co.uk

Paperback: ISBN 978-0-9573276-5-8

Series editor: Mike Stocks Cover design: Nigel Orme Cover photograph: Fred S Schiffer FRPS

set in Garamond 11/14

The important thing is not to be a p o e tit is to live life in a state o f poetry

-

Anibal Troilo

Preface Anibal Troilo: 100 years of friendship It’s 2014, one hundred years since the birth of one of tango’s great­ est and best loved musicians, Anibal Troilo, known as “el bandoneon mayor de Buenos Aires” - the greatest bandoneon player in Buenos Aires. It’s a title that no-one disputes - no mean feat in this city. Entering the office of Centenario Anibal Troilo one immediately feels a special atmosphere. Francisco Torne (Troilo’s nephew), and Celeste Alvero are working flat out. Whilst Celeste continues to explore the archive, Francisco is busy arranging and co-ordinating the schedule; and there is an event almost every day. They have no financial motive for their work. I’m struck by the atmosphere of warmth, humility and affection that permeates this office. Uniquely amongst the leaders of the great tango orchestras, Troilo is loved by everybody. D’Arienzo, the progenitor of the dance revolu­ tion of 1935, continues to divide opinion now as he did then (be­ cause of the lack of sophistication of his music). Di Sarli, famously, was a difficult and demanding personality; Pugliese, with great integ­ rity, positioned himself on one side of a political divide that mankind seems fated never to heal. But Troilo, on the other hand, is loved by everybody because he loved everybody. He extended the hand of friendship to everyone, placing himself in the midst of humanity. He is everyman; and his music speaks to, and for, everyman. And so it is that this centenary is not that of the abandoned lover, sitting alone with only a whisky for comfort. It’s the centenary of warmth and friendship. Michael Lavocah Buenos Aires April, 2014

vn

Contents Part 1: The Sound 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Introduction The first orchestra (1937) Troilo - Goni - Diaz (1938) Orlando Goni: m arcam n bordoneada Fiorentino: el cantor de orquesta Anibal Troilo, bandoneon

Part 2: The Repertoire 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

An introduction to the repertoire The first recordings (1938) Astor Piazzolla (December 1939) On the radio (1940) 1940: The lost recordings Troilo-Fiorentino 1941 A change of pace (1942) Gricel Alberto Marino, the golden voice (1943) The death of Orlando Goni The Arrangers Jose Basso (1943) Adios, Fiore Marino solo (1944) Floreal Ruiz (1944) Recuerdos de bohemio (1945) Edmundo Rivero (1947) Aldo Calderon (1949) Chau, Rivero (1950) The 1950s Responso (1951)

vui

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

The Troilo-G rela quartet (1953) La ültim a curda (1956) Roberto G oyeneche (1956) Troilo for export (1963) N octurno a mi barrio (1968) Troilo in 10 tangos

Part 3: The Man & the M yth 34. A short biography 35. If only they could speak 36. Troilo on Troilo Appendices A.

Troilo on CD

B.

Troilo discography

C.

O rchestra formations Bibliography Index o f Tides Glossary A cknowledgem ents

Part 1 The Sound

Introduction

1 or most dancers, their first contact with the music of \nibal 1 roilo is with the glorious sides his orchestra recorded m ΓΜ1 when, after four \ears of hard work, the hand was finaJh handed a recording contract b\ K( \ Victor. 1 he sound of this orchestra is uim ersalh described In a single word brilliant In .Spanish, the word brilliant remains connected to its original meaning of

the music slum’s It is rich, resplendent However,

this is no( j light that dazzles, that blinds It is not simph bright. I he orchestra is alreacb showing some of the shading that would become its hallmark. 1 his shading is not u t full\ developed it pnncipalh manifests m an alteration between »/.;«o%de oro del tango —tango’s golden voice. Once again, Troilo’s intuition had not failed him. Not only had he made an excellent choice of second singer: he now had the best vocal partnership in Buenos Aires. Under Troilo’s careful steward­ 47

Pedro Colombo & Perla Lorenzo de Rufino: Roberto Rufino, p23 43 Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p61 49 reported by Ricardo Espinosa ΒβΙέη on the website el portal del tango. See: http://www.elportaldeltango.com/especial/marino.htm [accessed 03-06-2014]

ship there was no rivalry between the two men, and the orchestra went from strength to strength. We should add that the arrival of Marino precipitates further musical development for the orchestra. He is a different singer to Fiorentino, with a different voice, and a different style. For Troilo, this didn’t just mean selecting new repertoire, it meant evolving the sound of the orchestra to best suit Marino’s qualities. The two men were not interchangeable; they were complementary, and having both ex­ panded the musical range of the orchestra. This period also sees the beginning of censorship in Argentina. Fol­ lowing the military7 coup of 4th June, 1943, the new government pursued a policy of moral and linguistic purity. ‘Unsuitable’ songs were banned from the radio, unless their lyrics could be rewritten. This included all use of lunfardo (the local slang); the tango De barro—recorded by Troilo two days before the coup —was banned by mistake because it contained the word ‘pucho’ (cigarette butt) which sounded lunfardo, but w^as actually Quechua (the native lan­ guage of the Quechua people in the north-wrest of Argentina). Percal\which fortunately for us had already been recorded, was banned because the girl in the cotton percale dress of the tide was only fif­ teen. Other tangos were re-written: Manzi’s Tal vez sera su voz (‘Perhaps it was your voice7) was originally Tal vez sera m i alcohol' which is just a little bit darker. 59

Cada vez que me recuerdes (Each time I remember)

05.04.1943

vocals: Francisco Fiorentino words: Jose Maria Contursi music: Mariano Mores Naturally, the protagonist is remembering a lost love. The per­ formance has many delights, of which the highlight for me is the extreme portamento —sliding in pitch from one note to another — which Fiorentino uses in the chorus. This could sound terrible if

not done well, but it sounds just wonderful here. As we will soon come to expect from Troilo, the interpretation is now layered. When Fiorentino is singing, the band does not simply accompany, but provides counter melodies in the violins or bandoneons, even imitating in the piano the lonely tolling of the bells. 66

F arolito d e p a p e l (L ittle p a p e r la n tern )

02.06.1943

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Francisco Garcia Jimenez music: Teofilo and Mario Lespes The little paper lantern of the title is the one that lights the room where the narrator meets his lover. Today, however, he has found her goodbye letter underneath the pillow where yesterday he swore eternal love. He feels like an idiot, and despite the lantern’s faithful light he feels in the dark. She, meanwhile, is brightening another man’s side. litis is an important performance because of the dynamic range that Troilo achieves with Marino’s vocals. When Marino returns after the instrumental bridge to reprise the chorus, his voice drops to the quietest pianissimo, but without whispering. It’s remarkable singing from Marino and daring from Troilo, and it transmits to us the protagonist’s crushed feelings as he realises that he is now alone. Also impressive is the recording technology of RCA-Victor. Mar­ ino’s voice is completely audible - more so than Rivero’s in a similar moment in the recording of S ur in 1948.

16 The death of Orlando Gobi

The golden decade of the 1940s was a very special era. The bohe­ mian life of the cabarets, which so repulsed Astor Piazzolla, was lived to the full not just by its patrons but by its musicians. In this regard, Orlando Goni was a total bohemian. Although he had studied the piano with great fervour as a boy50, we should not imag­ ine him as a highly disciplined individual. His life was one of total disorder, given over to his music and to the hedonistic night-life that the city had to offer. For Horacio Ferrer, Goni’s liberty' at the key­ board could not be had without his libertine lifestyle.51 Every photograph ever taken of Goni shows a pale face with large dark circles around the eyes. Fie was an extremely heavy drinker, an alcoholic even, and his face has a haunted look.

50 According to Luis Adolfo Sierra, Gofti and Alfredo Gobbi used to go together to the Cine Select on Calle Lavalle to listen to Julio De Caro when Gobbi was 14 and Gobi just 12. They sat at the front of the balcony to see what the musicians were doing, writing down what they observed on paper, striking matches to see what they were doing. From an article by Juan Yala in the journal CLUB DE TANGO No. 13 March-April 1995, see http://www.clubdetango.com.ar/articulos/ogoni.htm [accessed 0207-2014J 51 Horacio Ferrer, El gran Troilo, pp75-76

Gofii was often too drunk to play, but given his unique talent, he was a hard man to replace in an orchestra. In dire emergencies, Astor Piazzolla would be able to play a few numbers in Goni’s style, but mostly Goni’s absence meant the band could not perform. Running a tango orchestra was not simply a matter of having a style and a group of great musicians. It required professionalism, careful management of relationships not just with the owners of the caba­ rets and clubs where the bands worked, but also amongst the musi­ cians themselves. To give one example, in 1942, Edgardo Donato’s orchestra did not survive the love triangle that developed between the bands three singers. Donato was forced to fire all three, his star musician left, and before long the remaining members of the band had reformed under the baton of Donato’s brother. Problems in the ranks could easily destroy an orchestra, and a good band leader was not just a great musician, but a great leader of people. Each month, long before payday, Gofii would have gambled and drunk away all of his substantial salary, and would beg Troilo for an advance. Wisely, Troilo always refused: clearly there was no future in advancing money to such a man. The constant shortage of money was no deterrent to Gofii. A story I find painful to recount concerns a day at the races. As the horses swept past with his nag trailing badly, Gofii was heard to mumble: “There goes my father’s piano”. He had gambled away his most precious possession on a worthless bet. As time went on, Goni’s absences became more frequent. One lunchtime in mid August 1943, coming out from their performance at Radio El Mundo, Gofii advised his friend Hugo Baralis that he was not going to bother turning up for work that night. As it was frustrating to go out to work when one could not play, Baralis de­ cided not to bother, and took a girl out to the pictures instead. Troilo meanwhile had decided that enough was enough. That night, having told Gofii that he should turn up “even if he were dead”, he

installed himself at the door of the venue with a notary (the musi­ cians had contracts, and could not be fired willy-nilly). With the names not just of Goni but also of Baralis missing from the register, they were both fired. The following evening, the notices of their dismissal were pinned to the door of the cafe where they were due to play, and Baralis read it when he presented himself for work. Think­ ing it was just a problem about women, Baralis went to Troilo to plead for his job, but Troilo was implacable. If this separation was painful for Baralis, for Goni it proved disas­ trous. At first, everything seemed to go well. He started his own orchestra with an outstanding line-up. The bandoneon section was one of the greatest ever assembled, including Roberto Di Filippo (a virtuoso who would play first bandoneon in Piazzolla’s 1946 orchestra), and the singer was Antonio Rodriguez Lesende, the man who had been Troilo’s first choice ahead of Fiorendno in 1937. They opened at the famous Cafe Nacional on 1st December, playing there for 15 days, and it’s estimated that 25,000 people came to see them. The press reports were favourable in the extreme, with the newspaper El Mundo christening him E l manscal del tango, the field marshal of tango (!). Soon the band was playing on Radio Belgrano.52 Although the band didn’t get a recording contract, further success came in April 1944 when he joined forces with Fiorendno, who had gone solo. This proved to be the high point of Goni’s career as a bandleader. Like Troilo, Fiorentino soon found that it was impossi­ ble to work with him, and he went his own way after just two months. After this, Goni entered a decline which would prove terminal. The drinking and the drug-taking only increased, and by the end of the year he was so ill that he was unable to continue working. Like a 52 Article by Juan Ayala on clubdetango.com.ar http://www.clubdetango.com.ar/articulos/ogoni.htm

wounded animal, he took refuge in the house of his friend Juan Esteban Martinez (a bandoneon player in his orchestra) in Uruguay. There, on 5th February 1945, he died. He was 31 years old. Goni’s orchestra left no commercial recordings because it was not signed by the record companies (which were effectively a duopoly at that point). It’s not clear why they didn’t take him on, but these companies were famously conservative, refusing to sign the orches­ tra of Horacio Salgan at around the same time because they objected to the deep bass-baritone voice of Edmundo Rivero. We know that Goni’s music was popular, and the sound was something the public had heard before. We have four test recordings - made not on shellac unfortunately, but on acetate. The numbers chosen were: Y s ie m p r e ig u a l (with the voice of Raul Aldao); Goni’s own milonga, with a lyric by Enri­ que Dizeo, M i r e g a lo (with the voice of Osvaldo Cabrera); the clas­ sic if demanding Chiqu6\ and Agustin Bardi’s E l taura. What any educated listener cannot fail to notice about these re­ cordings is how similar they sound to the Troilo orchestra of 1938— 1941. They have tremendous rhythmic drive, with great syncopation and swing. Goni is not copying Troilo here: these recordings are the proof, if any were needed, of the influence and importance that Goni had exerted on the style of Troilo’s orchestra, which would go on to develop in a different direction without him.

17 The Arrangers

Arranging consists of two related skills. One is deciding what the band is going to do with the theme. For instance, in the opening of Troilo’s very first recording, C o m m e i l fa u t; certain decisions have been taken: to start strongly with the whole orchestra, and to impose a 3-3-2 rhythm; then to have a sudden break, into which the bandoneons float a few notes, and so on. This process is more a matter of intuition than learning, more of an art than a science. Troilo was a master of intuition (Piazzolla even called him a “mon­ ster of intuition”). Understanding arranging in this basic sense, all the early arrangements (1937-1940) are his work, in cooperation with his musicians. Piazzolla stated that the arrangements of C o m m e i l fa u t; M ilo n g u e a n d o e n e l 40 and C.T.V. were by Troilo himself. The other main element of arranging is orchestration. To give a trivial example: suppose you want the string section - four violins, viola, cello and double bass - to make a chord: which instruments play w'hich notes? Unlike deciding on how* to treat the theme, or­ chestration is a skill that must be learnt. It’s not really something intuitive. Unfortunately, Troilo never made a formal, in depth study of music: his bandoneon teacher declared that he could not teach him any­

thing more after six months. In an interview in 1956, Troilo said that, if he could have his time over again, he would study more. As the ranks of bandoneons and violins swelled to four, five or more in­ struments, and the music became more sophisticated, he did not have the technical knowledge to do the orchestrations. This made him peculiarly dependent on his arrangers, but he surrounded him­ self with good people (supe elegir —“he know how to choose’7) and always knew what he wanted the band to sound like. Most important for him was a sense of space: silence within the arrangement, and that at any time, there was one main line, so that the melody was not obscured. Many people who had learnt the skill of orchestration were tempted to put in too many notes, or too many voices. Piazzolla complained that Troilo erased half the notes he wrote down on his scores, but he was not the only professional arranger to be treated in this manner. Troilo treated all his arrangers this way, the great exception being Emilio Balcarce’s La b o rd o n a , of which Troilo did not change a single note53. On every other occasion, however, Troilo’s famous eraser was at work. Argentino Galvan recounts attending a rehearsal where the orchestra was trying out a new piece for the very first time. Every' few bars, Troilo would stop the band and ask Galvan’s permission to cross out some note or other: “Might we change this, like this, Galvan?” At the end of the rehearsal, Galvan remarked peevishly that since the arrangement was bought and paid for, Troilo was free to do what he liked with it. Troilo just smiled. The thing that upset Galvan was that every7change improved the piece. “Troilo carried in his soul the modifications that I was not able to trace on the stave”. Galvan’s role as arranger in the orchestra is well-known; the ar­ rangements of S ut; P a lom ita b la n ca and R o m a n ce d e b a irio , to 53 Interview with the violinist Jos£ Votti (violinist with Troilo 1955-1960) by Julio Nudler in the newspaper Pagina 12. "Emilio was moved, because Troilo's eraser was implacable." Quoted by Pagina 12 on a feature on the 30th anniversary of his death, 18th May 2005

name just three, belong to him. He became the principal arranger once Piazzolla left the orchestra in July 1944. His arrangements are characterized in general by his preference for the strings, demon­ strated most clearly in the groundbreaking tango fantasia R e c u e r d o s d e b o h e m ia (1945). For some historians his greatest arrangement for Troilo was the S e l e c c i o n d e t a n g o s d e J u li o D e C aro (1949), but for the dancer there are better arrangements than either of these. Less well-known is the work of Hector Maria Artola. One source claims that even some of the tracks on Troilo’s first session with RCA-Victor (4th March 1941) belong to him54. At this time, Artola was also playing in Fresedo’s orchestra, and his importance for Troilo seems to have been overlooked; according to his own testi­ mony, he did nearly all the arrangements in the time of Fiorendno, except the first ones, and again in the time of Floreal Ruiz55. The tango historian Luis Adolfo Sierra ranks him alongside Galvan: “They were two greats who put tango on the music stands”. On one occasion in 1942, Troilo needed an arrangement of the milonga candombe at short nonce for a competidon, the radio pro­ gramme ‘Ronda De Ases’, in which each orchestra had to play a new arrangement. The first competition had taken place on 2nd August 1941, with six orchestras: Fresedo, Di Sarli, De Caro, Donato, Troilo and Tanturi56. The programme was broadcast live by Radio El Mundo. Six orchestras on stage together took more space than even their 500 seat radio theatre could provide, so the competition took place at the Teatro Casino, two blocks down from the studio. Run­ ning almost weekly from 1941-1943, and then revived in 1956, it took place 140 times in total. Although Hector Maria Artola was the main arranger at this time, a competition called for a more spectacular style. Troilo wanted Ar­ gentine Galvan, but he was not available, and Piazzolla hustled for the job. Troilo was reluctant, but finally gave in because there was no 54

Arturo Dorner Linne, Anibol Troilo: Perfil y discografia 55 Oscar Zucchi, El Tango, el Bandoneön y sus Intirpretes volumen IV, p l646 56 Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, pp54-55

alternative. Piazzolla had to do the arrangement overnight57. This time, Fresedo premiered Ronda de ases (named after the competi­ tion) and D’Agostino his milonga A si me gusta a mi. Troilo won the competition with Azabache, but he didn’t like really like it and it was never recorded. Nevertheless, from this time onwards Troilo started giving Piazzolla more arrangements to do, mainly instrumentals. Piazzolla made ten arrangements whilst he was a band member. There were seven ins­ trumentals: Inspiration, E l distinguido tiudadano, La cumparsita, Chiqu6, Bien portefio, E l entreiriano and Quejas de bandoneon, and three vocal numbers: Farolito de papel, Uno and La luz de un fosforo. Listening to these today, it’s clear that it’s in the instrumentals that Piazzolla makes the most impact. There was tension between Troilo and Piazzolla because, as Piaz­ zolla openly admitted, he didn’t care what the dancers thought, so long as the musicians had a smile on their face. When the band saw the arrangement of Inspiratiön, one fellow musician remarked: “Man, are you crazy or did you just get it wrong?” In the trio (third section), Piazzolla built on an idea of Pedro Maffia, who had given the solo to the cello. In the new arrangement, the solo opens in the cello, whilst the rest of the string section introduces a counter mel­ ody underneath, but halfway through the two switch roles. It con­ fused the dancers: at a carnival dance at Boca Juniors football club, some stopped to listen, while others left58. The arrangement of Chique was even less well received, bringing jeers from the crowd. Although Piazzolla’s departure from the orchestra was not on friendly terms, he continued arranging for Troilo after he left, infre­ quently through the 1940s, and then intensively in the early 1950s when he had temporarily abandoned making his own music. In later years, the two men were fully reconciled.

57 Natalio Gorin & Fernando Gonzalez, Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir, pp62-63 58 Maria Susana Azzi & Simon Collier, Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla p34

18 Jose Basso

(1943)

Jose “Pepe” Basso was the pianist chosen by Troilo to replace the unique talent that was Orlando Goni - either an enviable job, or an impossible one, depending on one’s point of view. Goni had im­ printed his style on the orchestra, and Basso would have to try to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps, much as Juan Polito had when he replaced Rodolfo Biagi in Juan D’Arienzo’s orchestra in 1938. This tough assignment was made more difficult by the fact there was not really any music for Basso to play. Goni improvised all his parts, which meant that, up till this time, the arrangers had not bothered to write down anything more than the plain outline of the piano part. There was no point - Goni would just improvise something better. The saving grace for Basso was that it was no longer 1938: it was 1943, and not so much rhythmic drive was required as before. Nev­ ertheless, we cannot help but compare him with Goni, just as the public must have done back in the day. His walking bass sounds quite plain without Goni’s bordoneos. The right hand, in which Goni reflected Troilo’s phrasing back to him, was a bit easier for Basso to copy, bur Basso lacks Goni’s touch and subtle timing; it’s difficult, for instance, to imagine the opening of C.T.V. with Basso at the

keyboard. He is an excellent pianist, but he is not Orlando Goni. In the instrumentals, he cannot take advantage of space to create some­ thing new; so the arrangers (Piazzolla and Galvan) change the style so that there is less space for him to fill. In a strange way, however, he is more exposed in the vocal numbers where he is not able to dialogue with the singer as Goni had done. The change of pianist accelerates a change that had already begun in the band: the pianist, whilst still a central figure, is becoming less important than before. The departure of Goni had another significant consequence for the orchestra: without his improvising genius on piano, Troilo had to rely much more on the arrangers. And for the music of 1943 this was no bad thing. The growing sophistication of tango music in the early 1940s meant that all the bands were beginning to use arrangers. Much as we lament the departure of Goni, the development that the Troilo sound now undertakes is in a way facilitated by his departure. How the band would have sounded and developed with Goni still on board is one of tango’s great unanswered questions. In the meantime, Basso became Troilo’s pianist for the next three and a half years, a period which would see Alberto Marino making some of his best music, as well as the departure of Francisco Fiorentino and his eventual replacement by Floreal Ruiz. For dancers, this period is second in importance only to that with Goni, but in com­ parison it is neglected. There are 88 recordings. The early repertoire seems designed to disguise Basso’s limitations; but by the December 1943 session Basso - with Galvan’s help - is doing a very good job, sounding much more like Goni. One obvious change in the style is that the cello of Alfredo Citro, which had been quite hard to hear in the arrangements up till now, becomes more noticeable than before.

73

Farol (Street lamp)

30.09.1943

vocals: Fiorendno words: Homero Exposito music: Virgilio Exposito Which version of this iconic tango do you prefer: Pugliese with Roberto Chanel, or Troilo with Fiorendno? They are very differ­ ent beasts, creadng different moods. The Troilo orchestra is mag­ nificent, and there’s a wonderful moment when Basso, playing underneath Fiorendno, creates in his piano the clock that is “strik­ ing two in the morning”. All the same, I am in two minds about this interpretation. Once the instrumental break comes, the violins are given some very beautiful lines, but they feel too pretty - I’d rather have had more of Troilo’s bandoneon, as we had in the introduction. Vocabulary: una cortada (a cut) refers to a street. Cut streets, which are dead-end streets, get their name because they cut across the normal grid pattern in which Buenos Aires is laid out. 78

Sosiego en la noche (In the peace o f the night)

05.11.1943

vocals: Fiorendno words: Carlos Bahr music: Roberto Garza Basso’s piano, in an arrangement by Argentino Galvan, delicately echoes Fiorentino’s voice; you can hear that - with Galvan’s help - the two men are trying to reproduce Goni’s style, and they almost pull it off. The lyric is a sentimental depiction of a cowboy (tropero) driving his cattle across the pampa in the still of a starry night. The only sounds are the cowbells, and the cattle driver calling out to his herd, in a silence which swallows his voice: jHuija... oh... oh...! The arrangement evokes the peace and stillness of a starry night in the vastness of the pampas.

music: Gerardo Matos Rodriguez Canaro said that perhaps the secret of the success of La cu m p a r­ sita (there are hundreds of interpretations) was that the tango allowed an orchestra to impress its own personality upon it. Here, in a great arrangement by Piazzolla for Troilo, we can hear what Canaro meant. The performance maintains a largely introverted mood from start to finish, and is especially remembered for Troilo’s final bandoneon solo, an exercise in minimalism that never fails to give me goose bumps, even before he gets to his second note. It’s another masterpiece, and we are beginning not to miss Goüi. 84

D e sp u e s (A fterw ards)

03.03.1944

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Homero Manzi music: Hugo Gutierrez Now, this is more like it! A dark, dramatic tango. Marino is out­ standing - could it be he’s more suited to this new style that the band is developing than Fiorentino? This is a tango about the moment just before you break-up with someone, when you feel that it has to be done but how awful it’s going to feel afterwards: this is the Afterwards of the tide. Manzi’s lyric, if I can be forgiven for saying so, is remarkable not for the images it offers but for the way it fits with the music. The tango opens quiedy enough, but not softly: a low moaning tone in the bandoneon is answered by menacing syncopations in the violins. When Marino enters, these answering chords get even darker underneath his vocals.

85

C hiq u 6 (E l e l e g a n t e ) (C h ic)

03.03.1944

arrangement: Astor Piazzolla music: Ricardo Brignolo This has always been a tango for showing off: even the tide (Chic) implies as much. Performing it presents challenges. Troilo handed it to Piazzolla and it’s easy to hear why this interpretation caused such a stir: the extended pizzicato at 1Ό0” sounds like something from classical music, which of course it is - Piazzolla was intro­ ducing everything from his lessons with Alberto Ginastera in these arrangements. Today it stands as an outstanding piece of music although one that appeals more to my head than to my feet; one can well understand how this confused the dancers. 86

T a b a co (T o b a cco )

03.03.1944

vocals: Francisco Fiorentino arrangement: Hector Maria Artola words: Jose Maria Contursi music: Armando Pontier A man lights a cigarette and, in the smoke, sees the figure of the woman he loves. The strings in this arrangement are just fantastic, especially in their contra canto with Fiorentino. The arranger —not Argentino Galvan, but Hector Maria Artola, uses them to evoke the shimmering haze of the smoke, as well as the trembling in the man’s heart as the memories disturb him. The central image, con­ necting the aroma of the tobacco to her fragrance, strikes a false note today but don’t forget that this was an age when almost eve­ ryone smoked. This is a typical Contursi lyric, blaming himself and not the other.

19 Adios, Fiore

In 1944, after seven years with Troilo, Fiorentino split to go solo. Perhaps after such a long time he just needed a change, or perhaps he was noting what other singers were doing: he was one of the most famous singers of the day, and Alberto Castillo had success­ fully turned solo the year before. Various dates are quoted for his departure. We think that his official despedida or farewell performance took place at a dance at Boca Juniors on Thursday, 25th May 1944, with his final performance with Troilo being at a smaller dance at Club Rivadavia on the following Saturday59. The last tango they sung together was Pa* que seguir- why go ö//?’60. Fiorentino’s departure was a real blow for Troilo, who took some months to replace him. Fiorentino’s first act in his solo career was to join forces with Or­ lando Goni, but like Troilo he found Goni’s lack of discipline im­ possible to work with, and the venture lasted just two months. The violinist Hugo Baralis came with him, and the two had an idea: what about asking Astor Piazzolla to direct the orchestra and write the arrangements? 59

original reserach by Michael Krugman, www.tangodecoder.com 60 el album del Tango (Cancionero Coleccionable) No.8, Ediciones Continental, 1992. Troilo's recollection that the last tango they sang was Adiös, pampa m(a (Maria Esther Gilio, Anibal Troilo - Pichuco: Conversaciones, p29) seems unlikely, as the work was not premiered until 1945.

Piazzolla was still working for Troilo, and Baralis was so nervous about the proposal that he refused to tell Piazzolla what it was all about until he had him safely sat down at a cafe. The band played for the first time on 2nd September 194461. Such was Fiorentino’s ca­ chet that they immediately got a radio contract, debuting on Radio Belgrano on 11th September, as well as playing in clubs. They re­ corded on Odeon in 1945 and 1946. After this, Piazzolla went his own way and the direction of the band passed to Ismael Spitalnik. Piazzolla and Spitalnik were both excellent arrangers, and the quality of the music is high, but something is missing. It’s tempting to point the finger at Piazzolla, who never cared for the dancers, but it’s more than this. Even in the numbers we remember from this collaboration such as the milonga S o y u n a ß er a , what sticks in the mind is not really the work of Fiorentino. Not only was Fiorentino not the same before Troilo: he was never the same afterwards, either. Troilo’s orchestra had been the perfect vehicle for him, and in fact was the perfect vehicle for any singer. Roberto Seiles concludes: Listening to Fiore's earlier recordings, one realises that it was Troilo who moulded his twice to the characteristics o f the orchestra... on the other hand, he had a most particular phrasing and achieved a total integration with the style o f the orchestra 62 In 1948, which seems to have been a difficult time for tango, offers of work dried up. Fiorentino dissolved the orchestra and on 2nd May joined pianist Jose Basso, who had recently split from Troilo to form his own group. There he was successful but despite Basso’s pleas to the contrary he left the group two years later, almost to the day (on 30th April 1950). Fiorentino then joined the orchestra of Alberto Mancione, success­ fully reprising his old hits. Although he had a two year contract with 61 Maria Susana Azzi & Simon Collier, Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla, p36 from a report in the newspaper El Mundo. 62 Roberto Seiles in the collection Tango Nuestro published by Diario Popular

Mancione, he left after one year because he had been promised a tour of Central America, which he hoped would earn him enough money to buy a house and thus provide some financial security for his children. In the event, the tour never came off63. He then spent some time performing in Montevideo, where he made his final re­ cordings in November 1951. Returning to Buenos Aires, he had no orchestra and no regular work, only some odd-jobs at parties and private functions. This was a sorry state of affairs for someone who had once been a pop idol. Then, one day in 1955, he received a phone call from Troilo, inviting him to make some vocal recordings with the TroiloGrela quartet. Would Fiorentino be interested? This was just the news that Fiorentino had been waiting for; and he told friends excitedly about the news. First though he had to fulfil an engagement in the provinces with his friend Roberto Flores. Travelling back to Mendoza from the small town of Tres Arboles on the night of 10th September, 1955, Fiorentino’s driver - the theatre manager who had booked him - lost his way. The car came off the road and turned over in an irrigation ditch. Fiorentino was knocked unconscious in the bottom of the ditch, where he drowned in a few inches of water. On the first anniversary of his death, Troilo paid tribute to Fioren­ tino’s interpretative gifts: Su ductilidad le permitia compenetrarse en el espmtu mismo de cada cannon, transformdndosey elevdndose en un ruego en interpretation acabada de la letra. His flexibility allowed him to fuse with the very spirit o f each song, transform­ ing it and elevating it in a prayer in a perfect interpretation o f the lyric.

63 Interview with Alberto Mancione by Nestor Pinsön, reported on todotango.com

20 Marino solo ( 1944)

“The orchestra ofAnibal Troilo continues to get along with its usual efficiency. The singer Alberto Marino has doubled his always brilliant work. But... Fiorentino is a very difficult space to fill... isn V that righty Gordo? ” 64

This wry comment in a newspaper report of 22nd July 1944 outlines the situation in which the orchestra now found itself: still ven strong, but lacking a partner for Marino. Troilo auditioned Orlando Verri and Raul Benin's brother Jose Benin (or was it both Raul and Jose65?) without offering either of them a place66. Meanwhile, rumours of Fiorentino’s return were rife, 64

Gordo - "Fats" - was one of Troilo's nicknames: he liked to live well. 65 Oscar del Priore, Toda mi vida, p68 66 Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p67

especially once he separated from Goni, but as we know, it never happened. The situation persisted for three months, right through the winter, during which time the orchestra recorded thirteen more songs - two instrumentals, and eleven vocal numbers, all, naturally with Marino. As with Fiorentino, we also have some unrecorded repertoire with Marino. Sheet music covers hint at performances of Trenzas (re­ corded by both Laurenz and Calo, and written by Homero Exposito and Armando Pontier) and the tango Turbiön de recuerdos, which we know from Jose Garcia and His Grey Foxes. Marino’s repertoire is also thought to have included Salgan’s Un vals; Manoblanca, with a lyric by Troilo’s beloved friend Homero Manzi (especially memorable in its interpretation by the two angels, D’Agostino and Vargas); and the Gardel number Mano a mano. This was recorded by many other dance orchestras: Lomuto (1936), Canaro (1938) and De Angelis (1946). 91

Piropos (Compliments)

11.04.1944

music: Juan Carlos Cobian Juan Carlos Cobian is one of the mystery men of tango. The com­ poser of romantic tangos of the highest level such as Nostalgias, his progress as a bandleader was interrupted by disastrous roman­ tic adventures which twice saw him ending up in North America. Troilo had been playing in his orchestra in the carnival dances of 1937 alongside many of the man who formed his first orchestra, and had always admired his compositions. E l motivo (Pobre paica) was in the songbook of both Fiorentino and Marino, with­ out ever being recorded - although there is a tremendous radio transcription of the Troilo-Fiorentino version from early 1941, and Marino would record it as a soloist in 1947; and this is not to mention Troilo’s resurrection of Cobian’s Los dopados as Los mareados.

P ir o p o s has several beautiful melodies and a wonderful change from the verse to the chorus. Its intense romanticism seems to call for a lyric that isn’t there; I wish Troilo had asked Cadicamo to supply a lyric, as he had for L o s m a re a d o s . About the title: a piropo is a special kind of compliment, the flatter­ ing kind that a man pays to a woman. 92

T res a m ig o s ( T h r e e fr ie n d s )

11.04.1944

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Rosendo Luna (Enrique Cadicamo) music: Enrique Cadicamo T res a m i g o s is one of Marino’s best performances with Troilo, even if it isn’t quite at the heights, or rather the depths, of tracks such as C oto rrita d e la s u e r te , S iga e l c o r s o or F a r o lito d e p a p e l This is a different kind of lyric, typical of Cadicamo but not of Troilo, which doesn’t concern itself with affairs of the heart. As with the tango E l c u a r t e a d o r ; Cadicamo used the pen name Rosendo Luna to sign the lyric, something he did for this lighter style of tango. Nevertheless, although this is a tango about friendship, it is still a tango about loss: the trio of friends has been dispersed. At this point Troilo again takes the opportunity7 to darken the tone, heav­ ily emphasising the syncopations, and there are several places where the band falls completely silently as Marino sings, without disrupting the flow of the music as a dance piece. We also get the second verse, something not brought to us in the competing versions of Francisco Canaro or Ricardo Malerba. This is something that Troilo is pioneering and it means that we get more of the story.

93

S iga e l c o r s o / (O n w ith th e ca rn iva l!)

07.06.1944

vocal: Alberto Marino words: Francisco Garcia Jimenez music: Anselmo Aieta Another tango from the repertoire of Gardel, who chose it to open his performances in Paris in 1928. Corso —literally, Corsican, or piratical, refers here to a carnival procession, taking place at night, in which all the participants are masked. Carnival nights should be gay and flirtatious: Decime quien sos vos, decime donde vas, alegre mascarita que me grit as al pasar

Tell me, who areyou, tell me whereyou're going, happy masked reveller, shouting to me asyou pass by

According to Francisco Garcia Jimenez67, this tango was inspired by a corso he observed take place spontaneously in the centre of Buenos Aires in the carnival season of 1926. 103

Q u eja s d e b a n d o n eö n

27.09.1944

music: Juan De Dios Filiberto The famous bandoneon ναήαάόη that concludes this piece is nei­ ther in the original sheet music, nor the work of the arranger Astor Piazzolla: it belongs to Feliciano Brunelli, with whom Troilo had played in the old style ‘Cuarteto del 900’ (i.e. quartet from 1900) around 1936. Troilo asked Piazzolla to include it, and today noone can imagine the work without it. This tango is today one of the standards and a favourite of show dancers, but it only achieved the fame it did once it was adopted as a show piece by the dancer and choreographer Juan Carlos Copes in 1947. The final variation allows the dancers the opportunity’ to show off, and Copes used this piece for decades.

Francisco Garcia Jimenez, Asi nacieron los tangos, 2nd ed,ppl85-188

21 Floreal Ruiz ( 1944)

In October 1944, Troilo found the replacement singer he had been seeking for six long months: Floreal Ruiz, who had been singing with Alfredo De Angelis to great acclaim. Some say the appointment was at Marino’s suggestion, although Oscar del Priore says that Troilo was turned on to Ruiz’s voice when he heard his recording of B a jo e l c o n o a z u l with De Angelis on a jukebox. Perhaps it’s only today, with the passage of the years, that the great­ ness of Floreal Ruiz’s performances with Troilo can be appreciated. At the time, Ruiz could never just be himself in the public mind: he was Fiorentino’s replacement68. The same problem persists today amongst the modern dancing public, for whom Troilo’s repertoire divides into Troilo-Fiorentino 1941, and the rest. But looked at in their own right, these are magnificent performances. Ruiz has be­ come, like Gardel, a singer who sings better even’ day. Ruiz’s induction in the orchestra was to join Troilo for a weekend working in Mar del Plata. Ruiz travelled down in Troilo’s car, which gave Troilo the opportunity to outline the repertoire he thought would suit him69. This repertoire had a strong Gardelian base, as we shall see.

68 Ricardo Garcia Blaya on todotango.com 69 Horacio Ferrer, El gran Troilo, pl08

There are many significant recordings in the Troilo-Ruiz songbook and many stories, but there is one that deserves highlighting because it reveals a great deal about how Troilo approached a lyric. This concerns the tango N aranjo e n ß o r ; which was written by the Ex­ posito brothers Homero and Virgilio. This tango was very different to what had gone before; full of metaphors, whose images are drawn from nature, it resembles literature more than a song lyric, and it cost Troilo a lot of effort to prepare the work for performance. One day, many weeks after the tango had been delivered to Troilo, Homero Exposito bumped into him in the street: “Gordo, are you going to give N aranjo e n ß o r its debut for me?”. Troilo’s cryptic reply was, “Ask Floreal Ruiz whether I will debut the work”. Taking him at his word, Homero Exposito telephoned Ruiz. The latter explained that he had been meeting with Troilo privately every day before rehearsals for the past 23 days, “looking for the form”.70 What this meant in practice was going through the tango line by line, working out how to shape each phrase. The process took nearly a month. With Marino & Ruiz, Troilo now once again had a top-notch vocal pairing, and one well suited to the sophisticated music he was devel­ oping. The musical team was complemented by the arrangers, the principal one at this time being Argentino Galvan. His arrangement of the vals P a lom ita b la n ca is widely considered his best before 1948’s Sur.

70 Reported by the newspaper darin 18/5/2010, http://edant.clarin.corn/diario/2010/05/18/espectaculos/c-02196729.htm [accessed 02-07-2014).

105

M anoneta (Puppet)

06.10.1944

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Armando Tagini music: Juan Jose Guichandut This had been one of Floreal Ruiz’s big hits with De Angclis, a song from the repertoire of Gardel. Tagini’s lyric was inspired by events from his own life. As a child, he had witnessed a puppet show' in the patio of a large old house. Tagini remembered a very poor girl, six years of age, who had been especially excited: shout­ ing, smiling, clapping and laughing like no-one else. Years later, Tagini encountered the girl again, working as a copera in a cabaret.71 The second verse of the lyric, which as usual we don’t get in this dance version, finishes by comparing her to a puppet, dancing without end. In Troilo’s arrangement, the first few bars of the opening, with high bandoneon notes and gentle p i^ ica to in the violins, playfully evoke a childhood atmosphere; and after Ruiz’s verse and chorus, the band return to this childhood theme for the simplest of in­ strumental bridges. The tango is an excellent example of how Troilo would do more with a theme than his contemporaries. 110

Cafe de los Angelitos (Caf6 o f the little angels)

19.12.1944

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Catulo Castillo music: Jose Razzano Originally called the Bar Rivadavia, this almost mythical cafe opened its doors in 1890 in the barrio of Balvanera. It received its name from the local police sergeant, ‘little angels’ being an ironic reference to some of the barrio’s wildest inhabitants. In those days this was a poor area outside the town centre, but today it’s just twro n Hector Angel Benedetti, Las mejores letras de tango, p572

blocks from Congreso, the Argentine houses of parliament. The lyric pays homage to the great payadores (Argentine singers who performed in verse duals or payadas) who used to frequent the cafe such as Gabino Ezeiza or Jose Bednotti (composer of the vals Tu d ia g n o sticö ). Troilo was a regular, as was Julio De Caro, and the lyricist of this tango, Jose Razzano - Carlos Gardel’s original sing­ ing partner - was here when Gardel and Razzano signed their first recording contract in c. 1911. The cafe closed its doors in 1992, the roof having collapsed after a rainstorm. In 2000 the structure was declared unsafe and it was demolished. However, the cafe was rebuilt and reopened its doors in 2007. It’s a great place to go for coffee. In the performance, unusually, Marino sings the full lyric: after the first verse and the chorus, he gives us the second verse as well. This is where the band changes the mood. The second verse opens softly, in a gende, introspective fashion, with Marino’s voice being answered by plaintive notes in the piano: On cold rainy nights, I return to this same spotfrom the past, andfeel Betinoti at my side once more. He dien sings without words a quote from the old vals P o b r e m i m a d r e q u erid a , which was Betinotti’s most famous composition. The orchestra concludes this break, Marino repeats the chorus, and the tango finishes. 112

G arras (C law s)

09.10.1945

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Jose Maria Contursi music: Anibal Troilo Troilo’s dramatic music, Contursi’s desperate words, and Marino’s golden voice come together in one of the band’s best interpreta­ tions from the mid 1940s, clearly surpassing Calo’s version. Even the instrumental introduction moves very rapidly between different emotional moods: strong opening chords, suddenly sof­ tening into gende strings, then immediately intensifying - there are

too many such changes to describe them all. And of course, it’s the same when Marino enters. The cello is prominent throughout, adding its dark tone to Contursi’s story of (his) unfulfilled love. G arras is a landmark because of the way it combines words and music. Early tangos often had quite sad lyrics over happy music, creating a false impression amongst those who don’t know the lyrics; just think for instance of T od a m i vid a from Troilo’s first session with RCA-Victor in 1941. With a tango such as G arras it’s not possible to make such a mistake. This deeper union of words and music requires a much closer co­ operation between the lyricist and the composer, and it’s here, as a composer, where Troilo is so important to the development of the tango song in the 1940s, forging three famous partnerships with the lyricists Homero Manzi, Catulo Castillo and, as here, Jose Maria Contursi. 113

Y u yo v e r d e (W ild g r e e n p la n t s )

28.02.1945

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Homero Exposito music: Domingo Federico If anyone is unsure whether or not Floreal Ruiz is a great singer, then this is the tango for you. The opening line presents a tremen­ dous challenge, as the lyric starts quiedy {Callejon, callejon) and then soars into the heavens (lejano! lejanol). The ease with which Ruiz dispenses with this difficulty places him a class above all his rivals, including Alberto Moran (singing with Pugliese). Homero Exposito’s lyric is, as ever, original, and unafraid to in­ corporate countryside metaphors (as he did with N a ra n jo e n d o r ), whilst still delivering the killer blow. The poet remembers a summer of young and innocent love. Where the road {callejon) peters out, wild plants {yuyo) grow green, like a symbol of forgive­ ness, but even that wouldn’t be able to revive this love, because from the road the girl has taken, no-one ever comes back.

120

La noche que te Zinste (The night you left)

05.06.1945

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Jose Maria Contursi music: Os mar Maderna Madcma was still Calo’s pianist when he wrote the music for Contursi’s wonderful lyric. Calo also recorded a beautiful version, but Troilo’s rendition has more complexity. For instance, at the very beginning, both orchestras take the beautiful main theme in the violins, but Troilo adds a second violin singing in counterpoint (‘contra canto*). Both then hand the theme to the piano, but when Troilo does so, the violins sing the counter melody behind the piano. It’s the same when the singer enters: Troilo has more going on behind the singer. This layering adds a lot of texture to the piece, without overwhelming it. Troilo is also unafraid to change the mood, as he so often does: when we reach the key phrase, La noche que te fuiste, the band falls silent, and Ruiz’s voice is echoed just by Troilo’s bandoneon. Following these layers is where the enjoy­ ment of the performance lies; and if one doesn’t pay attention to them, then Calo’s simpler interpretation, which makes fewer de­ mands on the listener, is to be preferred. 122

Cotorn ta de la suerte (Lucky parrot)

28.06.1945

vocal: Alberto Marino wTords: Jose De Grandis music: Alfredo De Franco A simple but affecting lyric. A girl, a child labourer and already sick from work, has her fortune told - something like a fortune cookie: a paper drawn at random by a parrot. In this performance, we don’t get to hear the fortune, because it’s in the unsung part at the beginning of the second verse, but the fortune reads: “a boy­

friend, long life” Instead we hear Troilo’s violins singing tenderly in contracanto (two different lines rather than a simple harmony). This is just to soften us up for the killer blow. Marino returns, once again in the very soft pianissimo that he does so well, and tells us the rest of the story: the girl’s days fly by happily but her health does not improve. As she lies on her death bed, she asks her mother: “he didn’t come?” When this lyric was written (1927), child labour was still a fact of life in Europe and the United States. In the United Kingdom, children had a right to an education from 1870 onwards, but child labour was not actually banned until 1933. 126

M aria

09.10.1945

vocals: Alberto Marino words: Catulo Castillo music: Anibal Troilo There are so many tangos about girls with Trench names, i low would it be i f we create one with the name o f the Virgin, a tango simply called Maria ? With these words, Troilo not only planted the idea for this tango in the mind of his friend Catulo Castillo, he also gave him his first line. Castillo’s highly poetic lyric - his first for Troilo - is not easy to translate. The finished work is a perfect fusion of words, music, Marino’s voice, and the arrangement. To give just one example, pingicato in violins is used to depict the melancholy raining down on the narrator’s heart. The piece received its debut on the radio on 30th September and was a big success at the time. In the arrangement, Alberto Marino enters where we expect (after a minute), singing a verse and a chorus, but then the usual pattern is changed: after a brief instrumental bridge, an echo of the final part of the chorus, Marino immediately returns and sings the sec­ ond verse. The piece then ends suddenly, leaving the strong at­ mosphere of the lyrics hanging in the air.

Recuerdos de bohemia (1945)

Galvdn allowed the music of his favourite musician to seep through: Claude Debussy72

In 1945, Troilo decided to make an arrangement that demonstrated to everyone just how high the musical level now was in tango. He turned to Argentino Galvan, an innovator, but also (unlike Piazzolla) an arranger working within the traditional boundaries o f tango. Galvan’s response was R e c u e r d o s d e b o h em ia . This old tango of Enrique Delfino, known as a romantic composer, exists in a fine danceable version by Osvaldo Fresedo with vocalist Roberto Ray f 1935). Galvan turned it into a tango fantasia, completely abandon­ ing any pretence of making a dance number. It was a revolution at the time. The opening is treated as a work for string quartet: a long cello introduction (twenty seconds) gives way to rich string playing unaccompanied by either bandoneons or piano. This is all the more impressive given that Troilo’s first violin David Diaz had had an

Gaspar Astarita, quoted in Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo p79

accident and could not play on the day of the recording, leaving the violin section a man short and without its best player. It's almost two minutes before Troilo’s bandoneon finally enters, and when it does, it is in classical fashion, as a solo instrument ac­ companied by the strings. When the piano finally enters after three minutes, Basso sounds more like Gershwin than anything in tango. The piece never turns into a classical tango, even when Marino briefly enters - this only after almost four minutes! At almost 5Vi minutes long, the piece had to be split across both sides of a 78rpm record when it was first released, only being joined together when Troilo’s RCA recordings were re-released on CD in 1998. One often reads how this tango demonstrates Troilo’s string section, with - in addition to the violins, and the cello of Alfredo Citro - the viola of Simon Zlotnik. But is he playing? I think he isn’t. One source says that Zlotnik joined in 194473, but others that it was 1947. The 2004 CD release “Troilo en RCA Victor” agrees: Zlotnik does not join the orchestra until 1947. R e c u e r d o s d e b o h e m i o was re­ corded in March 1946. For the dancer, the strongest performances in this period came a bit later. At the end of 1946, the band’s style begins to increase in inten­ sity, emphasising once again the syncopation that was so in evidence in their 1941 recordings. There are some tremendous performances, most notably M i t a n g o tr is te (from November 1946) with Marino on vocals.

73 Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p60

23 Edmundo Rivero (1947)

I never sangfor money. Money is just the consequence of what I do.

When Marino left the orchestra to go solo at the beginning of 1947, the last person anyone thought Troilo would choose as his next singer was Edmundo Rivero. First o f all, he was not a tenor voice, but a deep bass-baritone. The public liked and were accustomed to tenor voices. On one occasion, the young Rivero was hired to accompany a silent movie by playing his guitar. In one scene, the protagonist sang a tango, so Rivero decided to sing it as well as to play the music. The reaction ot the public was so bad that the owner o f the cinema sacked him. Secondly, and com pounding the first difficulty, Rivero had a strange way of singing, which was nothing at all like the Gardelian style. The record companies had refused to record him when he was with Salgan’s first orchestra in the mid 1940s, which as a consequence went unrecorded. In 1937, Julio De Caro sacked him after two days be­ cause he sang too well - people stopped dancing to listen to him.

After all these setbacks, Rivero stopped singing professionally alto­ gether between 1939 and 1944 and joined the army. Thirdly, Rivero was considered ugly. He looked a bit strange because of his acromegaly, which gave him unusually large hands and very strong facial features. One of his nicknames was “El feo” - the ugly one. How could such a man be a pop idol? Nevertheless, this was the man chosen by Troilo, whose legendary intuition never failed him. It nearly never happened. Troilo had decided to hire Roberto Rufino, who was singing with the orchestra of Enrique Francini and Ar­ m an do Pontier, but had asked Rufino not to say anything until he’d had the chance to speak with the two men. However Rufino could not contain himself and the news got out. This annoyed Troilo, for whom it was very important to do things properly, and he withdrew his offer74. Rufino would have to wait until 1963 before he finally sang with the orchestra. Troilo’s vocal team was now Edmundo Rivero & Floreal Ruiz, two outstanding but highly contrasting voices. This was as good as team as the orchestra ever had, and in a way it is also the high watermark of tango music: the golden decade of the 1940s would soon be draw­ ing to a close, and Troilo, who had previously had Fiorentino & Marino, and then Marino & Ruiz, would never again have a partner­ ship of this quality. Musically the band is, as a dance orchestra, at its absolute peak. The music is highly sophisticated, requiring a lot of attention from the dancer to the changes in colour, which are sometimes quite rapid. This is still good dance music, but it’s advanced. The story of Rivero’s audition is a beautiful one and deserves retell­ ing in full. Troilo had heard Rivero singing with Salgan’s orchestra on the radio. Impressed by what he heard, he and his wife Zita went to listen to Rivero sing live at El Jardin de Flores on Rivadavia. They 74 Oscar del Priore, Toda mi vida, pp73-74

liked the performance and invited Rivero to join them in a small bar where Troilo had reserved a table. This was no regular audition. Rivero had brought his guitar and began playing and singing a few tangos, and Troilo —who had a sandpapery voice, but perfect pitch and as we all know, a love for tango songs —joined in. The singing and chatting carried on until four in the morning, when all of a sud­ den, Troilo get down to business. Look, I'd like you to sing in my orchestra these things thatyou sing on your guitar. It will be something completely new. So, tell me whatyou want in or­ der to come and sing in my orchestra - what areyou after? Troilo and Zita were expecting Rivero to name his price, which was what the “business” of singing in tango orchestras was so often about. Rivero’s reply took them aback: It's like this: what Vm after is a good repertoire. So tell me what you like, amongst everything that I sing, so we can include it in the repertoire o f the or­ chestra. You can give me other repertoire, and like this we'll complete a good one (repertoire) fo r the orchestra. At this, Troilo shot Zita a look, but it was dark and Rivero couldn’t see exacdy what passed between them. Years later, Troilo explained to him what had happened: I was expecting you to ask fo r money like all the others, but you didn't — you spoke about repertoire and didn 't mention money That's fine, Rivero replied, because I never sang fo r money. Money isju st the consequence o f what I do.15 Rivero got his wish, and in 1949 the orchestra recorded M ilon ga e n n e g r o , Rivero’s own arrangement of some traditional themes.7576

75 Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, pp82-83 Another piece from Rivero's repertoire that was performed by the orchestra was a tonada Los otros tordes te vf, in which Rivero also played guitar. It was never recorded. Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p88.

Rivero’s opening with Troilo is another funny story that Troilo en­ joyed telling. Their first performance took place outside the city at a dance in Tigre. It seems that many of Rivero’s fans had travelled especially to see him. When Rivero was announced, the wild ap­ plause seemed exaggerated to Troilo. During the opening number, people stopped dancing and drew near to the stage; and at the end of the piece, the crowd not only applauded, they shouted and threw things into the air. Troilo was worried: Look, Rivero, better get o ff stage; it seems to me that things are turning nasty It seems toyou ? Can 'tyou see that they are throwing things? A h, well, they always applaud me like this at dances A reyo u sure, Rivero? Y es... no need to worry... nothings going to happen Troilo calmed down. Having overcome so many prejudices in his life, Rivero had convinced Troilo but he still had to convince some of the musicians in the orchestra, who badmouthed him to Troilo be­ hind his back. But Troilo knew what he was doing, and the two men developed a deep and lasting friendship. When Rivero left Troilo three years later to go solo, he did so recognised as one of the great­ est voices in tango. Also in this period we find the departure of Jose Basso, who - like all of Troilo’s pianists - left to form his own orchestra. Troilo went to check out Carlos Figari who was playing with the orchestra of Edgardo Donato at a cafe on Corrientes. There he was able to ob­ serve not only that Figari was every bit as good as his sources had told him, but also - and this was the clincher - that in the intervals he drank nothing stronger than milk.77

77 Ernesto Abälsamo, Cronicas de Tango: El fenömeno Piazzolla, biblioteca virtual, http://www.biblioteca.org.ar/libros/300885.pdf

156

C o n fesiö n (C o n fessio n )

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Enrique Santos Discepolo/Luis Cesar Amadori music: Enrique Santos Discepolo For his first recording of 1947, Troilo revived two old tangos of Discepolo from 1930. The first was the iconic Yira... y i r a a tango about poverty during the Great Depression. It’s remem­ bered as one of Rivero’s best performances with Troilo, but it’s blown away by the tango on the other face of the disc: C on fesiön . To describe this performance is to run out of superlatives. This is the music I hear when I read: “the syncopation of this orchestra hits you like a wave”78. The lyric makes tough reading: a man de­ scribes hoping that his girlfriend will leave him, because he can see that he treats her badly, but is too weak to end the relationship. Much to his relief, she eventually leaves. There are heartbreaking moments: “Sol de mi vida! Fui un fracasao” - “Light of my life! I was a failure”. Ruiz captures every nuance, moving between drama and moments of melting tender­ ness. He so dominates the performance that I can’t even imagine Fiorentino with this lyric. The arrangement, by Artola, is one of his best: the many rapid changes of colour never overwhelm the interpretation, something he manages even better than Galvan, and the cello counterpoint behind Ruiz’s vocals is wonderful. When C o n fesiö n was first composed, in 1930, there were a spate of recordings: from Canaro (as an instrumental), Ricardo Brignolo, Pedro Maffia, and the Orquesta Tipica Porteria, as well as a magis­ terial performance by Carlos Gardel. Troilo takes this tango to another level. The performance has all the vigour of the lyric, and of the band’s early years, and reaches a level of intensity not always associated with this orchestra. However, the piece doesn’t figure in the repertoire of the other dance orchestras of the 1940s. Perhaps 78 A description of the orchestra on the sleeve notes of an Argentine LP

the lyric was just too strong. I am reminded of another of Discepolo’s tangos, T o rm cn ta , which had to wait for Carlos Di Sarli in 1954 before it received an interpretation that was equal to the lyric. Fue a conciencia pura queperdi tu amor... /Nada mas que p o r salvarte! Hoy me odia syyo feli% me arrinconopa' llorarte... E l recuerdo que tendrds de m i sera honvroso, me wras siempre golpedndote como un malvao... jY si supieras, bien, que generoso fu e quepagase asi tu buen amor..!

1 knew fu ll well what I was doing when 1 lost your love... Only to saw y o u ! Todayyo u hate me, and Vm happy to sit in a comer and weep fo r y o u ... The memoiyyou 'll have o f me will be awful: you'll always see me hittingyou, like a wicked m an... A nd i f yo u knew, how generously your good love was repaid...!

/Sol de mi vida!...fui un fracasao y en mi caida busque dejarte a un laof porque te quise tanto...panto! que al rodar, para salvarte solo supe hacerme odiar.

Tight o f my life! I was a failure... In my downfall I fried to leavey o u to one side Because I loved y o u so, so much! that in the end, the only way I knew to saveyo u was to makey o u hate me.

Hoy, despues de un ano atro% te ti pasar. /me mordipa' no llamarte!... Ibas linda como un sol... jSeparabanpa' mirarte! Yo no se si el que tiene asi se lo merece, solo se que la mtseria cruel que te ofrect, mejustifica al verte hecha una reina que vivirds major lejos de mi..!

Today, after an atrocious year, I saw yo u pass by: I had to bite m yself not to call out to you! You were as lowly as the sun... people stopped to look aty o u I don 7 know i f the man who has you know deserves to; I only know that the cruel misery I offered you, Ijustify seeingyou like a queen who will live betterfa r from me!

157

Flor de lino (vals) (Flax Üower)

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Homero Exposito music: Hector Stamponi The flax plant (from which linen is made) has a beautiful blue flower. This simple but beautiful vals, which sits beautifully in the range of Floreal Ruiz, is set in the countryside. The protagonist sees a girl blossom like a linen flower. If only she knew he loved him - but before he gets round to declaring himself, she’s off. Homero F^xposito was a perfectionist who would modify his lyrics interminably. Stamponi recounts what happened with Flor de lino. After many weeks Exposito said: “Here’s the definitive ver­ sion”. Stamponi read it and said: “It’s perfect. We’ll release it like this”. That night, his phone rang: it was Exposito. “It’s just that I’ve got this nagging doubt: does flax have a flower?” 163

Romance de barrio (vals) (A neighbourhood romance)

19.08.1947

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Homero Manzi music: Anibal Troilo One of Manzi’s most beautiful lyrics, perfectly melded with Troilo’s music, Romance de barrio tells of a young love which didn’t work out, but remarkably doesn’t seek to apportion blame. The word play on the Spanish word ‘culpa’, which means sin, guilt and blame in Spanish, is impossible to translate into English, but says something like: we weren't guilty; we both must take the blame. Argentino Galvan’s arrangement is widely considered one of his best. Remarkably, no-one else recorded this vals for 20 years.

164

Yo te bendigo (I bless you)

vocal: Edmundo Rivero words: Juan Bruno music: Juan De Dios Filiberto Rivero was righdy proud of his interpretation of this tango, espe­ cially its final phrase79, in which his voice, dropping into nothing­ ness, reflects the lyricist’s image of a light being extinguished. Daba la diana el gallo, ladrando un perro desde lejos contesto y el arrabal al despertar al nuevo did saludo... Lejospasaba un cocbe... Cual centinela que la guardia termino, la lu% temblona de un fa rol como un lamento se apago.

The cock crowed\ and in the distance a dog barked in answer and waking up, the arrabal greeted the new day... In the distance a car went by... A nd its guard duty over, The trembling tight o f a street lamp went out tike a lament.

Rompio el silencio el bordonear de la guitarra y p o r sus cuerdas el dolorpaso llorando y una w% que la pena desgarra canto de este modo su cruel dolor. jYo te bendigo pese al dano que me has hecho aunque otros bravos te acaricien y te abracen, pues el rencor no ha cabido en elpecho que un dia lienaste de lu y j de amor!

The silence was broken by the strumming o f a guitar and pain passed weeping through its strings and a mice broken by pain sung o f its cruel pain in this manner. I blessy o u in spite o f the pain y o u ’ve injticted upon me Although other arms now caressyo u and embraceyou, fo r there ’s no room fo r resentment in my breast, whichy o u filled with tight and love!

79 Luis Alposta, Todo Rivero, 2nd ed, p54

169

Sur (S outh )

vocal: Edmundo Rivero words: Homero Manzi music: Anibal Troilo Sury a monster of a tango, was Troilo’s own favourite vocal tango. In any Argentine book on Troilo, you can be sure that this will get a chapter on its own. However, in my opinion, this tango is diffi­ cult to approach for non-Argentines because of its deep cultural roots. S ur refers to the south side of the city, which was the poorer part, and often thought of as more authentically tanguero than the richer northern districts. The images Homero Manzi evokes, a wall marking the edge of the city with a plain beyond it, tell us that Manzi is referring back to his youth in the early 1920s. His nostalgia is hard for a foreigner to share. Nevertheless, the performance exerts a fascination. Rivero’s voice modulates between moments of great power and a hushed stillness that casts a hypnotic, almost mystical aura. One can imagine that, when the tango was performed, the whole room would be in rapt attention in a deep silence, and it turns out that this is exacdy what happened: Rivero recalls that “it seemed as if all the girls had stopped breathing, the place was left in an almost religious trance”.80 A great deal has been written about this lyric; Jose Gobello, for instance, has analysed it to see exactly which part of Buenos Aires is meant, and in what era. For Francisco Garcia Jimenez, the key to understanding the lyric is to appreciate the state of mind of Manzi, who had been diagnosed with the illness that would kill him81. The return to the barrio of his childhood is thus illusionary, and the lyric is a poignant farewell: “I already know: everything is dead”.

80 Jos£ Maria Otero, ABC Del Tango, p339 Francisco Garcia Jimenez, Asi nacieron los tangos, 2nd ed, pp267-270

172

D e s v e lo / D e ß o r e n ß o r ( S le e p l e s s n e s s / F r o m ß o w e r to ß o w e r )

vocal: Floreal Ruiz words: Enrique Cadicamo music: Eduardo Boncssi This is a great tango but not an easy one. The first recording of D e s v e lo , by the orchestra of Antonio Rodio in 1944, takes a sim­ ple approach and avoids pitfalls, but the inherent drama of the tune might encourage an arranger to do more. Here, an unknown hand82 either produces one of his best arrangements or over-eggs the pudding, depending on your point of view. The tango only really became famous in 1953 when it was a big hit for Alberto Moran with Pugliese, and that is the version wc most remember today. The reason for the two titles is that this is another of those tangos which had two lyrics. Eduardo Bonessi, who was Gardel’s singing teacher, wrote the music some time before 1923. He played the music to Gardel (on his harmonium!) when the two were on a boat from Montevideo to Spain. Gardel liked it and asked the journalist Domingo Gallicchio to write a lyric. This became the tango D e ß o r e n ß o r ,; which Gardel recorded in 1924 and again in 1930. In 1938, Bonessi asked Enrique Cadicamo to write a new lyric to this music for a film he was working in. This new tango was D e s ­ v elo. Problems arose because Gallicchio, being Uruguayan, had registered the work in Uruguay but the new tango was registered in Argentina. This led to a protracted legal dispute between SADAIC (the Argentine authorial society) and its counterpart in Uruguay. The judgement was that the tango must always be pub­ lished with both names and both lyrics, and since that time the tango has, rather inaccurately, carried both titles.

82 Ferrer says it's Galvän but Dorner Linne identifies the arranger as Artola.

24 Aldo Calderon (1949)

Towards the end o f 1948, something happened to Troilo that had never happened to him before: someone poached one o f his singers. The deciding factor, naturally, was money. The culprit was Francisco Rotundo. He realized that a great singer could help guarantee work and success for his orchestra which didn’t have a strong personality o f its own, so he made Floreal Ruiz an offer he couldn’t refuse. Reports o f the sums involved are some­ times exaggerated, but it was a fabulous offer: instead o f the $700 a month he received from Troilo, Rotundo offered him $300083. Ruiz called it “a fortune”. As a signing on bonus, Rotundo bought him a new car8485. In addition, Rotundo (who was with Pampa, a subsidiary of Odeon and thus a com petitor to RCA-Victor) had to pay a “transfer fee” o f $100,000 to RCA-Victor to compensate for lost earnings83. (As an aside, we might mention that Rotundo’s orchestra did very well during the Peronist era, helped by the fact that his wife was a senator in the government; but when the government fell in 1956, so did the orchestra, which found itself unemployable. Ruiz went on to work for Jose Basso, but Rotundo was forced to aban­ don music for a few years, and his wife was jailed). 83 Ruiz's own words, quoted by Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p85 http://www.laverdadonline.com/noticias/cultura/floreal-ruiz-quoteltataquot-una-de-las-grandes-voces-del-cuarenta 85 . . . . ibid

Ruiz’s replacement in Troilo’s orchestra was Aldo Calderon, a good singer, but not at the level of his illustrious forebears. It’s telling that Rivero gets most of the recordings, and when Calderon does partici­ pate, it’s more likely to be a duo with Rivero (3 recordings) than solo (2 recordings before Rivero’s departure). Indeed, even Calderon’s debut on disc, U na la g r im a tu y a is a duo with Rivero. Through no fault of his own, Calderon’s arrival somehow marks the beginning of the slow decline of tango music; and the event is also a powerful example of what happens when economic forces (which took Ruiz a w a y from Troilo) are no longer aligned with musical ones. Troilo’s last published recordings with RCA-Victor were made on 26th October 1949. 1 say published, because there were more which were never printed because of the sudden separation of Troilo from RCA-Victor. An article about Aldo Calderon by Abel Palermo on todotango.com lists the following four themes as recorded but not printed: M ed ia n o c h e , T a rd e, A ten ti p e b e t a and D e s te llo s . Since RCA-Victor destroyed all their masters in 1960, we must consider them definitively lost. Also lost may have been some tracks with Rivero and perhaps even some instrumentals. I especially wonder about Armando Pontier’s innovative tango A J o s a m ig o s . Galvan made the arrangement and the piece came into Troilo’s repertoire around 1949, but it now sur­ vives only on a radio transcription disc. What happened with Troilo and RCA? Troilo’s arrangements were becoming more modem and daring. A 1950 interpretation of T a rd e for instance, which survives on a radio transcription disc, features an opening with the cello and viola playing in harmony. RCA-Victor were willing to record this music because it was so successful, but they didn’t really like it anymore. When word of this reached Troilo, he was so annoyed that he quit. However he did not go to RCA’s rival’s Odeon, with whom he is said to have had an uneasy relation­ ship. Instead, he helped to set up a new record label. He didn’t come back to RCA until 1961.

185

La m a n p o s a (T h e b u tterß y )

vocal: Edmundo Rivero words: Celedonio Esteban Flores music: Pedro Maffia Maffia originally wrote this beautiful melody as an instrumental in 1920 and it was premiered as such by Canaro. The following year, Flores added the lyric and the tango was later picked up by Gardel, who recorded it three times. A mariposa (butterfly) is here a party girl who doesn’t stay long with any one boyfriend, just as a butterfly doesn’t setde long on any one flower. Given the year of the composition, we might call her a flapper. In the lyric, the male protagonist complains that the girl has broken his heart and warns her that, if she carries on in such a fashion, things might turn out badly for her. This tango enjoyed a widespread and enduring popularity. As an instrumental, it was included in his repertoire by Juan D’Arienzo in the 1930s, whilst Julian Plaza’s 1965 arrangement for Osvaldo Pugliese became one of that orchestra’s most popular pieces (al­ though Pedro Maffia hated what Pugliese did to his tango). Troilo’s version was the first vocal interpretation by a dance or­ chestra, giving us the chance to enjoy the lyric as we dance, rather than having to choose between dancing and listening. 186

S e le c t io n d e ta n g o s d e J u li o D e C aro

22.07.1949

Arranger: Argentino Galvan In 1949, Troilo asked his long time arranger Argentino Galvan to make five arrangements for him which would be a selection of themes by a composer, mixed together. The composers selected were: Julio De Caro, Francisco Canaro, Eduardo Arolas, Agustin Bardi and Juan Carlos Cobian. (Ten years later, Julian Plaza would arrange a sixth on themes by Discepolo for the show ‘Caramclos surtidos’).

S e l e c c i ö n d e t a n g o s d e J u l i o D e C aro was the first to be re­ corded. The selection of Canaro themes was recorded in 1952, and that of Arolas in 1967, but the other two were never recorded; the selection of Cobian’s themes was considered too difficult to even perform. It's worth nothing that at the moment this recording came out, in 1949, De Caro was about to return to recording after an absence of almost six years; in fact, he entered the studio just four days later. Troilo’s arrangement was thus more than a tribute to a great figure of the past: it was an active support to De Caro. After a long introduction, the arrangement - which comes in at four min­ utes long - breaks into Μ α ία ju n ta , but it actually covers seven tangos in all. The others are: B u e n a m ig o , M ala p in to , G uardia vieja, B o e d o , T ierra q u e iid a , and E l m o n ito . 188

La v ia jera p e r d id a ( T h e l o s t tra v e ller )

20.10.1949

vocal: Edmundo Rivero words: Hector Pedro Blomberg music: Enrique Maciel Like many numbers from the same song writing team, this had been a hit for the well-known Argentine folklore singer Ignacio Corsini back in the early 1930s. Ismael Spitalnik’s arrangement, with an exquisite violin solo in the hands of David Diaz, is consid­ ered a model of good orchestration: modern, but still within the tango tradition, displaying great taste. Rivero is his usual magiste­ rial self. The tango is taken at a slow piece and with its intense colour is at the border of what can be danced; Pve never heard it at the milonga.

190

Τύ (Y ou)

vocal: Edmundo Rivero words: Jose Maria Contursi music: Jose Dames This song is effectively in the G n ce l cycle of love songs written by Contursi for the love of his life Susana Gricel Vigano (see chapter 14). It’s now almost ten years since Contursi and Gricel last met, and the protagonist seems more at peace. The lyric is a tender giving of thanks for a love that has dispelled the dark shad­ ows of yesterday, and there’s no hint that this is a lost love. There is a delightful moment in the chorus as the orchestra imitate the delicate sound of crystal glass, referred to in the lyric as the sound of his lost lover.

25 Chau, Rivero ( 1950)

In 1950, Rivero left Troilo to plough his own furrow as a soloist. It was the m ost am icable o f departures. R ivero’s farewell perform ance took place on a live radio perform ance on 4th April, 195086. A t a certain m om ent, Troilo took the m icrophone and bid Rivero fare­ well:

After three years o f work together, after m any hours o f rehearsal a n d shared effort, Edmundo Rivero, deep voice o f tango, leaves ou r orchestra seeking, as is the law o f life, his ow n nest on his ow n branch. And in reality, h e ’s not really g o in g aw ay For a true separation, there has to be a rupture: som e rancour or bit­ terness. In this case, Rivero leaves as h e arrived: a frien d . Loyal... a retirin g man in private, brotherly in the concentration expression o f his fe w words His adventures w ill fo r ev er be recorded in ou r m em ory; His trium phs w ill fi n d a happy echo in ou r expectations

Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p87

His voice, his creole voice, his sober voice, his dramatic voice, will resonate as i f he were still in this orchestra singing his songs Therefore, in my name, and in the name o f all the lads in the or­ chestra, who are his companions, I embrace you and I simply say: good luck, gaucho 87. They then performed S ilen cio (silence), a song that allows the singer’s voice to be fully displayed. It was a great hit for Gardel, and also a hit for Troilo and Rivero. The arrangement was not intended for dancing, and they often used it to close a performance. Although they didn’t record it commercially88, the radio broadcast was re­ corded on a transcription disc. You can listen to it on YouTube, and I don’t need to tell you that it was, is, a very fine performance. Whether intended or not, everyone listening must have been think­ ing: the sound of Rivero with Troilo will now fall silent forever.

87 Gaucho was Troilo's personal nickname for Rivero 88 A list of Rivero's unrecorded themes with Troilo includes 'Puente Alslna, recorded by Vidal with Pugliese in 1949. One can easily imagine It with TroiloRivero - it must have been wonderful.

26 The 1 9 5 0 s

19.SU was a vcar rhat saw dramatic shifts in the tango scene and in the Troilo orchestra, with t\u) big changes happening together. Astor Piazzolla became ihe orchestra’s principal arranger and this time l milo gave him tar more freedom to alter the style ot the mu mc . People were beginning to dance less, and tango was becoming as much for listening as tor dancing, \tter \ears ot rejection b\ the tango establishment, Piazzolla’s innovations were now welcome. I cjualb contentious was the change ot record label. 1 roilo lett R( .\\ ictor, leaving a number ot recordings unpublished. 1 his was in the Pen mist era, a time of \rgentine nationalism, and resentment w as building up against the two main record companies, ΓΜΙ Odeon and R( Λ -Victor, both of which were foreign owned With the d e ­ cline in tango as a dance cra/e, these companies were being less active in promoting tango music and were importing music trom abroad - not just rock and roll from the Tinted Nates, but other international music from Mexico and from I urope. \nd, of course, this was a question of monev Peron had introduced union rates tor even thing. I*his had seemed like a good idea, but it backfired, be­ cause it meant that importing music from abroad was becoming cheaper than recording it locallv. Possiblv this was one o f the rea­ sons behind the breakup o f Di Sarli's orchestra in 1949.

Against this background, two new local companies sprang up: Music Hall, and the one that concerns us: TK. This label immediately signed Troilo, Salgan, and the new orchestra of violinist Raul Kaplun, with Di Sarli emerging from retirement and signing with them the following year. TK later went bust and very little is known about them. No-one even knows what the letters TK stand for. It’s rumoured that TK actually stands for Troilo Kaplun; that these two men were the driv­ ing force behind the creation of the new label, and that Troilo pro­ vided some seed capital; and that other artists joined because they knew Troilo was involved; but no-one seems to know, and those that might appear not to wish to speak about it - possibly because the enterprise ended in failure. TK now had to produce records without any of the experience in recording and manufacturing enjoyed by their foreign competition. Moreover, what about the materials? Records were still being made from shellac, a naturally occurring product that had to be imported from India. TK managed to secure supplies, but of a lower quality7. The coarser shellac they obtained meant that the records were nois­ ier because during playback the needle literally bumps along the bottom of the groove, which was never perfectly flat, and was now rougher than it was before. The first results were so poor that Troilo’s first record on TK had no sooner come out than it was withdrawn. And it was not just the finished records that were poor; the masters were poor as well. TK was discovering that producing records was a highly sophisticated operation in which experience counted for a great deal. The new company worked hard to improve all aspects of their re­ cording and manufacturing operations. A priority was to develop the new vinyl material to the point at which it could be used instead of shellac, but this only increased the amount of research they needed to do. RCA had launched vinyl in America in 1949 after developing the material for more than a decade. TKs effort? meant that their quality was continuously improving, but they never reached the level

of RCA-Victor. Troilo himself left TK for Odeon in 1957, and they went bankrupt in 1963. TKs earliest recordings were the poorest technically, so the re­ cordings most affected include those with Raul Beron, who joined Troilo on 1st February 1951. This is really a pity, because these are among the best of Troilo’s 1950s recordings. When TK went bust, the rights to their catalogue were acquired by a chain of companies but eventually fell into a legal limbo. This is why there have been so few reissues, with the more scrupulous compa­ nies waiting for the 50 year copyright rule on Troilo’s TK recordings (1950-56) to expire in 2006 before re-printing them not from the masters, but from 78s. Rumour says that the masters exist; but who owns them? It’s not clear. Turning now to the singers in this era, Troilo needed someone to replace Edmundo Rivero and his choice was Jorge Casal, who had made a name for himself singing in the orchestra of Florindo Sassone. It’s said that Troilo poached Casal from Sassone —a common enough story - and that Sassone sued Casal for breach of contract. Howrever Casal contradicts this story in an interview. According to his own testimony, he received many offers to sing with other or­ chestras, the first of which came from Pedro Laurenz just three days after he began singing with Sassone in 1946. Other offers came from Calo, Di Sarli and finally Troilo. Flowever, he turned them all down as a matter of honour - this despite the fact that Casal found Sas­ sone quite unpleasant. Casal says: “I went to see Troilo personally in his apartment and told him [that I had to decline]. Fie replied: Ί congratulate you, son; not many would do what you have just done’ ”89. Flowever Casal and Sassone finally separated by common consent in 1950, and he was immediately signed by Troilo. Today we remember Casal for his 89

Casal interviewed by Nestor Pinsön: http://www.eldiario.com.ar/extras/impresa/imprimir.php?id=100543 [accessed 24-06-2014]

1954 recording of La ca n tin a , but like Calderon, he does not cast quite as much light as the great luminaries who preceded him. His partner would be Raul Beron. For some these are Beron’s best recordings, surpassing even those from his golden year with Calo in 1942; others feel that his voice is beginning to go, and that only the poor technical quality of the recordings on TK prevents us from noticing this. It’s a great shame that the technical quality of the re­ cordings is not better. Beron’s tenure with the orchestra lasted for five years and ended, like those of so many others, when he got the sack for a disciplinary infringement: he turned up the volume on his microphone after Troilo had asked for it to be turned down.90 The music meanwhile in this time is developing fast, away from the vocal tango that had so dominated the 1940s. Having worked hard to keep Piazzolla’s arrangements danceable in the early 1940s, Troilo now championed his new musical ideas. He was also a great admirer of the pianist Horacio Salgän, whom he jokingly called “the best bandoneon player in Buenos Aires”. When he decided to record Salgan’s A f u e g o le n t o , he actually went to Salgan and asked for his charts (the written arrangements for all the instruments). As you can see from the discography (see Appendix B), this was a period when instrumental numbers had become more popular than they had been in the 1940s, when nearly all the numbers had been vocals. The instrumentals provide some of the finest performances of the period. I am thinking in particular not just of R e s p o n s o , which we talk about in the next chapter, but also the 1950s versions of Q u ejas d e b a n d o n e o n and especially O jos n e g r o s , which is the same arrangement as the tender 1948 version but taken a bit quicker. They have more energy than their 1940s counterparts.

90 Horacio Ferrer, El gran Troilo, p339

191

Para lu d rse (In order to shine)

24.11.1950

music: Astor Piazzolla Troilo’s first recording of the year is a Piazzolla composition, ar­ ranged by Piazzolla too, and with a typically provocative title: who is meant to shine in this tango —the orchestra, or the composer? The music is a rupture with what has come before. Jose Basso, who had left Troilo in 1947, developed a reputation for making danceable versions of Piazzolla numbers, but the same cannot really be said of Troilo; the combination of his shading and Piazzolla’s out-of-the-box thinking makes music that is beautiful and interesting, but that is leaving the feet and heading up to the intel­ lect. Suddenly we are in a new world order. It’s clear that this tango is the starting point for all of Piazzolla’s 1950s compositions, such as T nunfal and Lo que vendrar, Piaz­ zolla himself said exactly this in his memoirs91. In comparison to these later works, Para lu d rse sounds unripe. I don’t like it. 195

Prepärense (G etting ready)

21.03.1951

music: Astor Piazzolla Now this is much more like it! Not over-complicated, strong rhythms - one can even hear a premonition of Mariano Mores’ Tanguera in the string pizzicato when the theme returns at Γ57”. When the theme returns for the final time at 3Ό7”, Piazzolla scores it as a chamber work for cello, viola and the sweet violin of David Diaz. It’s completely successful. Two months later, this tango would even be recorded by Fresedo. With hindsight, one wonders whether Piazzolla would not have been better off swap­ ping the titles of his first two compositions for Troilo: this tango shines, but Para lu d rse displays an idea that is simply getting readv. Natalio Gorin & Fernando Gonzalez, Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir, p47

vocals: Jorge Casal words: Catulo Castillo music: Mariano Mores This tango would go on to have a far greater repercussion than anyone might have imagined. Taken from a film that opened in August 1951, in 1953, author Catulo Castillo decided to turn it into a musical comedy92. Troilo collaborated with him on some additional songs {Patio m io , Una c a n c iö n , V uelve la seren a ta) and played the role of the early bandoneon player and prolific composer Eduardo Arolas. The play opened on 24th April 1953 and was hugely successful, running for two seasons with over 500 performances - very useful professionally at a time when there were fewer opportunities for dance orchestras than before. Astor Piazzolla directed the orches­ tra and wrote the arrangements. As a final note: in 1954, the milonguero couple Rodolfo & Maria Cieri were asked to perform in the show, but turned them down: Rodolfo wasn’t interested in becoming a professional dancer.

92

This project took place in the Peronist era and was propelled by the govern­ ment, who insisted that Troilo was involved, despite the fact that Troilo had suggested Mariano Mores, the composer of the music, as the more obvious choice. There were 146 people in the company: 145 Peronists, and Troilo, who was staunchly apolitical. Troilo said: "145 scrupulously wore the Peronist badge on the lapel of their jacket. Not me. And no-one said a word I"

198

N .R (N oplace) (D idn’t place)

21.03.1951

vocals: Radi Beron words: Francisco Loiacono music: Juan Jose Riverol This is a tango about horse racing, one of the great loves of the portenos\ Gardel and Canaro were frequent visitors to the track, to name just two. The lyric tells of a horse which always loses money for its owner because it doesn’t place, i.e. doesn’t finish in one of the top posi­ tions, usually the first three. The tango inspires a lot of affection amongst portenos\ it was also recorded by Fresedo, Salgan, Angel Vargas and even D’Arienzo. To the modern public, for whom going to the races is not a regular part of life, its appeal is rather opaque.

27

Responso (19 5 1)

Hace veinte anos sefue la mitad de mi corazon ... mi hermano Twenty years ago I lost half my heart ...my brother93

It takes a very special tango to get a chapter all to itself, but such is the case for R e s p o n s o (Responsory - a funerary prayer), Troilo’s favourite, or rather best-loved instrumental tango. The simple but affecting story behind this tango is that it was Troilo’s response to the early death of his close personal friend and long time collaborator, the poet and lyricist Homero Manzi, the author of great lyrics such as M alena, Sur, R o m a n ce d e b a rrio and dozens more - a list on W ikipedia has eighty - as well as being the man who in 1932 created the modern milonga alongside composer

93 Troilo interviewed on television in 1971, on the 20th anniversary of the death of Homero Manzi

Sebastian Piana. His great theme was the poor urban barrio and its inhabitants, whom he always depicted with sympathy and tenderness. Manzi was an educated man who had worked as a professor of lit­ erature and Spanish, but he was expelled from his professorship for political reasons. He said of his life at this time, “I have two roads before me: hacerme hombre de letras, to make myself a man of letters, or hacer letras p o r los hombres, to write lyrics, for men (Jetras is also the Spanish word for lyrics). He chose the latter path. Manzi was already quite weak from the cancer that killed him when he finished the lyric of D iscepolin, his tribute to Enrique Discepolo; he dictated the lyric to Troilo over the telephone. He passed away on 3rd May 1951. In the event, D iscepolin and Responso were re­ corded on the same day (29th May 1951) and published on the two faces of a single record. Discepolo himself passed away the same year on Christmas Eve after suffering a massive stroke. Responso ca m e ou t on e n ight w hen w e w ere a t hom e; som e p eop le w ere there p la yin g baccarat a n d I, I don't know... I didn Vf e e l that I was there. It was fo u r in the m orning, a n d suddenly I g o t up, w en t to m y room a n d began to p la y a fe w notes, a n d like this even ­ tually Responso cam e out. I think it's th e best tn b u te that w e can pay to Homero. Responso aroused strong and painful emotions in Pichuco94 and, once he had recorded it, he preferred not to perform it. In an inter­ view given in September 1956 he said that he had not been able to play it for over a year.95

94 Pichuco was one of Troilo's nicknames; see Chapter 34 for an explanation of how he got it. His other nickname was 'Gordo' - 'Fats'. 95 http://www.magicasruinas.com.ar/revistero/argentina/tango-anibaltroilo.htm [accessed 25-06-2014]

vocals: Raid Beron words and music: Homero Stamponi This vals, recorded by both Troilo and Di Sarli in 1951 (and by Salgan in 1953), has one of the most beautiful and important lyrics in the whole tango canon. The lyric represents an important evolu­ tion in what the tango poets had to say about love, as it is a plea that a new relationship should be not just an affair (“the same old story”), but something lasting. Beron’s wistful, romantic tone is just right for this vals, and for me this is their most successful interpretation together. Confusingly, Hector Stamponi also contributed to a tango with the same title in 1940. Despite an illustrious parentage - Homero Exposito wrote the lyric, and Enrique Francini collaborated on the music with Stamponi - this tango disappeared without a trace. 207

T a n gu a n go ( n e w r h y th m )

30.07.1951

music: Astor Piazzolla In 1951 Troilo went on tour to Brazil where he opened at the Night & Day club in Rio de Janeiro. This new rhythm of Piazzolla’s was a big hit. The piece opens with drums (a borrowing from the African influenced candombe96). We expect them to stop drums are never used in tango, just very occasionally in milonga but instead they take more space, developing into layers. Their insistent rhythm is supported by all the instruments as they enter in turn: Kicho Diaz’s double bass, then the piano, then even the violins and the bandoneons. It’s exciting and innovative, and the piece maintains a high level of energy through to the finish. Tempting as it is to think that Piazzolla composed the piece spe­ cifically for the trip to Brazil, it seems unlikely: the piece was re96 Candombe was a style of music and dance that developed in the 19th century amongst African slave communities in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

corded in July, and the tour did not take place until November97. The piece was not so well received at home. Troilo had to remove it from his set list when a fight broke out between pro- and antiPiazzolla fans at a dance98. A final tale: Piazzolla sold the rights to this tango twice, to two different publishers, destroying his relationship with the publisher Alfredo Perrotti, who had been one of his few personal friends. Perrotti was in debt, and had borrowed the advance from the bank.99 245

C o n tr a b a je a n d o

28.02.1954

music: Astor Piazzolla/Anibal Troilo This tango is a homage to the double bass (contrabajo) in general and to Kicho Diaz in particular. The tango opens with the theme being played solo by the double bass, and it features as a solo instrument throughout the piece. To add power to the bass parts elsewhere in the tango, a second double bass was added for the recording (Rafael Ferro). When Piazzolla recorded it himself in 1961 - again with Kicho Diaz on double bass - it was in a new arrangement by the cellist Jose Bragato. 249

La ca n tin a ( T h e ta v er n )

29.04.1954

vocals: Jorge Casal words: Catulo Castillo music: Anibal Troilo This charming tango is one of Troilo’s best recordings from the 1950s. It evokes a tavern by the Riachuelo river, i.e. in the district of La Boca, a poor part of town populated by Italian immigrants. One of them plays the accordion, making everyone nostalgic. The 97

2nd November - 20th December: see Osvaldo Sanguiao, Troilo, p93 Maria Susana Azzi & Simon Collier, Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzoiia, p47 99 ibid p48

98

protagonist remembers a girl {golondrina,, a swallow)100 who seems to have returned home, leaving him with only the memory of a salty kiss. Note the change in the style of the interpretation: Casal enters after only half a minute, not a minute, and sings both verses.

100Golondhna, swallow, was also a nickname given to the Italian migrant work­ ers who planned to come to Argentina for one season, earn some money, and then return home. As we know, most never returned.

28

The Troilo-Grela Quartet (1953)

In the 1953 m usical p lav 101102“ l ;.l patio de la m orocha”, R oberto G rela plaved guitar alongside Troilo. They had one solo num ber together:

La c a c h ila . On the opening night, their rendition was so w ell re­ ceived that they were forced to repeat it. TK im m ediately suggested they record it, and thus the Ί ro ilo -(irela quartet was born. They recorded a dozen num bers betw een 1953 and 1955, and another ten in 1962. The first period was the best one for the quartet. They perform ed together tor a tim e, som etim es even with a singer, although none ot these tracks were ever recorded - Troilo had invited 1 iorentino tor a recording session, but it was not to b e 1"2. In 1954 Troilo announced on the radio that the quartet would be visiting Jap an , but the trip never took place. Grela never found out what happened. Listening to the recordings toda\, two things com e across. Fürst o f all there is the freshness o f the playing. At a rime when the w ork o f 101 In Argentina these plays were called sainetes. These were comic plays or farces, originally written in one act. 102 See above, chapter 17

the full orchestra had come to rely on arrangements, these numbers are performed in the old style, a laparilla, i.e. without a formal writ­ ten arrangement. The valses P a lom ita b la n ca and Un p l a c e r ; which (being valses) naturally have a lighter feel, are simply delightful. Secondly, in this more intimate setting and with only four musicians, it’s much easier to hear the quality of sound that Troilo produces on the bandoneon than it is when he plays with his orchestra. Troilo didn’t like playing α cappella, (unaccompanied), but here we get close. In particular, he often deploys a delicate and trembling vibrato which we can hear and enjoy very clearly in these performances.

29

La liltima curda 1956

One evening in the sum m er o f 1956, T roilo asked Ldm undo Rivero - no longer a singer in his orchestra, but a soloist - to com e to his apartm ent on Calle Parana because he had finished the music for a new tango: C atulo C astillo ’s La U ltima c u r d a . R ivero w ent over w ith his wife Julieta. O ver a couple o f w hiskies, Troilo and Rivero got dow n to rehearsing. The night was hot and still. The doors to the balconx w ere open, but the only thing really cooling the men down was the ice in their drinks. Rivero recalls that “ Pichuco sat by the balcom w ith his bandoneon and 1 sang next to him .”

A fter a couple o f hours, well

into the sm all hours o f the m orning, the tango w as ready. Singing it through, the two men w ere astonished w hen their rehearsal was greeted with cheering and loud applause from the street below. G o­ ing out onto the balcony, they looked down and saw' a crowd ot perhaps a hundred people on the pavem ent. The apartm ent was just opposite the C hantecler C abaret, and people com ing out at closing time had heard the music and stopped to listen. Troilo and Rivero were forced to make a proper perform ance, in effect the unofficial 103

103 Luis Alposta, Todo Rivero, 2nd ed, p53

premier of the tango, from the balcony to the crowd below, who stood in the street to get the best possible view, blocking the traffic. Later that year, Troilo brought Rivero back into the studio to record this tango, with a newr recording of S ur on the other side of the record. 263

La Ultima cu rd a (T h e ß n a l b in g e )

08.08.1956

vocals: Edmundo Rivero words: Cätulo Castillo music: Anibal Troilo An unremitting look in to the abyss, Catulo Castillo’s lyric portrays a man preparing to binge not just on alcohol, but on his most bitter feelings. The lyric has stayed in the public mind ever since. The contemporary tango band Bajofondo sampled one of Goyeneche’s recordings (I think his final one, in 1993) for the track M i co ra z o n on their first album, and the name of their group comes from this tango as well. Troilo would have been horrified by Bajofondo’s innovations: he hated the idea of hard beats, brass instruments, or even amplification, because for him tango must always convey tenderness. Argentino Galvan’s arrangement is a masterpiece, conveying a sense of drama, tension and impending doom from the opening notes. Goyencche recorded the tango with Troilo in 1963 but the original recording with Rivero is my favourite version by far. The lyric has left many phrases embedded in the language of tango. Of these, the most widespread, something I had heard long before I came across this song, is this: la lida es una herida absurda — life is an absurd wound. Castillo’s unforgettable image of drunkenness is just as arresting: corriendole un telon al common - drawing a curtain across the heart. Truly a stunning tango.

Lastima, bandoneon, mi coravpn tu ronca maldicion maleva. .. Tu lagrima de ron me Hem hacia el hondo bajo fondo donde el barro se subleva. jYa se, no me digas! jTenes ra^on! La vida es una berida absurda, y es todo todo tan fu ga^ que es una curda, jnada mas! mi confesion.

Bandoneon, It hurts my heart, your wicked, growling curse... your tear o f rum is dragging me down to the bottom where the mud is rising up. I know, don't tell me! You 're right! IJfe is an absurd wound, eveiything is so fleeting that, I confess, it's nothing more than a binge.

Contame tu condena, decime tu fracaso, ino ves lapena que me ha kendo? Y hablame simplemente de aquel amor ausente tras un reta^o del olvido. jYa se que te lastima! jYo se que me hace dado Uorarte mi sermon de vino! Pero es el viejo amor que tiembla, bandoneon, buscando en el licor que aturde, la curda que al final termine la funcion corriendole un telon al common.

Tell mey o u r sentence tell meyourfailure don't you see the sorrow which has wounded me? A nd talk to me plainly o f that absent love over a cup o f forgetfulness. I know it hurtsy o u ! I know I harm m yself crying my sermon o f wine! But it's that old love which shim s, bandoneon, and seeks, in the liquor thatfuddles the brain, the drunkenness thatfinally ends the show, drawing a curtain across the heart.

Un poco de recuerdo y sinsabor gotea tu reyongo lerdo. Marea tu licory arrea la tropilla de la %urda al volcar la ultima curda. Cerrame el vcntanal que quema el sol

Your hopeless grumbling drips with memory and disgust. Your liquor intoxicates and disturbs the heart to pour out the fin a l binge. Close the window fo r me, the sun bums

su lento caracol de sueno, ino ves que vengo de unpats que estä de olvido, siempregris, tras el alcohol... ?

it's snail's pace o f sleep, can'tyou see, I am from the ever grey land o f forgetfulness, always after a drink...?

The text given above is not the published lyric, but what Rivero sings in the recording. Rivero had made a couple of changes in the lyric of Sut; but here he makes half a dozen. This is exceptional for a tango singer. Vocabulary: “s^urda” means the left hand or foot, but here is an allusion to the heart (which is more on the left side of the body). With “arrear”, to harness, and “la tropilla", the team, the lyric re­ fers to horses and then to horse racing; we expect it to go on to say, “al ivicar la ultima curia", rounding the final curve, but Castillo cleverly switches it back to “la ultima curdai" .104

104 Bias Matamoro in La Opinidm 21-10-1975, quoted in an article on the lyric at http://www.nuevociclo.com.ar/100decatulocastillo.htm

30

Roberto Goyeneche 1936

The departure o f vocalist Raul Beron from T ro ilo ’s orchestra was unfortunate but it created the vacancy w hich w ould eventually be filled by Roberto G oyeneche (1 9 2 6 -1 9 9 4 ), the greatest tango singer o f the 1960s and 1970s. W ith his sandpaper)· voice and unusual deliver) , he was a great teller o f stories, in w hich sense he is effec­ tively the successor in the orchestra to Kdm undo R ivero. Like Rivero, he cam e to Troilo from the orchestra o f H oracio Salgan. W hilst T roilo had been unafraid to incorporate “ LI feo” (“The ugly”) R ivero in his orchestra, he had doubts about G o yen ech e’s appear­ ance: “ H ow am I going to put a singer in my orchestra w ho looks like a cow boy?” O f his style, G oyeneche said: “ I always rem em ber w hat Troilo told me: one must tell it to the public, not sing it, because the orchestra is in charge o f singing” . This may well have been advice Troilo gave to all his singers, but G oyeneche seem s to have taken it to heart more than anyone. W ith Troilo, his style progressivel) reveals itself. For the m odern listener, G oyeneche’s style m itigates the fact that the dance era has now com e to a close. As a singer o f music for dancing, he cannot com pete w ith Fiorenrino, or with the other singers from the 1940s, because he was sim ply never given the opportunity. H ow-

ever, his unique phrasing and delivery make his performances pleas­ urable to listen to in their own right. In 1962, his rendition of Fiorentino’s hit Gania was so embraced by the public that the tango became identified with him. Goyeneche left Troilo after 7 years in 1963, gendy pushed from the nest into a solo career with these words: “Well, Polaco, it’s time to go ... to gain the popularity and the money that I can’t give you. But don’t worry: we’ll get back together some day”. And that’s exacdy how things turned out: Goyeneche returned to record the LP “Nuestro Buenos Aires” in 1968, and then again in 1971 to record Troilo’s final LP, “Te acordas, Polaco?” (“Do you remember, Po­ laco”, a pun on the tango Te acordds, hermano - do you remember; brotherή, in which the two men record some of Troilo’s old hits with other singers, in effect reliving Pichuco’s glory days. Goyeneche continued singing until very shordy before his death in 1994. Although his voice declined, he retained his pitch and the passing of the years only added to the emodonal depth of his per­ formances. At the time of his death he was the greatest living singer in Buenos Aires, and his passing left a void in the life of tango and of the city that has not been filled.

316

E l tn o t iv o ( P o b r e p a ic a ) ( T h e r e a s o n - ( P o o r g i r l) )

18.08.61

vocals: Roberto Goyeneche words: Pascual Contursi music: Juan Carlos Cobian Cobian wrote the tango E l m o t iv o as an instrumental in 1914, only later (in 1919) asking Pascual Contursi to add a lyric so that they could offer the work to Gardel. The new work was tided P o b r e p a ic a and achieved widespread popularity. Cobian later asked his trusted friend Hnrique Cadicamo to write a new lyric. !Tie name of the new tango was changed back to E l m o tiv o . Sheet music from the time shows that Troilo, who had been performing the original version with Fiorentino105, adopted the new version106; this was likely to have been in 1943, after Co­ bian returned from his disastrous second voyage to North Amer­ ica. However, as soon as the new lyric was published, Jose Maria Contursi - the son of Pascual Contursi —approached Cobian and asked for it to be withdrawn107. Cobian consented, and Troilo reverted to the original lyric. When Cobian finally recorded the tango himself in 1944, he did so as an instrumental. As far as I know, there are no recorded versions of Cadicamo’s lyric. Troilo only finally recorded this tango in 1961, with the voice of Roberto Goyeneche. The arrangement is superb. In the opening, the melody is given only to the violins, whilst the bandoneons play a repeated riff underneath, adding interest and tension. Goyeneche is as good as ever, but for a dance audience it feels too slow, and it’s not really intended for dancing. The band then changes down a 105 In a radio transcription of Troilo-Fiorentino from 1941, Fiorentino can be heard singing Contursi's original lyric. 106 The cover says: "Another of the hits of the repertoire of the great orchestra of Anibal Troilo. Recorded on Discos Odeon by the orchestra of Julio De Caro". De Caro's versiön, an instrumental, was recorded on 28-10-1942. 107 Oscar del Priore & Irene Amuchästegui, den Tangos fundamentales, 2nd ed, pp60-63

gear for Goyeneche’s entrance at 0*33”. With this slower pace, the short spoken part of the lyric at Γ44” loses energy because the orchestra is no longer driving hard underneath. Having said all this, this slower delivery works perfecdy in the more intimate setting of Troilo’s quartet. We have video of them performing this with Goyeneche on TV from around the same time. The video allows one to appreciate Goyeneche’s strong stage presence, and they bring the house down. In my fantasy world, we teleport the 1961 orchestra arrangement back in time to 1946, and Troilo records it with Marino. Oh, and we have the Troilo-Fiorendno 1941 version on disc as well. This lyric was the first to present the archetype of the milonguera or more commonly milonguita as the fallen woman: the pretty girl who abandons an upright life for the dubious demi-monde of the milonga, and ends up poor and abandoned, in a state of physical and moral decay108·

108 see for instance Dulce Maria Dalbosco, La construccidn simbdlica del arquetipo de la milonguera en las letras del tango, Revista de mitocritica 'Amaltea' ISSN 1989-1709, vol.2 (2010) p32.

31

Troilo for Export 1963

In 1963, the executives at RCA, w ith an eye for the export m arket, decided to record some tango album s in the new stereo form at. The artists chosen w ere Ju an D ’A rienzo, w ho w ould eventually record four such album s, and T roilo, w ho w ould record three. The album s were titled “ ... for E xport”, and with this in m ind only instrum ental num bers were recorded. T roilo’s first export album , “T roilo for E xport”, with twelve tangos, was issued in the U nited States as “ H aunting! The A uthentic A rgen­ tine T ango” by “Troilo and his O rchestra Yipicd'. RCx\ w ere o f course onlv really interested in selling records, and the front cover sports a couple in the style o f R udo lf V alentino and partner, whilst the blurb on the back tries to explain that this is “The true argentine tango - different and fascinating” . Em not sure how successful these album s were in opening up the export m arket, but they w ere very successful in Argentina and have been in-print more or less continually ever since - quite an achieve­ ment. RCA had scaled back their operations in A rgentina and had sold their old studios, so for the recordings they had to rent the studios

of CBS. From the paperwork this generated, we know that the ses­ sions occupied fourteen hours of studio time over four days in April 1963. These were glossy instrumental performances, mostly old hits in new arrangements with four new numbers. The sound fidelity is fantastic, and I am surprised to say that stereo really does add something to the performances. For the recordings, four extra violins (including Fernando Suarez Paz)109 and a second viola were added, giving the whole thing a symphonic air. Troilo didn’t play on the album: he directed the orchestra and the lead bandoneon part was taken by Ernesto Baffa. This was a time when Buenos Aires is no longer dancing tango very much, so perhaps it should not surprise us that the whole thing just fails to catch fire.

343

La cu m p a rsita

April 1963

arrangement: Armando Pontier Troilo’s 1943 recording of La cu m p a rsita had been a classic; what would he do with the piece 20 years later? The new arrange­ ment incorporates a quotation from Filiberto’s tango E l p a ß u e lito , an idea borrowed from Julio De Caro’s epic four and a half minute recording on the Brunswick label in 1932. When it comes, however, the elaborate interpretation of Berlingieri on the piano makes for an extreme contrast with the distilled simplicity of Troilo’s bandoneon. I find it dissonant and jarring, and a sign that after more than 25 years of musical development, the band is now in decline.

Federico Silva, Informe sobre Troilo, p93

32

Nocturno a mi barrio (1 9 6 8 )

Gordo... Gordo... stay here... stay here...

Pichuco w rote his poem N o c tu r n o a m i b a r rio as early as 1956, at a time w hen he was recuperating in a clinic from the excesses o f the bohem ian nightlife that was finally catching up w ith even his strong constitution. It was intended that the actor Santiago Arrieta w ould speak this lyric, accom panied bv Troilo and his orchestra, but the planned p erfo rm ­ ance was never developed and the w ork rem ained forgotten until the recording sessions o f T roilo ’s quartet in 1968. Like many bandoneon players, Troilo had developed arthritis in his hands and it was becom ing difficult for him to play. G uitarist L baldo Dc Lio cam e up with the idea o f recording this poem . T roilo’s reply was: Take out your guitar and give me something in D minor O ver the course o f a couple o f nights, the w ork was done.

The recording session was something special. Aquiles Giacometti, artistic director of RCA-Victor at the time, remembers: There was an atmosphere o f bated breath, charged with emotion, as if one knew that something very important was about to happen.110 To understand this poem, ‘Nocturne to my barrio’, one has to un­ derstand what it meant to be a porteno in the 20th century. For the immigrant, the extended family and the land of one’s birth were far away, beyond reach. The barrio was everything. It provided a place to belong, and most importantly, friends. Without the extended family of the country of one’s ancestors, and without any kind of social security, friends were all one had. Troilo had lost his father when he was very young, leaving him “with the pain of not remembering his voice”. All his life he had set great store by his friendships, but one by one, all the people he loved had died. The childhood friends of his barrio that he recalls in this poem, the lyricist Homero Mansi, his mother - they were all gone. This ever increasing and enveloping loss explains the atmosphere of in­ tense feeling that pervades this poem.

110 Reported by Jos6 Maria Otero on his blog, http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/nocturno-mi-barrio.html [ac­ cessed 04-06-2014]

Mi barrio era as/, as/...as/... ast. Es decir, que se'yo si era ast. Pew j o me lo acuerdo ast: con Yacumin, el carbuna de la esqutna, que tenia las homallas llenas de hollin j quejugo siempre deja s i^guierdo al lado mio, siempre, siempre... tal ve^pa ' estar mas cerca de mi cora^on

M j barrio was like this, like this, like this, like this... That's to say, what do I know i f it was reallj like that. But that's how I remember it, With Yacumin, the coalman from the comer, with his stoves fu ll o f soot, and who always played left h a lf111 by my side, always, always... perhaps to be closer to my heart

Alguien dijo una re% quej o me fu i de mi barrio. Cudndo?... Pero cudndo?... si siempre estoj llegando. Y si una ve% me oltide, las estrellas de la esqutna de la casa de mi vieja, titilando como si fueran manos amigas me dijeron: Gordo... Gordo... quedate aqui... quedate aqui.

Once someone said to me that I would leave my barrio When? But when? when 1 am always arriving. A nd i f l should everforget, then the stars above the comer o f my mother's house, twinkling like friendly hands, would say: Gordo... Gordo... stay here... stay here...

111 Jaz izquierdo, left half, refers to a position in a football team - Troilo had loved playing football as a boy.

Anibal Troilo in 10 tangos

We have followed Troilo and his Orchestra on their journey through different times, musicians, singers and style. With 485 recordings spanning more than 30 years, and barely a bad number amongst diem as well as a number o f changes in style, navigating Troilo’s repertoire can be a daundng task. The following list o f ten tangos is intended to help you follow the development o f his music. Tliis is not a list of my favourite Troilo tangos; it is more like a set of stepping stones. Mosdy they are representadve o f his developing style. Two - R e c u e r d o s d e b o h em ia and the final track, N o ctu m o a m i barrio - are not typical, but are included because they reveal another aspect to Troilo’s art. •

1938: C o m m e ilfa u t

•

1941 \ Yo s o y e l ta n g o (Fiorentino)

•

1942: M alen a (Fiorendno)

•

1943: F a rolito d e p a p e l (Marino)

•

1946: R e c u e r d o s d e b o h em ia

•

1948: Sur (Rivero)

•

1951: R e s p o n s o

•

1954: La ca n tin a (Casal)

•

1956: La illtim a cu rd a (Rivero)

•

1968: N o ctu m o a m i b a rrio (Troilo)

Part 3 The man

& the myth

34

Pichuco: a short biography

Birth and early life Anibal C arm elo Troilo, “P ichuco”, was born on 11th Ju ly 1914 to Italian parents in the barrio o f A lm agro. He acquired his nicknam e “Pichuco” as an infant. The w ord is likely a variant o f picduso , which m eans cry-baby in the N eapolitan dialect. H is father w ould pick him and say: “D o n ’t cry, p ic h u c o ...” . He was the youngest o f three children. The first born was his brother M arcos, w ho later played bandoneon in T ro ilo ’s orchestra. Then cam e his sister C oncepcion, w ho died in infancy. T roilo ’s father, a butcher, died w hen the young A nibal was just eight years old. T roilo ’s m other opened a kiosk to support the family. Troilo rem ained very close to her until her death in 1963. Pichuco had few m em ories o f his father; one was o f him playing G ardel records when he had a fever. Troilo later speculated that this was perhaps w hen his love for tango song entered his being.

His first bandoneon Troilo fell in love with the bandoneon at a very early age after hear­ ing it played in local cafes and in the park w here the fam ily w ent to picnic at w eekends. The park was full o f fam ilies eating and m aking

music. On one such occasion, a Greek bandoneon player allowed the young Anibal to hold his bandoneon in his lap. After this, Anibal pretended that his pillow was a bandoneon, and nagged his mother until she agreed to buy him one. The oft-told story7is that she went to a nearby music shop on Calle Cordoba, run by a Russian, where they had an instrument for $140 - a considerable sum. The family could not afford it, and Troilo’s uncle negotiated that they would pay in monthly instalments of $10. However after four months, the Russian shut up shop and disappeared (his brother Marcos thinks he died112), and no-one ever came for the rest of the money. The ban­ doneon thus cost only $40, and it stayed with Troilo for the rest of his life. Lessons Troilo began lessons with one Juan Amendolaro, practising hard Marcos recalls that he even had the bandoneon on his knees during meal times. After six months, Amendolaro announced that he had nothing more to teach him. There are stories about some other teachers; Troilo even had a few lessons with Pedro Maffia, one of the leading players of the day, but they didn’t get on —Troilo found Maffia too serious. From here on, Troilo was self-taught. First performances Troilo was just 11 when he played in public for the first time, at a party put on at the local cinema, the Petit Colon. His performance received an ovation and the owner of the cinema immediately of­ fered him a job. Still in short trousers, he then played for a couple of weeks in a ladies orchestra at a cafe. In 1927 Troilo quit school to play music full time. At 14 years of age, he briefly formed his own quintet. The thing to note about these early experiences is of course Troilo’s age. Whilst he would only be 23 years old when he formed his or­ chestra in 1937, he would already have had 10 years experience as a 112 Federico Silva, Informe sobre Troilo, p24

professional musician. The combination of this experience with the vigour of youth is a common story amongst tango musicians in those days and surely a factor in the success that was to follow. Journeyman The next few years see Troilo as a journeyman musician, working in many different formations in a musical scene that appears to have been highly fluid. The list of people he played with reads like a Who’s Who of tango: Elvino Vardaro, Julio De Caro, Alfredo Gobbi, Ciriaco Ortiz, Juan Maglio, Luis Petrucelli. He was also used from time to time by RCA-Victor as an extra musician on recordings. For instance, he plays on one of D’Arienzo’s recordings in 1935: S ä b a d o i n g l e s . Listening to these recordings is a fruitless exercise for those trying to detect Troilo’s playing: he assimilates himself to the style of the group. Turning to the bands he played with in the first half of the 1930s, it’s important not to get lost in the details. Troilo himself couldn’t re­ member the order with which he played with each group. We can see that he experienced many different kinds of music. This was important first of all for his own style as a player, which synthesized the styles of the players he admired, but also for his developing vi­ sion of the music he wanted to make. Troilo placed himself at the centre. We can also see that, amongst the many musical encounters he has in this period, there are a number which are pivotal in his future development: Orlando Goni, Ciriaco Ortiz, but also the violinist Alfredo Gobbi, who was highly esteemed by Troilo and, like Vard­ aro, did not achieve the success as a band leader that his music de­ served. Troilo refused to interpret the tango C h u z a s (composed by Agustin Bardi113) because he felt that Gobbi’s rendition was perfect.

113 Troilo records a num ber called fact it's a milonga.

Chuias

in 1956, but this is another piece - in

At the end of 1930 - only five years after picking up the bandoneon for the first time, and still only 16 years of age - Troilo joined the most advanced musical group of its day, the Vardaro —Pugliese sextet. There he played alongside the violinist Alfredo Gobbi, whom he always gready admired. The group has its debut at a cinema on 1st December 1930, but the music was too advanced for its day and they were not very popular. In 1931 the first bandoneon player Mi­ guel Jurado was replaced by Ciriaco Ortiz, who would so influence Troilo’s style. The sextet played for carnival dances in Februar)7 1931. Once these were over, they disbanded, but Gobbi and Pugliese or­ ganised another sextet and Troilo went with them. After this, too, broke up, Ortiz took Troilo into his new group “Los Provincianos”. In 1933 Vardaro formed his now legendary sextet with Anibal Troilo and Jorge Argentino Fernandez as the bandoneon players. The group broke up without leaving any recordings except a test pressing of T igre viejo. This is the first occasion when we can hear Troilo’s emerging style, a mixture of Ciriaco Ortiz’s conversational phrasing and Pedro Laurenz’s brilliant sound. The next really significant step was Troilo’s return to the group of Ciriaco Ortiz, now called the Orquesta Tipica Ciriaco Ortiz. Our story in this book begins when that group disbanded, and Troilo formed his own orchestra. Zita Troilo met his wife Zita for the first time in 1936. The first introduc­ tion did not impress Zita: Ay! No more fa t guys... but two years later, she and her aunt walked into the Cafe Germinal, where Troilo was playing, and the romance began. They spoke on the phone ever)7day and after six months started living together. They remained a couple for the rest of Troilo’s life. Zita was many things to Troilo, not only a lover, but a confidante and trusted friend. She understood Troilo very well, not just as a person, but also musically. Zita recalls that, if Troilo could not sleep,

they would sit up together listening to the radio - perhaps scouting for new talent, and we have already read how Zita accompanied Troilo when they went to listen live to the singers Alberto Marino and Edmundo Rivero. She had many affectionate nicknames for him which recall his round face, and the way he would play with his eyes half closed: Buddha, and The Japanese. Films Troilo appeared in eight films, the first as early as 1933. We of course are interested to see him in action, and for this the interesting films are Έ1 tango vuelve a Paris’ (1948), in which Alberto Castillo sings with the orchestra, and V ida nocturna’ (1955), in which we have the charming performance of La ca n tin a with Casal. The 1972 conceit in the Colon In August 1972, Troilo appeared alongside other artists at a gala concert entided “Concierto de musica ciudadana” (“Concert of city music”) at Buenos Aires’s prestigious Teatro Colon. Troilo took the more subtle solos but the technically demanding running variation in Q ue/as d e b a n d o n e o n was played by Do­ mingo Mattio (Raul Garello was absent because he was away in Mexico114). There was no singer. Five other groups were present, and they had roughly the same amount of time on stage. The TV channel Canal 7 broadcast the concert live and it was recorded. Troilo’s performance was the highlight of the evening and he re­ ceived a hero’s welcome, but like the other bands (except Salgan’s which played seven), he played only five numbers. It was a wonder­ ful evening, but not really Troilo’s concert in the Colon.

114 Horacio Ferrer,

El libro del tango

pp480-481

Final days Although his health had deteriorated in his final years, requiring some breaks from performing, Troilo had returned to the stage in April 1975, performing in a show at the Odeon theatre called simply: ‘Pichuco’. On Saturday 17th May, friends invited him out to dinner after the performance, but he said he preferred to have a quiet night at home with his wife Zita. The following morning he felt unwell and asked Zita to call a doctor. He was taken to hospital, where that night he suffered a brain aneurysm and he passed away shortly be­ fore midnight. The death certificate was signed just after midnight, making the official date of his death 19th May 1975. In the morning, the bright weather Buenos Aires had been enjoying was replaced by grey skies, and a fine drizzle fell on the thousands queuing to pay their last respects at the wake. On the 1st July 1997, the 70th anniversary of Troilo’s debut at the ‘Marabu’, a tribute was held at the same venue, now called the ‘Ma­ racaibo’. Zita Troilo passed away that same day.

35 If only they could speak

In 2010, the musical director Juan Carlos Cuacchi got involved in a project to revive the musical “HI patio de la morocha”, written by Troilo in 1951. Remembering that Piazzolla had been involved in the arrangements, he had an idea, and decided to find out if the ar­ rangements were still in existence. Λ few phone calls later, someone opened a cupboard in the Troilo family household to find an unimaginable treasure: not just the original arrangements of the Troilo orchestra for “El patio de la morocha”, but an archive of all the arrangements the band had writ­ ten out - four hundred and eight)’ nine of them. At this point, Javier Cohen, who teaches tango at EM PA (Escuela de Musica Popular de Avellaneda) was called in to create digital ver­ sions of these arrangements, so that they could be shared with others. He started work around the beginning of 2011. The idea was to scan the music into a computer and digitize it, but extensive manual cor­ rection was required. In the end it took him three years to complete the work. The original arrangements, now in individual plastic sleeves and neatly filed in alphabetical order, have been rehoused in the office of the Centenario Anibal Troilo, and I went to visit them in 2014. These are not photocopies, or even manual copies, but the original

hand-written sheet music, the majority written - and sometimes signed and dated —in the arranger’s own hand. These papers would have been present at the first rehearsal of each new piece; they heard the music play; they heard Troilo discussing the arrangement with the arranger. If only they could speak! Javier Cohen soon noticed that he could recognise the arranger from the sty le of his handwriting - not what we normally mean by hand­ writing, because there are no words, but from the way of writing: the way of forming a note on the staff, and also the kind of notes - their quantity and density7, and so on. I am allowed to open a packet and pull out an arrangement. It’s by Piazzolla, and —wouldn’t you know it! What Piazzolla said about Troilo erasing half his notes is really true, only this time it’s a blue biro. Whole bars are scribbled out, and Troilo has written, with the economy that characterises his music, “solo” or “canto” (‘sing’).

36

Troilo on Troilo

On himself: Yo no soy un buen m üsico; soy un buen tanguero I am not a good musician: I am a good tanguero. N unca p u ed o escribir m usica p o r escribir. Preciso una letra prim ero. Una letra que m e guste. Entonces la mastico. La aprendo d e m emoria. Todo el dia la tengo en la cabeza. Es com o si la fiiera en volvien do en la musica. Es m uy im portante para m i lo que d ice la letra d e una cancion. I could never write music just for the sake of it. First I need a lyric. A lyric which I like. Then I chew it. I learn it by heart. I have it in my head the whole day long. It’s as if it were wrapping itself in music. What a song’s lyric says is very important to me. On tango No hay tango viejo ni tango nuevo. El tango es uno solo. Tal vez la ünica diferen cia estd en los que lo hacen bien y los que lo hacen mal. There is no such thing as old tango and new tango. Tango is one. Perhaps the only difference is between those that do it well, and those that do it badly.

On life and the city El sacrificio no estd nunca en renunciar a lo que uno es. El verdadero sacrificio estd en seguir siendo lo que uno es. Sacrifice does not consist in renouncing what one is. True sacri­ fice consists in continuing to be what one is.

El que no se acuerda de lo que ama, es porque no se acuerda de nada He who doesn’t remember what he loves, remembers nothing

La calle es el m ejor lugar de todos. Se aprende. En el hogar se aprende la educacion, pero en la calle se aprende a vivir... Ysi no m e lo digan a ml. Todo lo que aprendi, lo p oco y extrano que aprendi, lo aprendi en la calle. The street is the best place of all. At home one gets an education, but in the street one learns to live... Everything I’ve learnt, the little and the strange that I have learnt, I learnt in the street

De Buenos Aires tendria que decir muchas cosas... Que es mi vida, que es el tango, que es Gard e l que es la noche... Que es la m ujer, el amigo... Tendria que decir muchas cosasy muchas no sabria como decirlas... Pero anote esto: agradezco haber nacido en Buenos Aires. I would have to say a lot about Buenos Aires... that it is my life, that it is tango, that it is Gardel, that it is the night... That it is the woman, the friend... I would have to say many things and there are many I wouldn’t know how to say. But note this: I am grateful to have been born in Buenos Aires.

Appendices

Appendix A: Troilo on CD In 1970, RCA-Victor reprinted all of their Troilo recordings on LP. This was quite an undertaking: we are talking about all the 1940s recordings (188), plus all those from the 1960s onwards (173), mak­ ing 361 recordings in total. In those days 12 tracks was standard for an LP and the finished work spanned 26 LPs. The original matrices (the true physical masters) had been destroyed in 1960 and the transfers were probably taken from shellacs. These were not in perfect condition, and RCA-Victor decided to try and “improve” the sound. The decisions about what to do would have come down to two men: the sound engineer in charge of the transfer process, and the execu­ tive directing the project. Sometimes, the decisions they made were and I have to say this unequivocally - poor, and this is a lamentable fact because we are still living with the consequences today. Back then, the recording and printing of records was still performed entirely in the analogue domain; the kind of sophisticated digital technology that can be used today to clean up old recordings had not been invented. The sound engineer decided to cover up the imper­ fections by adding reverberation and even echo to many of the 1940s tracks, marring the clear melodic line of the Troilo orchestra. The high-energy 1941 recordings didn’t suffer so badly, but from 1942 onwards the effects are deleterious. There were also more specific crimes, as it were. The worst of these took place on the track C olora o , c o lo r a o (1942), in which Troilo’s subde bandoneon solo suffered particularly badly from noise on the 78 rpm record they were using. This was too difficult to clean up, so the sound engineer decided to simply chop out about 15 seconds of this solo, reducing the piece from 2’50” to 2’35” (I can hear you rushing to your music library). Meanwhile, P a ja ro c i e g o is missing

its opening chord, for no good reason whatsoever; and there is a jump in the introduction of S om b ra s n a d a m a s (where the needle has skipped from one groove in the record to the adjacent one), and the same thing again on the vals U ruguaya. As the tango revival gathered pace in the 1990s, RCA were keen to release all their Troilo recordings on CD in this new digital age. The first reissue was again a complete one, this time on 16 CDs released between 1997 and 2000, entided Obra Completa en RCA-Victor’. The series was prepared with some care, with sleeve notes by Oscar del Priore including details of all the physical recordings (disc and, where applicable, matrix numbers). However, the basis fo r this reissue was the LJ* reissue from the 1970s, not the originals, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The proof? Just listen to the transfers of the tracks we mendoned, such as C olorao, co lo ra o . On the other hand, these CDs (and the LPs they were based on) were the only versions of Troilo’s recordings that anyone had heard since the 1940s (except in Japan where the Victor Company of Japan were reissuing Troilo from 78s), so these problems went largely unnodced. The first hint that anything was wrong came from the small Bridsh label Harlequin, whose CD “Great Bands of Tango’s Golden Age” slipped out quietly in 1997115. This had a transfer of E n es ta ta rd e g n s from a shellac record. The record was not in very good condidon, and the transfer is noisy, but Harlequin didn’t perform any processing. Devoid of the trickery to which we have become accustomed, the music sounds momentarily plain and na­ ked - a little more like other tango orchestras, in fact. Back in Argentina, RCA’s parent company BMG discontinued “Obra Completa”, but beginning in 2004 that series was superseded by a new one, “Troilo en RCA Victor Argentina”. These have excel­ lent multimedia bonuses: song lyrics, photographs, and even some original newspaper reports. However, the problem was once again the sound. It is a little different to that on “Obra completa”, generat­

115 HQCD-89: Great Bands of Tango's Golden Age 1936-1940

ing reams of discussion and opinion amongst tango geeks outside Argentina, but the differences are trivial because the basis was, once again, the previous re-masters made for the LPs. The proof? Yes. C olora o, c o lo r a o is still butchered, and P a ja ro c i e g o is still missing its opening note. Given the way that digital music has led to widespread copying of music, it’s extremely unlikely that Sony-BMG will ever commit the resources to preparing a new release, because it would not be profit­ able. However, you can hear many of the 1940s tracks without proc­ essing from TangoTunes, the digital music store. The results are not always better than what is already available, but in many cases they are.

Appendix B: Discography

The discography includes an index number (1, 2, 3...), the recording date (as best we know) and, where known, the name of the arranger. Arrangers AG: AP: EB: HA: IS: JP: HS:

Argentino Galvan Astor Piazzolla Emilio Balcarce Hector Maria Artola Ismael Spitalnik Julian Plaza Horacio Salgan

only from 1955 onwards: AC: CG: ER: OF: RP:

Alberto Caracciolo Carlos Garcia Eduardo Rovira Oscar de la Fuente Roberto Pansera

only from 1967 onwards: RG: Raul Garello APo: Armando Ponder (Ponder arranged all the numbers on an LP recorded at the end of 1968, also “co-directing” the orchestra. This would be unusual to say the least, and it’s not clear whether Troilo truly participated, or only lent his name).

1 07.03.38

Com m e II faut

2 07.03.38

Tinta verde

3 04.03.41 4 04.03.41

Yo soy el tango

5 04.03.41

Toda mi vlda

Mano brava

Fiorentino HA

Fiorentino

6 04.03.41

Cachirulo

7 16.04.41

Con toda la voz que tengo

Fiorentino

Te aconsejo que me olvides

Fiorentino

Tabem ero

Fiorentino

8

16.04.41

9 28.05.41 10 28.05.41

HA

Päjaro ciego

Fiorentino -

El bulin de la calle Ayacucho

Mandarino Fiorentino

11

17.06.41

12

17.06.41

Milongueando en el 40

13

11.07.41

Guapeando

14

11.07.41

Una carta

Fiorentino

En esta tarde gris

Fiorentino

15 18.07.41 16

18.07.41

Cordon de oro Total, pa' que sirvo

Fiorentino

18 08.09.41

El cuarteador

Fiorentino Fiorentino

19 09.10.41

Maragata

20 09.10.41

Tu diagnostico

Fiorentino

21 09.10.41

Cautivo

Fiorentino

22 23.10.41

Tinta roja

Fiorentino

23 23.10.41

No le digas que la qulero

Fiorentino

vals

HA

24 23.10.41

El tamango

25 21.11.41

Sencillo y compadre

26 21.11.41

Del tiempo guapo

27 08.01.42

Malena

HA

Fiorentino

Malena

HA

Fiorentino

28 08.01.42

milonga

HA

17 08.09.41

27/1 08.01.42

milonga

Florentlno

Fiorentino Fiorentino

milonga

C.T.V.

29

16.04.42

Mi castigo

HA

Fiorentino

30

16.04.42

Papä Baltasar

HA

Fiorentino

31

16.04.42

Pa' que ballen los muchachos

HA

Fiorentino

32

12.06.42

Fueye

HA

Fiorentino

33

12.06.42

Un placer

34

12.06.42

Colorao, colorao

HA

Fiorentino

35

15.06.42

Soy un muchacho de la guardia

HA

Fiorentino

36

15.06.42

Suerte loca

HA

Fiorentino

37

15.06.42

milonga

vals

Los mareados

HA

Fiorentino

38 23.07.42

Acordändome de vos

HA

Fiorentino

39 23.07.42

La tablada

HA

40 01.09.42

Lejos de Buenos Aires

HA

41 01.09.42

El encopao

HA

Fiorentino

42

10.09.42

Pedadto de delo

HA

Fiorentino

43

18.09.42

Trlstezas de la calle Corrientes

HA

Fiorentino

44

18.09.42

No te apures carablanca

HA

Fiorentino

vals

Fiorentino vals

45 09.10.42

Ficha de oro

HA

46 09.10.42 47 22.10.42

La maleva El chupete

HA

Florentlno

48 22.10.42

De pura cepa

HA

49 30.10.42

Gricel

HA

50 14.12.42 51 14.12.42

Barrio de tango

HA

Pa' que seguir

HA

Fiorentino

52 14.12.42

Por las caHes de la vida

HA

HA milonga Fiorentino Florentlno

53 29.12.42

Buenos Aires

HA

Florentlno Fiorentino

54 11.03.43

Corazon... no le hagas caso

HA

Florentlno

55 11.03.43

Margarita Gauthier

HA

Fiorentino

56 25.03.43

Perea 1

HA

Florentlno

57 25.03.43

Valsecito amigo

HA

Fiorentino

58 05.04.43

Tango y copas

HA

Marino

59 05.04.43

Cada vez que me recuerdes

HA

60 27.04.43

Cuando tallan los recuerdos

61 27.04.43

Soy del 90

HA

Inspiration

AP

63 03.05.43

Ropa blanca Soy un porteno

vals

Fiorentino Marino

62 03.05.43 64 03.05.43

milonga

HA

Fiorentino Marino

milonga

Florentlno

milonga

65 02.06.43

De barro

HA

Fiorentino

66 02.06.43

Farolito de papel

AP

Marino

67 30.06.43

Uno

AP

68 04.08.43

Sonar y nada mas

Marino Fiorentino Marino Marino

69 04.08.43

Tal vez sera su voz

70 04.08.43

Gama

HA

71 04.08.43

El distinguido ciudadano

AP

vals

Fiorentino

In August 1943 Orlando Goni was dismissed by Troilo along with Hugo Baralis.

72 30.09.43

Cantando se van las penas

73 30.09.43

Farol

74 20.10.43

Umguaya

75 20.10.43

Glme el viento

76 20.10.43 77 05.11.43

Pablo

78 05.11.43

Sosiego en la noche

79 05.11.43

A bailar

80 05.11.43

La cumparsita

Marino HA

Florentino Fiorentlno Marino

HA

Florentino

HA

Florentino

El barrio del tambor

Marino

milonga

Fiorentino AP

81

17.12.43

Orquestas de mi ciudad

HA

Fiorentino

82

17.12.43

La luz de un fösforo

AP

Marino

83

17.12.43

Cada dia te extrano mas

HA

84 03.03.44

vals

Despu£s

Fiorentino Marino

85 03.03.44

Chique (El elegante)

AP

86 03.03.44

Tabaco

HA

87 03.03.44

El desafio

HA

Fiorentino Fiorentino -

milonga

Marino 88 30.03.44

Tem blando

HA

89 30.03.44

Bien porteno

AP

90 30.03.44

Sombras... nada mäs

91

11.04.44

Piropos

92

Florentino Marino

AG

11.04.44

Tres amigos

93 07.06.44

Siga el corso

Marino

94 07.06.44

Crtstal

Marino

Marino

95

27.06.44

Naipe

96

27.06.44

La vi llegar

AG

97

27.06.44

El entrerriano

AP

98 01.08.44

Rosa de tango

99 01.08.44

Me estan sobrando las penas

Marino Marino Marino AG

Marino

100 31.08.44

Alhucema

101

Nada mäs que un corazon

Marino

102 27.09.44

Con permiso!

Marino

103 27.09.44

Quejas de bandoneon

104 06.10.44

Torrente

105 06.10.44

Marloneta

AG

Ruiz

106 23.11.44

Naranjo en flor

AG

Ruiz

31.08.44

vals

Marino milonga

AP Marino

107 23.11.44

Palomita blanca

AG

Marino-Ruiz

108

19.12.44

Copas, amlgas y besos

AP

Marino

109

19.12.44

Milonga en rojo

110

19.12.44

Caf0 de Los Angelitos

HA

Marino

111

19.12.44

Marino-Ruiz

Luna llena

HA

Ruiz

112 28.02.45

Garras

HA

Marino

113 28.02.45

Yuyo verde

HA

Ruiz

114 27.03.45

Equlpaje

HA

Ruiz

115 27.03.45

Ya estamos iguales

Marino

vals milonga

116 27.03.45

118 29.05.45

La embrlaguez del tango (La borrachera del tango) Me quede mirändola Fuegos artificlales

119 29.05.45

Juan Tango

HA

Ruiz

120 05.06.45 121 05.06.45

La noche que te fulste

HA

Ruiz

Cimarron de ausenda

Marino-Ruiz

122 28.06.45

Cotorrita de la suerte

Marino Marino

117 27.03.45

HA

Ruiz Marino

HA

123 28.06.45

Soledad... la de Barracas

124 10.08.45

Fruta amarga

AG

Marino

125 10.08.45 126 09.10.45

Lloraras, lloraras Maria

HA

Marino

127 09.10.45

Amor y tango

HA? Ruiz

128 09.10.45

Cancion desesperada

129 25.10.45

Color de rosa

130 15.11.45

Adios pampa mia

131

15.11.45

El africano

132 18.12.45

Margo

133 18.12.45

Tedio

134 23.01.46

Mis amigos de ayer

Ruiz

Marino Marino-Ruiz AP Marino Marino HA

Ruiz Marino

Principe

136 12.03.46 137 22.03.46

Recuerdos de bohemia

AG

Milonga triste

AG

138 22.03.46

Bandita de mi pueblo

139 10.04.46

Fuimos

140 10.04.46

Bienvenida

AG

Tres y dos

AG

14.05.46

Marino Marino Marino

Con mi perro

143

En came propia

HA

Marino

Marino

144 14.05.46

Tarde gris

HA

Ruiz

145 14.05.46

Camino del Tucuman

HA

Marino-Ruiz

146 11.07.46 147 11.07.46

Buen amigo

AG

Rosider

Marino

148 11.07.46

Qu£ me van a hablar de amor

Ruiz

149 25.09.46

Solo se quiere una vez

150 25.09.46

Asi es ηΐήόη

HA

milonga

Ruiz Marino

151 22.10.46

Sin palabras

152 22.10.46

La revancha

153 28.11.46

Mi tango triste

154 28.11.46 155 29.04.47

Mientras gime el bandoneon

HA

Ruiz

Yira... yira Confeslon

HA

Ruiz

157 29.04.47

Flor de lino

HA

158 29.04.47

El mllagro

Rivero

159 29.04.47

Carnaval

Rivero

156 29.04.47

milonga

Ruiz

142 14.05.46 14.05.46

vals

HA

135 23.01.46

141

milonga

Marino AG Marino Rivero Ruiz

vals

Pianist Jose Basso left Troilo in 1947 to start his own orchestra. The transition to Carlos Figari is seamless, not so surprising when we

consider that the pianist is now playing entirely from arrangements, rather than improvising. Piano: Carlos Figari 160 04.07.47 161 04.07.47

Y dlcen que no te quiero

Ruiz

El morocho y el oriental [Gardel - Razzano]

Rivero/Ruiz

162 04.07.47

Tu palldo final

163

19.08.47

Romance de barrio

164

19.08.47

Yo te bendlgo

Rivero AG

Ruiz

165 07.10.47

Los ejes de mi carreta Y la perdi

HA HA

Rivero

167 24.10.47

Corazon de papel Tapera

169 23.02.48

Sur

AG

Rivero

170 23.02.48

De todo te olvidas [Cabeza de novia]

AG

Ruiz

Ruiz Rivero

Rivero

Tu perro pekines

172 28.02.48

Desvelo

HA?

Ruiz

IS

Rivero

173 08.07.48

Cafetin de Buenos Aires

174 08.07.48

Lagrimitas de mi corazön

175 01.10.48

OJos negros

milonga

Ruiz

168 24.10.47

28.02.48

vals

Rivero

166 07.10.47

171

milonga

Ruiz/Rivero

vals

IS?

176 01.10.48

Com o tii

177 30.03.49

Una lagrima tuya

EB

178 30.03.49

Pat&ico

IS

Rivero Rivero/Calderon

179 31.03.49

A unos oJos

EB

Rivero/Calderon

180 31.03.49

Ei Liltimo organito

EB

Rivero

181 31.03.49

Cuando volveras

AP

182 31.03.49

Milonga en negro

183 30.06.49

Mi noche triste

IS

184 30.06.49

A la parrilla

IS

185 22.07.49

La mariposa

186 22.07.49

Seleccion de tangos de Julio de Caro

Calderon Rivero

milonga

Rivero Rivero

AG

187 20.10.49

Mirinaque

188 20.10.49

La vlajera perdida

IS

Rivero

189 26.10.49

Y volvemos a querernos

AP

Calderon

190 26.10.49

Tu

Rivero/Calderon

milonga

Rivero

In 1950 Troilo switched to the new Argentine label TK, whose re­ cordings had a poor fidelity as discussed in Chaper 26. TK did not document the dates of the recording sessions, only the years. Some were reported at the time. The remainder have been identified by

various researchers, but some doubt about them must remain. The second recording of R e s p o n s o is particularly uncertain as, whilst it is believed to have been recorded in 1952-53, it was not released until 1954. TK’s technolog)' was never as good as that of Odeon or RCA-Victor, and they struggled valiandy to improve. An improve­ ment in technolog)' would be a reason for a second recording of R esp o n s o , which was Troilo’s favourite instrumental tango. It was released together with E l en trerria n o , E l m o n ito and S e le c c io n d e ta n g o s d e F r a n cisco C anaro on an EP (54/001) —when this latter selection was first printed, it was too long to fit on the record, and so had to be cut down116. 191 24.11.50

Para lucirse

192 24.11.50

Che bandoneön

AP

193 19.02.51

Mi vieja viola

Jorge Casal

194 19.02.51

Tata no quiere

Aldo Calderon

195 21.03.51

Preparense

196 21.03.51

El patio de la morocha

197 18.04.51

La trampera

198 18.04.51

N.P. (No place)

Jorge Casal

Jorge Casal milonga Raul Berön

199 29.05.51

Discepolin

AP

200 29.05.51

Responso

AP

201 26.06.51

De vuelta al bulin

IS

202 26.06.51

Bien milonga

IS

203 30.07.51

La cumparsita

AP

204 30.07.51

Un momenta

205 30.07.51

Inspiration

AP

206 30.07.51

La violeta

AP

207 30.07.51

Tanguango

AP

208 20.03.52

Buenos Aires

209 20.03.52

Contratiempo

210 28.03.52

Cualquier cosa

211 28.03.52

Quejas de bandoneön

212 28.03.52

Amigazo

213 28.03.52

El Marne

214 08.05.52

Tedeando

Raul Berön

nuevo ritmo Jorge Casal Raul Berön

AP Jorge Casal AP

Medianoche Cenizas

AP

217 14.05.52

Uno

AP

218 05.06.52

Flor campera

Raul Berön Jorge Casal Jorge Casal

p l0 2

vals

Jorge Casal

AP

216 14.05.52

Informe sobre Troilo,

Raul Berön

Raul Berön

215 08.05.52

116 Federico Silva,

milonga

AP

219 05.06.52

Chlquö

220 07.08.52

Fuegos artifldales

221

07.08.52

Ventanita de arrabal

222

18.08.52

Selection de temas de

223

18.08.52

Francisco Canaro Malena

224

18.08.52

El entrerriano

225

18.08.52

El choclo

226

18.08.52

Orlando Goni

AP

Jorge Casal AG Raul Berön AP Raul Beron IS

227

11.09.52

Barrio viejo del 80

Jorge Casal

228

11.09.52

Del suburbio

Jorge Casal

229

11.09.52

230 23.11.52

Mano brava

milonga

Araca corazön

Jorge Casal

231

12.12.52

Inspiraciön

232

12.12.52

La mentirosa

233

12.12.52

La cumparsita

AP

Trlunfal

AP

234 23.03.53 235

23.03.53

236 23.03.53

AP Jorge Casal

Vuelve la serenata

AP

Casal - Beron

Mensa je

AP

Raul Beron

AP

237

23.03.53

El monlto

238

1953?

Responso

AP

239

19.05.53

Una cancion

AP

240 28.07.53

Ojos negros

IS

241

22.09.53

242 22.09.53 243

12.02.54

Patio mio

AP

Jorge Casal

AP

Casal - Berön

Carmin

12.02.54

Don Juan

IS

28.02.54

Contrabajeando

AP

246 28.02.54

El polio Ricardo

AP

247

De muy adentro

HA

Corrientes angosta

249 29.04.54

La cantina

Raul Berön AP

Jorge Casal

250 29.04.54

P e ro y o sö

Raul Berön

251

Un tango para Esthercita

Raul Beron

27.08.54

milonga

Jorge Casal

245

248 24.04.54

vals

Jorge Casal

Milonga del mayoral

244

24.04.54

milonga

Piano: Osvaldo Manzi 252 06.09.54

Los cosos de al lao

253 06.09.54

La chiflada

254 06.09.54

Taquito mllitar

IS

255 07.07.55

El irresistible

RP

256 07.07.55

Recordändote

RP

257

14.07.55

Intermezzo

OF

258

14.07.55

El cantor de Buenos Aires

RP

259

13.09.55

Ivette

260

13.09.55

A fuego lento

Jorge Casal milonga

Carlos Olm edo

Carlos Olm edo Raul Berön

HS*

261

18.07.56

262 18.07.56

Color de rosa

HA

Quiin?

RP

263 08.08.56

La tiltima curda

AG

264 08.08.56

Sur

AG

Angel Cärdenas Edmundo Rivero Edmundo Rivero

265 10.08.56

Viejo Baldio

266 10.08.56

Corralera

267 07.09.56

Bandoneon arrabalero

Goyeneche

268 07.09.56

Chuzas

Angel Cärdenas

269 07.09.56

Calla

Goyeneche

270 07.09.56

Pablo

Pablo Lozano IS

271 02.11.56

Vamos, vamos zaino viejo

RP

272 02.11.56

Fraternal

IS

milonga

Angel Cardenas

273 09.11.56

Callejön

AG

Angel Cardenas

274 09.11.56

Milonga que pelna canas

IS

Goyeneche

275 09.11.56

Cantor de mi barrio

276 09.11.56

Que risa!

IS

Angel Cärdenas

Goyeneche

* Troilo was so impressed by Salgan’s own arrangement of A fu e g o len to that he asked Salgan for his arrangement, which he then retouched. For the tango Q uien?, the date would suggest that Pablo Lozano was the singer. However this date refers to when the orchestra track was laid down. When the time came to record the vocal, Lozano had left to be replaced by Angel Cardenas.

Cuarteto Troilo-Grela - first period (1953-55) The quartet has no arranger; the music is played “a la parilla”, as in f o r m e r tim es. 277 08.05.53

La cachila

278 08.05.53

Palomita blanca

279

18.12.53

A Pedro Maffia

280 18.12.53

Sobre el pucho

281 28.02.54

Diablito

282 28.02.54

Un placer

283 21.04.55

La cumparsita

284 21.04.55

Nunca tuvo novio

285 15.06.55

Ml refugio

286 15.06.55

A la guardia vieja

287 16.09.55

El abrojito

288 16.09.55

Taconenado

Troilo switched back to Odeon in 1957 Inspiracion

AP

10.07.57

La flor de la canela

AG JP

289 25.09.57 290 291

10.07.57

Te llaman malevo

292

10.07.57

Lo que vos te mereces

293

10.07.57

Retirao

Goyeneche Cärdenas Cärdenas Goyeneche

Piano: Osvaldo Berlingieri Berlingieri joined Troilo’s orchestra on 24th September 1957, re­ maining until May 1968. The participation of Berlingieri marks a decisive change in the style of the orchestra, wiiich breaks defini­ tively with the style of Goni. 294 24.09.57 295

24.09.57

296 25.09.57

Lo que vendrä

AP

Pa1 lo que te va a durar

Goyeneche

La ijltlma

IS

297 06.05.58

La bordona

EB

298 06.05.58

La calesita

Cardenas

Goyeneche Cärdenas

15.12.58

Danzarin

JP

300

15.12.58

Yo tengo un pecado nuevo

ER

301

15.12.58

Un boliche

Goyeneche

302

15.12.58

La vuelta del montonero (Gloria a Entre Rios)

Cärdenas

299

Cärdenas

303

16.12.58

El metejon

304

16.12.58

Que me Importa tu pasado

ER

Cärdenas

305

16.12.58

Malon de ausencia

JP

Goyeneche Cardenas

306

16.12.58

Quejas de bandoneön

AP

307 23.12.58

Barrio pobre

308 23.12.58

Aquel tapado de armlfio

309

23.12.58

Goyeneche

Cärdenas

Goyeneche

Ni mäs, nl menos

Cardenas

Aguantate, Casimlro

JP

311

San Pedro y San Pablo

IS

04.06.59

Marinera

malambo

Goyeneche AG

310 23.12.58 312 04.06.59

milonga

Goyeneche Cärdenas

milonga

Troilo returned to RCA-Victor in 1960, remaining with them for the rest o f his life. Melancolico

JP

314 18.08.61

Nocturna

JP

315 18.08.61

A Homero

JP

316 18.08.61

El motive

313

18.08.61

18.08.61

Mi luna

318 22.08.61

Tlerrlta

317

Goyeneche Goyeneche Goyeneche

AC

319 09.01.62

Gama

320 09.01.62

Y a m ique

JP

Elba Berön

321 09.01.62

Desencuentro

JP

Elba Beron

322 09.01.62

Cachirliando

Elba Berön

323 09.01.62

Coplas

Goyeneche/ Elba Berön

324 09.01.62

La bordona

Goyeneche

milonga

EB

Cuarteto Troilo - Grela 1962 325 21.08.62

Madame Ivonne

326 21.08.62

La trampera

327 21.08.62

Mi noche triste

328 21.08.62

La tablada

329 27.08.62

Silbando

330 27.08.62

La maleva

331 27.08.62

Ivette

332 13.09.62

Pa' que ballen los muchachos

333

13.09.62

334 03.12.62

milonga

Maipo Nunca tuvo novio

Orchestra (piano: Osvaldo Berlingieri) 335

04.63

Lo que vendra

AP

336

04.63

Recordando a Dlscöpolo

JP

337

04.63

Responso

AP

338

04.63

Tierrlta

AC

339

04.63

La cumparsita

AP

340

04.63

A mis viejos

JP

341

04.63

Melancolico

JP

342

04.63

Nocturna

JP

343

04.63

La bordona

EB

344

04.63

B.B.

RP

345

04.63

Nostalgico

JP

346

04.63

Danzarin

JP

Frente al mar

JP

347 23.04.63

Rufino

348 23.04.63

A mi no hablen de tango

349 24.04.63

Ninguna

JP

Rufino

350 24.04.63

C6m o se pianta la vida

JP

Goyeneche

351 07.05.63

La ultima curda

AG

Goyeneche

352 07.05.63

Maria

Goyeneche

Rufino

353

14.05.63

Quien Io habria de pensar

Rufino

354

14.05.63

Quiero huir de mi

Goyeneche/ Rufino Goyeneche

355 05.06.63

Tam ar (Marta)

356 05.06.63

Porqu£ la qulse tanto

Rufino

357 05.06.63

El metejon

Goyeneche

358 05.06.63

Desencuentro

JP

Mi viejo reloj

AP

359

11.06.63

vals

Rufino

359/1

11.06.63

Mi viejo reloj

AP

360

11.06.63

San Pedro y San Pablo

IS

Goyeneche

361

18.06.63

Am ores de estudiante

362

18.06.63

Pa* que ballen los mucha-

HS

Goyeneche

Rufino

vals

chos 363 03.02.64

Barrio de tango

JP

Nelly Vazquez

364 03.02.64

Madreselva

JP

Nelly Vbzquez

365 03.02.64

Mi vieja viola

Tito Reyes

366 03.02.64

Las carretas

Tito Reyes

367

22.12.64

Yo soy del 30

JP

Tito Reyes

368 22.12.64

Q ue falta que me hac£s

369 04.01.65

Patio mio

370 07.01.65

Dicha pasada

371 04.01.65

Mensa je

AP

372 07.01.65

Mi viejo reloj

AP

373 07.01.65

Q ued& nonos aqui

374

13.01.65

Siga el corso

Roberto Rufino

375

13.01.65

Los cosas de al lao

Tito Reyes

Roberto Rufino AP

Roberto Rufino

Nelly Väzquez

376

13.01.65

Milonguita

HS

377

13.01.65

Morena

JP

378

19.01.65

Milonguero triste

JP

379

19.01.65

Orlando Goni

JP

380 24.09.65

Canciön de Ave Maria

IS

381

Ventanita de arrabal

24.09.65

Nelly Väzquez Tito Reyes

Nelly Vazquez milonga

Nelly Väzquez

382 01.10.65

Golondrlnas

Nelly Vazquez

383 01.10.65

Decime adios... donde estas

Tito Reyes

384 01.10.65

Tu vuetta

385 01.10.65

Te llaman malevo

386

12.11.65

Ml viejo el remendbn

Tito Reyes

387

12.11.65

El conventillo

Tito Reyes

388

12.11.65

Slempre no

Nelly Väzquez

389

12.11.65

Transnoche de ilusion

390 25.11.65

Racconto

candon

Tito Reyes

Nelly Vazquez JP

Nelly Väzquez CG

milonga

Tito Reyes

Nelly Väzquez

milonga

391 25.11.65

Che bandoneon

392 10.12.65

Alma de bohemio

Nelly Väzquez

393 10.12.65

Las arrugas de mi frente

Tito Reyes

394 16.12.65

Aqui nomäs

Tito Reyes

395 16.12.65

El motivo

Tito Reyes

396 23.12.65

Un tango para el recuerdo

Tito Reyes

Tito Reyes

397 23.12.65

Galleguita

Nelly Väzquez

398 30.12.65

Buenos Aires

Tito Reyes

399 30.12.65

Vais del jamas

400 01.04.66

Chumbicha

401 01.04.66

Sombras nada mas

Nelly Väzquez

402 13.04.66

El ultimo guapo

Tito Reyes

Yo no merezco este castlgo

Nelly Väzquez

403

13.04.66

404 13.04.66

Nelly Väzquez

Compadrita mia

milonga

405

13.04.66

Pichuqueando

JP

406

18.04.66

Payadora

JP

407

18.04.66

Buenos Aires - Tokio

JP

408

18.04.66

Dale tango Bailarin compadrito

410 06.12.66

Adios non 1no

AP

411 06.12.66

Selection de tangos de Julio de Caro Recuerdo

AG

413

10.08.67

414 10.08.67 415

10.08.67

RG AP

Mas alia bandoneon

RG

417 20.09.67

Color tango

418 18.10.67

Don Juan

419

18.10.67

JP

Verano porteho Tema otonal

420 29.11.67

Tito Reyes

Los mareados

416 20.09.67

El africano

milonga Tito Reyes

409 06.12.66

412 10.08.67

vals

EB

JP AP

De puro guapo

421 29.11.67

El Marne

422 06.12.67

El irresistible

RP

423 06.12.67

Selection de tangos de Arolas

AG

AP

Alm a id e b oh em io (#392) and Las arrugas d e m ifr en te (#393) were recorded as instrumental playbacks. The vocal parts were laid down on 16/12/65.

Colangelo, Troilo’s last pianist, entered the orchestra in November 1968. He was thus also part of the Cuarteto Anibal Troilo for its final recording session on 30th July 1969, but not for its earlier tracks. Also in this period we find two bandoneon duos with Piazzolla. 424 28.11.68 425

28.11.68

426 28.11.68

APo

Palermo en octubre

APo

Goyeneche

Nuestro Buenos Aires

APo

Goyeneche

Goyeneche

Cielo de cometas

APo

Goyeneche

428 04.12.68

Senorita Maria

APo

Goyeneche

429 04.12.68

Tanguihlstoria

APo

Goyeneche

430 04.12.68

Romance de la ciudad

APo

Goyeneche

427

28.11.68

Apenas Marielena

04.12.68

Otra vez Esthercita

APo

Goyeneche

432 04.12.68

Tango del colectivo

APo

Goyeneche

431

La esquina cualqulera

APo

Goyeneche

434 06.12.68

Para poder volver

APo

Goyeneche

435 06.12.68

Am anece

APo

Goyeneche

436 30.07.69

Milonga de la parda

RG

Tito Reyes

milonga

437 30.07.69

El ultimo farol

RG

438

12.08.69

Che Buenos Aires

RG

439

12.08.69

La trilla

RG

440

12.09.69

El baqueano

RG

Tito Reyes

milonga

Tito Reyes

milonga

433

04.12.68

441

12.09.69

Pico bianco

RG

442

10.10.69

Tallador

RG

443

10.10.69

La milonga y yo

444

14.04.70

Mananitas de Montmartre

milonga

RG

445

14.04.70

Entre suenos

RG

446

14.04.70

Naipe marcado

RG

447

14.04.70

Milonga del corralön

RG

448

13.08.70

El motlvo

duo Troilo - Piazzolla

449

13.08.70

Volver

duo Troilo - Piazzolla

450

14.09.70

Nobleza de arrabal

RG

451

14.09.70

Fechoria

RG

452

14.09.70

La racha

RG

453

14.09.70

454 28.09.70 455

28.09.70

456 23.11.70

Bandola triste

RG

Adiös Bardi

RG

Plropos

RG

Mllon tango

JP

milonga

milonga

457 23.11.70

Tinta verde

RG

458 21.11.70

Pa' que ballen los muchachos

RG*

459 21.11.70

Ojos negros

RG*

460 28.12.70

Ml refuglo

RG

461 28.12.70

Tomando color

RP

462 26.04.71

Tinta roja

RG

463 26.04.71

Sur

AG

Goyeneche

464 24.04.71

El bulin de la calle Ayacucho

RG

Goyeneche

465 24.04.71

Toda mi vida

RG

Goyeneche

466 06.05.71

Fueye

RG

Goyeneche

Goyeneche

467 06.05.71

Barrio de tango

RG

Goyeneche

468 06.05.71

En esta tarde gris

RG

Goyeneche

469 06.05.71

Una cancion

AP

Goyeneche

470 24.06.71

Trenzas

RG

Goyeneche

AP

Goyeneche

471 24.06.71

Fogon de huella

472 24.06.71

La violeta

473 24.06.71

Corazon de papel

Goyeneche Goyeneche

+For these two works, Garello retouched earlier arrangements.

Cuarteto Anibal Troilo 474 05.06.68

Toda ml vida

475 05.06.68

Pablo

476 05.06.68

Del barrio de la latas

477 05.06.68

La tablada

478 30.08.68

Nocturno a mi barrio

479

11.09.68

La cumparsita

480

11.09.68

Los mareados

481

11.09.68

A Pedro Maffia

482

11.09.68

Sobre el pucho

483 30.07.69

La ultima curda

484 30.07.69

Milonguero triste

485 30.07.69

La trampera

Troilo

milonga

The guitarist in the Cuarteto Anibal Troilo was Ubaldo De Lio, with Rafael Del Bagno on double bass. This quartet also had singers for its live performances (there’s a video with Goveneche singing E l m o tiv o ) but none of the vocal numbers were recorded.

Appendix C: Orchestra formations 1937 Piano: Orlando Goiii Bass: Juan Fassio Bandoneons (3): Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Roberto Gianatelli Violins (3): Reynaldo Nichele,Jose Stilman, Pedro Sapochnik Singer: Fiorentino In the bandoneons, Gianatelli was replaced by Eduardo Marino, and Nichele (who would later return to the orchestra) by Hugo Baralis, with Stilman becoming first violin. 1938 Orlando Goni Piano: Kicho Diaz Bass: Bandoneons (3) Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino David Diaz, Hugo Baralis, Pedro Sapochnik Violins (3): Singer: Fiorentino 1939 Piano: Orlando Goni Bass: Kicho Diaz Bandoneons (3): Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino Violins (3): David Diaz, HugoBaralis, Pedro Sapochnik Singer: Fiorentino

1940-1942 Piano: Orlando Goni Bass: Kicho Diaz Bandoneons (5): Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino, Astor Piazzolla, Marcos Troilo Violins (4): David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Hugo Baralis, Pe­ dro Sapochnik Singers: Fiorendno, Amadeo Mandarino (40-41) Piazzolla joined in December 1939 and stayed until July 1944. For a few months in early 1940, possibly because of illness, Fiorentino was replaced by Alfredo Palacios. 1943 Piano:

Orlando Goni (replaced by Jose Basso in Septem­ ber) Bass: Kicho Diaz Bandoneons (5): Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino, Astor Piazzolla, Marcos Troilo Violins (4): David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Hugo Baralis (re­ placed by Juan Alzina), Pedro Sapochnik Cello: Alfredo Citro Singers: Fiorendno, Alberto Marino A cellist, Alfredo Citro, was incorporated into the band in December 1942. Marino’s debut was on 5th April 1943. The last recording session of Orlando Goni (and Hugo Baralis) was 4th August 1943.

1944 Jose Basso Piano: Kicho Diaz Bass: Bandoneons: Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino, Astor Piazzoila (replaced by Alberto Garcia), Marcos Troilo David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Juan Alzina, Pedro Violins: Sapochnik Alfredo Citro Cello: Fiorentino (until May - replaced by Floreal Ruiz in Singers: September), Alberto Marino Piazzolla’s replacement, Alberto “Pajarito” Garcia, stayed with Troilo until 1963. He was an important figure in the orchestra, as he so assimilated Troilo’s style that he could substitute for him when he was unable to play: one source suggests that he is playing on the 1958 recording of La b o r d o n a u l . After he left, this role was ful­ filled by Ernesto Baffa. 1945 -1 9 4 6 Piano: Jose Basso Kicho Diaz Bass: Bandoneons: Troilo, Toto Rodriguez, Eduardo Marino, Alberto Garcia, Marcos Troilo Violins: David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Juan Alzina, Nicolas Albero Cello: Alfredo Citro Singers: Alberto Marino, Floreal Ruiz In 1945, Pedro Sapochnik, one of the original lineup of 1945, was replaced by Nicolas Albero who stayed with Troilo for 13 years.17

117 Notes in the booklet o f EBCD-305. I've not been able to co rro b o rate this.

1947 Jose Basso (replaced by Carlos Figari) Piano: Kicho Diaz Bass: Bandoneons: Troilo, Toto Rodriguez (replaced by Domingo Mattio), Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Marcos Troilo David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Violins: Alfredo Citro Cello: Simon Zlotnik Viola: Alberto Marino (replaced by Edmundo Rivero in Singers: April), Floreal Ruiz Apart from the change in the singers, there were some important changes in the lineup of the orchestra 1947. As well as the addition of the viola, the departure of Toto Rodriguez is significant, because it meant that, apart naturally from Troilo himself, none of the origi­ nal 1937 lineup now remained in the orchestra. 1948 Piano: Carlos Figari Kicho Diaz Bass: Bandoneons: Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Marcos Troilo David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Violins: Alfredo Citro Cello: Viola: Simon Zlotnik Floreal Ruiz, Edmundo Rivero Singers: 1949 Piano: Carlos Figari Bass: Kicho Diaz Bandoneons: Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Marcos Troilo (replaced by Fernando Tell). David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Violins: Cello: Alfredo Citro Viola: Simon Zlotnik Singers: Edmundo Rivero, Aldo Calderon

1950

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Carlos Figari Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Alfredo Citro Simon Zlotnik Edmundo Rivero (replaced by Jorge Casal), Aldo Calderon

1951

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Carlos Figari Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Alfredo Citro Simon Zlotnik (replaced by Cayetano Gianna) J orge Casal, Aldo Calderon (replaced by Radi Beron)

1952-53

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Carlos Figari Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Alfredo Citro Gianna Jorge Casal and Raul Beron

1954

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Carlos Figari (replaced by Osvaldo Manzi) Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Teil. David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele, Alzina, Albero Alfredo Citro Gianna Jorge Casal and Raul Beron

1955

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Manzi Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Reynaldo Nichele (replaced by Carmelo Cavallaro), Alzina, Albero Alfredo Citro (replaced upon his death by Adriano Fanelli) Cayetano Gianna Raul Beron and Carlos Olmedo

1956

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Manzi Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Alzina, Albero, Cavallaro Fanelli Gianna Raul Beron and Pablo Lozano (replaced by Roberto Goyeneche and Angel Cardenas)

1957

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Manzi (replaced by Osvaldo Berlingieri) Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Teil. David Diaz, Alzina, Albero (replaced by Jose Votti), Cavallaro Fanelü Gianna Roberto Goyeneche and Angel Cardenas

1958

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Berlingieri Kicho Diaz Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell. David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Cavallaro (replaced by Carlos Piccone) Fanelli Gianna Roberto Goyeneche and Angel Cardenas

1959

Piano: Osvaldo Berlingieri Bass: Kicho Diaz (replaced by Alcides Rossi) Bandoneons: Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Tell (re­ placed by Ernesto Baffa) Violins: David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Piccone Cello: Fanelli (replaced by Jose Bragato) Viola: Gianna Singers: Roberto Goyeneche and Angel Cardenas

1960

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Berlingieri Alcides Rossi Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Baffa David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Piccone Bragato (replaced by Fanelli) Sammartino (replaced by Gianna) Roberto Goyeneche and Angel Cardenas (replaced briefly by Jorge Casal and then by Elba Beron)

1961

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Berlingieri Alcides Rossi (replaced by Eugenio Pro) Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Garcia, Baffa David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Piccone Fanelli Gianna Roberto Goyeneche and Elba Beron

Alcides Rossi was in the orchestra for only one year. He left Troilo to replace his father, upon his death, in the orchestra of Osvaldo Pugliese. 1962

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Berlingieri Rafael Del Bagno Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Baffa David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Piccone Fanelli Gianna Roberto Goyeneche and Elba Beron

With the departure of Alfredo “Pajarito” Garcia, Ernesto Baffa becomes the man who substitutes for Troilo, something that hap­ pens much more now than in former times. For instance, he plays

first bandoneon on the entire “Troilo for Export” album. When he leaves in 1968, Fernando Tell assumes this role. 1963

Piano: Bass: Bandoneons: Violins: Cello: Viola: Singers:

Osvaldo Berlingieri Rafael Del Bagno Troilo, Mattio, Eduardo Marino, Baffa, Raul Garello David Diaz, Alzina, Votti, Piccone Fanelli Gianna Roberto Goyeneche and Roberto Rufino

Federico Silva comments that, after 1963, we can’t really speak of the regular formation of the orchestra as it met mosdy for recordings. Those wishing to know more about the makeup of the orchestra in its final years can consult the works of Silva or Oscar del Priore. There’s an extract from his work on todotango.118

118 http://www.todotango.com /Historias/Historia.aspx?id=444

Bibliography There is an extensive quantity of books and articles about Troilo in Spanish - all of it published in Argentina, and most of it out of print. • Luis Alposta: Todo Rivero, 2nd ed, Corregidor 2010, paperback, 144pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1912-0 • Maria Susana Azzi & Simon Collier: Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of AstorPiasgolla, OUP USA 18 May 2000, hardback, 344pp. ISBN: 978-0195127775 • Hector Angel Benedetti, “Las mejores letras de tango”, 5th edi­ tion, Booket, 2012, 614pp. ISBN: 978-9875805149 • Pedro Colombo & Perla Lorenzo de Rufino: Roberto Rufino, Corregidor 2010, paperback, 320pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1860-4 • Arturo Dorner Linne, A nibal Troilo: Perfilj discografia, Ediciones El Tranvia, Montevideo, 2004, 121pp. • Horacio Ferrer: LI libro del tango, Galerma, 1977, 3 volumes. • Horacio Ferrer, LI gran Troilo, paperback 414pp with 2 CDs. Reprint edition, JVE Ediciones, 1st July 2014. ISBN: 978-9879203-80-4 This book is a transcription of Horacio Ferrer’s radio shows about Troilo, which explains its format of 100 short chapters. It contains an album of 120 photographs, many from Ferrer’s personal collection. The CDs contain some rarities, such as a live recording of Ε ΙΙΙοτόη from around 1941 and the VardaroPugliese T igre v ie jo on CD1 (‘Pichuco Vive’). Ferrer’s analysis of some of the bands arrangements on CD2 (‘Antologia Troiliana’) is intelligent and stimulating. This book was originally published privately with the ISBN: 978-987-23572-1-4. The content of the two editions is the same. • Jorge Finkielman : The Film Industry in Argentina, McFarland 2003, 278pp. ISBN: 978-078641628-8 • Rafael Flores Montenegro, Amor en el Tango: Gricel-Jose Maria Conturri, Ediciones Deldragon 2005, 82pp. ISBN: 950-915-19-9

• Francisco Garcia Jimenez, A si nacieron los tangos, 2nd ed, Corregidor 2011, 272pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1055-4 • Maria Esther Gilio: A ntbal Troilo - Pichuco: Comvrsaciones, Perfil 1998, paperback, 153pp. ISBN: 978-950-6391638 In 1967, the journalist Maria Esther Gilio was granted a series of three meetings with Troilo. In the first, Troilo barely regis­ tered her presence, and in the second, although she found her­ self at a table surrounded by tango legends such as Pedro Maf­ fia, Horacio Salgan and Hector Stamponi, she shared just a few words. But in the third, Troilo sat down and spoke candidly about his life and values. A charming and valuable interview. • Natalio Gorin & Fernando Gonzalez: A stor Pia^olla: A Memoir, Amadeus 2001, paperback, 260pp. ISBN-13: 978-1574670677 •

La Historia del Tango, 23 volumes, Corregidor Volumen 15: Di Sarli - Vardaro - Gobbi - Goni, Corregidor 1994, paperback, 252pp. ISBN: 950-05-1138-X Volumen 16: Anibal Troilo, Corregidor 1994, paperback, 248pp ISBN: 950-05-120-8-4 • Michael Lavocah: Tango Stories: Musical Secrets, 2nd ed, milonga press 2014, paperback, 256pp. ISBN: 978-0-9573276-4-1 • Carlos Marin: La lida de A ntbal Troilo Pichuco \ Editorial Bonum 1974, paperback, 84pp. • Jose Maria Otero, ABC Del Tango, Corregidor 2011, paperback, 400pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1936-6 • Juan Manuel Pena Lopez, E l tango en el teatro colon, Marcelo Hector Oliveri Editor, 2006, hardback, 235pp. ISBN: 9789871282067 • Oscar del Priore: Toda mi iidayJVE Ediciones 2003, paperback, 189pp. ISBN: 978-987-92033-6-1 An accessible book which I would recommend to any Spanish speaker. • Oscar del Priore & Irene Amuchastegui: Cien Tangosfundamentales, 2nd ed, Aguilar 2008, paperback, 288pp. ISBN: 978-987-04-1123-9

Osvaldo Sanguiao: Troiloy Libreria General Tomäs Pardo, 1995, paperback, 21 lpp Federico Silva, Informe sobre Twilo, Plus-Ultra 1978, reprinted with corrections 1999, ISBN: 950-2104293 This small book is written with evident love and respect by Silva, who knew Troilo personally. Oscar Zucchi: El Tango, el Bandoneony sus Interprets volumen /K, paperback, Corregidor, 2008, ISBN: 978-950-05-1739-3.

Principal CDs consulted: • Anibal Troilo: Obra Completa en RCA, 16 CDs, 1997-2000 • Anibal Troilo: Troilo en RCA Victor Argentina, 26 CDs, 2004 • Anibal Troilo, Obra Completa 1938-1950, Volumen 1,4 CD box set, 2003 [el bandoneon EBCD-305]. • Anibal Troilo: Archivo TK, 5 CDs, Euro Records, 2006 • Anibal Troilo: ‘Ni mas, ni menos’, EMI 837425, 1996 • Anibal Troilo: From Argentina to the World, EMI 94432, 1999 • Great Bands of Tango’s Golden Age, Harlequin, 1997 • Anibal Troilo: La fonola ineditos vol.l, Fogon 2006 On mp3/FLAC: the collections of TangoTunes.

Glossary a la parilla (literally: on the grill): playing without a written arrange­ ment, but having agreed how to handle the piece during rehearsal. arrabal: the area at the outskirts or margins of the city. Authentically tanguero. bandonedn: the dark toned bisonic button accordion originating in Germany that gives tango music its characteristic sonority. bandoneonista: a player of the bandoneön. bordonas: the bass strings on the guitar bordoneo/bordonear: bass strumming candombe: the major dance and music of the black communities in Argentina and especially Uruguay. Traditionally the music was just drums and the genre has obvious African roots. canta (plural cantan): literally, sings. The Argentine way of saying, “vocals by”. cantor de orquesta: orchestra singer - the name given to the singer of a dance orchestra who is singing the full lyric, as opposed to an estnbillista. He (and it’s always a man) is identified with the 1940s. chicharra: playing on the string wrrappers on the violin to make a percussive, scratching sound. Also called lija (sandpaper). compäs: the musical beat or pulse, often compared to a heartbeat. Not the same thing as rhythm, which may be more complex. contra canto (‘singing against7): counterpoint, i.e. a second melody played against the first, not a simple harmony. estribillista: a singer of the estribillo (q.v.) or refrain singer for short.

estribillo: the refrain or chorus. fraseo (music): phrasing, to play the notes in a musical phrase not with the strict time values written on the sheet music, but more freely lätigo (music): “whip” - a sharp rising glissando (slide) on the violin. legato (music): smooth, with the adjacent notes connected together, Tango musicians tend to say ligado: linked. The opposite of staccato. letra: the lyrics lunfardo: the porteno argot with many words from European dialects. marcato: “marked”: the way of marking out the beats - for instance, in 2 (marcato en dos), in 4 (marcato en cuatro). milonga: originally: the milonga campera (q.v.) and also a place where you went to dance. Only later did this come to mean a separate dance style. milonga campera: a folk music from Argentina with a rhythm closely related to the Cuban habanera. The milonga campera was never danced, but was an important ingredient in the early tango. milonguero/milonguera: a man (milonguero) or woman (milonguera) whose life is formed around being at the milonga, someone with tango en las venas — in the blood. obbligato (music): a variation or counter melody that is so essential to the music that one is obliged to play it. Usually it’s a simple me­ lodic line that threads its way around the main melody. payada: a sung verse duel payador: a singer ofpayadas piano (music): quiedy. Written in music asp. pianissimo (musif): as quiedy as possible! Writtenpp.

pizzicato (music): plucking the strings portamento {music): sliding in pitch from one note to another portefio: an inhabitant of the port, i.e. Buenos Aires. Feminine form: porteiia. sincopa {musu): syncopation, often a shorthand for the classic behind-the-beat syncopation. staccato (music): choppy, made from short notes that have a space in between. The opposite of legato. tango-c andern: a tango meant for singing rather than for dancing. tango-milonga: originally this simply meant a tango for dancing, as opposed to tango-canmn. At the time this term was being used, back in the 1910s and 1920s, tango music was relatively undeveloped and the rhythm was basically the primitive milonga rhythm. The term has thus come to refer to tangos with the feeling of this period. vals: the Spanish word for waltz. Among tango aficionados, it’s a shorthand for tango-vals, the style of vals performed in the salons of Buenos Aires. variacion {music): a variation, normally used as the climax of the piece, much like a cadenza in classical music. This is the chance for some virtuoso playing in one of the instruments, often the bandoneon.

Index of titles A fuego lento: 122, 172 A los amigos: 26, 113 Abandono: 32 A1 cornpas del corazon: 63 A1 verla pasar: 24 Arrabal: 30 Asi me gusta a mi [m]: 80 Atenti pebeta: 113 Azabache [m]: 79, 80 Bajo el cono azul: 93 Bajo un cielo de estrellas [v]: 36 Bien porteno: 80 Boedo: 115 Buen amigo: 115 C.T.V.: 59, 77 Cachirulo: 12 Cada vez que me recuerdes: 65, 7172 Cafe de los Angelitos: 95-96 Cautivo: 52 Chique (El elegante): 17, 76, 80, 85 Chuzas: 151 Colorao, colorao: 161, 162 Comme il faut: 28, 30, 77, 146 Como dos extranos: 24 Confesion: 106-7 Con todo la voz que tengo [m]: 42 Contrabajeando: 129 Cordon de oro: 54 Corrientes y Esmeralda: 36 Cotorrita de la suerte: 91, 98-99 Cristal: 65 Cuando tallan los recuerdos: 69 De barro: 71 Del tiempo guapo [m]: 54 Despues: 84 Destellos: 113

Desvelo | De flor en flor: 111 Discepolin: 127 Don Juan: El bulin de la Calle Ayacucho: 45-46 El carrerito: 7, 35 El cuarteador: 50, 91 El disdnguido ciudadano: 80 El entrerriano: 80, 170 El irresistible: 27 El jagiiel: 54 El lloron [m]: 55, 188 El monito: 115, 170 El motivo (Pobre paica): 35, 90, 139-140, 178 El pafiuelito: 142 El patio de la morocha: 124 El tamango: 53-54 El taura: 76 En esta tarde gris: 48-49, 65, 162, 163 En mi pasado: see Los mareados Entre suenos: 27 Farol: 83 Farolito de papel: 69, 72, 80, 91, 146 Flor de lino [v]: 108 Garras: 65, 96-97 Garua: 138 Gricel: 64-67, 116 Guardia vieja: 115 Inspiracion: 17, 57, 80 La bordona: 12, 77, 181 La cachila: 131 La cantina: 122,129-130, 146, 153 La cumparsita: 17, 27, 36, 80, 84, 142 La luz de un fosforo: 80 La maleva: 12, 63

La mariposa: 2 7 , 114 La noche que te fuiste: 65, 98 La tablada: 12, 61-62 La ultima curda: 133-6, 146 La viajera perdida: 115 Lejos de Buenos Aires: 62 Lo han visto con otra: 36 Lo que vendra: 123 Loca: 31 Los dopados: 90 Los mareados (En mi pasado): 6061, 90 Mala junta: 115 Mala pinta: 115 Malena: 58, 59, 126, 146 Manoblanca: 90 Mano a mano: 90 Mano brava: 40 Maragata: 51 Maria: 99 Marioneta: 95 Media noche: 113 Melodia de arrabal: 55 Mi castigo: 59-60 Mi corazon: 134 Mi noche triste: 64 Mi regalo [m]: 76 Mi tango triste: 66, 101 Milonga de mis amores [m]: 35 Milonga en negro [m]: 104 Milongueando en el 40: 26, 38, 46, 77 N.P. (No place): 125 Naranjo en flor: 94 No se ni como ni cuando [m]: 27 Nocturno a mi barrio: 143-5, 146 Nostalgias: 24, 60, 90 Ojos negros: 122 Pa’ que seguir: 86 Pablo: 70

Palomita blanca [v]: 77, 94, 132 Pajaro ciego: 44-45, 161, 163 Para lucirse: 123 Patio mio: 124 Percal: 71 Piropos: 90-91 Preparense: 123 Pobre mi madre querida [v]: 96 Quejas de bandoneon: 21, 80, 92, 122, 153 Quiero verte una vez mas: 24, 65 Recuerdo: 55 Recuerdos de bohemia: 79, 100-101, 146 Responso: 122, 126-7, 146, 170 Retirao: 54 Rhapsody in Blue: 32 Romance de barrio: 7 7 , 108, 126 Ronda de ases: 80 Sabado ingles: 151 Seleccion de tangos de Julio De Caro: 7 9 , 114-5 Seleccion de tangos de Francisco Canaro: 170 Sencillo y compadre: 54 Siga el corso: 91, 92 Silencio: 118 Sobre el pucho: 7 Sombras nada mas: 65, 66, 162 Sosiego en la noche: 83 Soy una fiera [m]: 87 Sueno de juventud [vj: 35 Suerte loca: 59-60 Sur: 25, 72, 77, 9 4 , 110, 126, 134, 136, 146 Tabaco: 85 Tabernero: 43 Tal vez sera su voz | Tal vez sera mi alcohol: 71 Tango y copas: 70

Tanguango: 128-9 Tanguera: 123 Tarde: 113 Te aconsejo que me olvides: 42 Tierra querida: 115 Tierrita: 35 Tigre viejo: 18, 152, 188 Tinta roja: 26, 34, 52-53 Tinta verde: 7, 28, 30 Tormenta: 107 Trenzas: 90 Tres amigos: 91 Triunfal: 123 Tres amigos: 91 Tristezas de la calle Corrientes: 62-

63 Tu diagnostico [v]: 96 Turbion de recuerdos: 90 Toda mi vida: 37, 38, 41, 65, 97 Tu: 116

Tu diagnostico [v]: 51 Un momento [v]: 128 Un placer [v]: 132 Un vals [v]: 90 Una cancion: 124 Una carta: 47 Una lagrima tuya: 113 Uno: 80 Uruguaya: 162 Verdemar: 24 Vieja amiga: 36 Vuelve la serenata: 124 Y la perdi: 66 Y no puede ser: 36 Y siempre igual: 76 Yira... yira...: 106 Yo soy el tango: 38, 40, 146 Yo te bendigo: 109 Yuyo verde: 97

Page numbers in bold refer to listening notes for the song itself, [m]: milonga; [v]: vals

Acknowledgements Cover photo Fred Schiffer (1917—1999) was born in Austria, and was a law stu­ dent at the University of Vienna at the time of the Anschluss. Shortly before the Second World War he came as a refugee to Eng­ land, where he worked as a photographer. By 1947 he was Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. In 1948 he moved to Buenos Aires with his wife and two small children, enjoying great success; later he would say that he was the only person Juan Peron ever paid for a portrait. Schiffer moved to Vancouver in 1958 where his photo­ graphs continued to earn international recognition. Photo by kind permission of the Schiffer family. For their help Many people assisted with the preparation of this book, and I was often touched by the kindness and willingness of complete strangers to help me. I’d especially like to thank Francisco Torne and Celeste Alvero of Centenario Anibal Troilo for their great kindness and generosity'; also Ricardo Garcia Blaya of todotango.com, and the investigators Tino Diaz and Juan Alberto Guttlein, for their work, and for clarifying a number of obscure points.

By The Same Author T a n g o S t o r ie s : M u s i c a l S e c r e t s T h e g u id e to ta n g o d a n c e m u sic In this unique* hook, M ichael Lavocah takes you on a com pelling ]ourne\ through tango music. He introduces the

H

key individuals who shaped tango history and explains how they influenced the

evolution of this m usic, telling their stories in a series o f lively vignettes.

1Engaging, entertaining and passionate, this is the definitive guide to

tango dance music. Available in tour languages, Tango Stone f: Musica/

Secrets is essential reading for anyone who w ants to understand tango better. 2nd e d itio n ISB N : 9 7 8 - 0 - 9 5 7 3 2 7 6 - 4 - 1 ( 1 9 .1 2 .2 0 1 4 ) 256pp

Also available in G erm an, Spanish, and fre n c h : D e u tsc h : l'ango-C eschichten: I f k f die Musik erzählt. 2. A u flag e ISB N : 9 7 8 - 0 9 5 7 3 2 7 6 - 3 - 4 . (0 8 .0 2 .2 0 1 5 )

E sp an o l:

I listonas de tango —\m musica nos //era

•

A rg e n tin e editio n: ISB N : 9 7 8 - 9 8 7 - 2 8 6 0 7 - 4 - 5 ( 1 2 .0 4 .2 0 1 5 ;

•

In tern a tio n a l editio n: ISB N : 9 7 8 - 0 9 5 7 3 2 7 6 - 6 - 5 (0 1 .0 4 .2 0 1 6 )

F ra n c a is: H/stoires de tango : secrets d'nne mudque (() 1.()2.2() 16) ISB N : 9 7 8 - 0 9 5 7 3 2 7 6 - 8 - 9

T a n g o M asters: O svaldo P u g lie se Osvaldo Pugliese (1905-1995) created a new st\le of tango music that was beautiful, warm and powerful — the most passionate and intense that tango has ever known. He formed his orchestra in 1939 from a cell in Argentina’s most notorious political prison. Standing firm against decades of persecution for his communist beliefs, he eventually led his musi­ cians and his devoted fans alike to a triumphant night at one of the world’s grandest opera house. Tango Masters: Osvaldo Pugliese takes the reader on a journey through Pugliese’s life and music that is intimately bound up with the social and political histon of Argentina, listen in g guides to ninety of Pugliese’s most important recordings help the reader to appreciate, love and dance to this compelling and intriguing music. This is the second volume in the series Tango Masters, in which Michael Lavocah (author of Tango Stories: Musical Secrets) explores the great orchestras of tango's Golden Age in depth. IhBN: 978-0-9573276-7-2 296pp Published: 09.1 1.2016 Also available in German.

M ichael Lavocah w as absorbed by tango m usic from his first en­ counter w ith it. M ore than tw enty years study o f the subject, as a dancer, teacher, DJ and collector has provided him w ith an in-depth know ledge o f this unique m usical heritage. Λ natural raconteur, M ichael is alw ays sharing his know ledge o f the m usic with anyone w ho will listen. T his led to his popular talks on tango m usic and then in 2012 to his first book Tango Stones, MusicaJ Secrets, w hich im m ediately established itself as the book for tango dancers w anting a general guide to tango m usic. The guide has been translated into G erm an, Spanish, and French, w ith the Spanish v er­ sion being published in Buenos Aires. M ichael runs the tango m usic w ebsite m ilonga.co.uk and teaches and D Js tango internationally. He lives in England.

Ta n g o M a s t e r s : A n i b a l T r o i l o A nibal Troilo (1 9 1 4 -1 9 7 5 ) played the bandoneön with such feeling that he becam e revered as the m ost expressive player of the instrum ent. In 1937 he form ed h is own orchestra, rapidly establishing it as one of the greatest in the golden age of tango. The hallm arks of th is orchestra were its vibrant sound, its ab ility to deliver a lyric, and the colour and shading in its m usic, som ething w hich Troilo and his m usicians explored more and more throughout the 1 94 0s. In th is book, the first in a series ca lled Tango Masters, M ichael Lavocah (author of Tango Stories , M usical Secrets) explains Troilo’s m usic to the m odem dancing p u b lic. H e introduces the m usicians in the orchestra, helping you to hear them w ithin the m usic, and then takes you through the dance recordings, paying sp ecial attention to the relationship between the m usic and the lyrics - a key factor to understanding th is orchestra. Incorporating an invaluable discography, Tango M asters: A nibal Troilo allow s the reader to follow Troilo’s journey a s h is m usic grows in sophistication, learning how to listen , and th u s to feel, with more understanding and depth.

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