Tango Masters: Carlos Di Sarli 978-1-9997551-1-9

Table of contents :
Tango Masters: Carlos Di Sarli
......Page 1
Contents
......Page 8
A difficult fate
......Page 13
Bahia Blanca
......Page 15
Listening to the Di Sarli orchestra
......Page 16
Syncopation
......Page 17
Buenos Aires
......Page 21
It’s all about the bass
......Page 30
Ernesto Fama
......Page 40
Felix Verdi joins the orchestra
......Page 47
1934: Di Sarli quits
......Page 48
In the wilderness
......Page 51
Trio No.l
......Page 52
The debut
......Page 58
On the radio
......Page 60
Corazon (1939)
......Page 62
No showing off
......Page 64
Rufino’s repertoire: what are we missing?
......Page 65
A second singer? No, not really
......Page 72
D’Arienzo: still king of the beat
......Page 73
A Di Sarli milonga goes unpublished
......Page 74
Rufino - more star struck than ever
......Page 83
An inconvenience: Rufino is called up
......Page 97
Alberto Podestä
......Page 98
Alberto Podesti remembers his time with Di Sarii
......Page 102
El As del Tango
......Page 103
Polyrhythm
......Page 109
The Sea, The Sea
......Page 111
Earthquake
......Page 127
Podesti departs
......Page 131
An arranger for Di Sarli
......Page 132
Jorge Duran
......Page 138
End of an era
......Page 148
Que mufa che - what bad luck
......Page 155
The Children’s Angel
......Page 157
Early retirement?
......Page 159
Verdi quits
......Page 160
The comeback kid
......Page 162
Back in the studio - but not with RCA-Victor
......Page 164
Tango for export?
......Page 166
The 1950s sound: a new balance
......Page 167
Sound fidelity: a familiar story
......Page 168
The instrumental is king
......Page 169
A stable vocal partnership
......Page 170
Finding the music
......Page 171
El Sefior del Tango
......Page 183
The submerged cathedral (1954)
......Page 187
The late 1950s repertoire
......Page 188
Los Senores del Tango (The Lords of Tango) (1956)
......Page 199
El Tango Nacio Varon - The tango was born male
......Page 204
Last recordings
......Page 209
director, Quesada made his living by teaching piano and working as a musicians’ representative.
......Page 214
He took his secret to the grave
......Page 215
Di Sarli in ten tangos
......Page 218
Early Years
......Page 223
Tango
......Page 225
On tango
......Page 227
What others said:
......Page 228
Di Sarli on disc
......Page 233
Discography
......Page 236
Recordings on Philips (1958)
......Page 246
Orchestra formations
......Page 248
Carnival appearances
......Page 251
Bibliography
......Page 252
Documentary:
......Page 253
Glossary
......Page 254
Terminology & Structure
......Page 258
Index of Tides
......Page 259
For their help
......Page 262

Citation preview

Tango Masters: Carlos Di Sarli

Michael Lavocah *

milonga press

Michael Lavocah has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author o f this work This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way o f trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form o f binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All rights reserved First edition 2 0 18 1 2 34 5 67 8 90 milonga press England www.milongapress.com

Paperback: ISBN 9 7 8 -1-9 9 9 7 5 5 1 -1-9

Cover design: Nigel Orme Cover photo: Sivul Wilenski

Tango Masters: Carlos Di Sarli

Michael Lavocah has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author o f this work This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way o f trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher s prior consent in any form o f binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All rights reserved First edition 2 0 18 1 2 34 5 6 78 90 milonga press England www.milongapress.com

Paperback: ISBN 9 7 8 -1-9 9 9 7 5 5 1 -1-9

Cover design: Nigel Orme Cover photo: Sivul Wilenski

That orchestra had something that made it different fro m the others. It had something that it is now hard to fin d which I call “sa cred fire”.

-

Felix Verdi

(bandoneon with the orchestra)

Zurda Milonguera A generation of tango dancers took their first steps to the music of Carlos Di Sarli, liking the simplicity of its clear walking beat. As time went by, liking deepened into loving. We became captivated by the music’s elegance, the richness of its sound. Mysteriously, it’s a music which satisfies both beginners and masters alike. With this music, one gets the feeling that tango can be something other than a love story in three minutes: it transmits a sense of the eternal. A sentimental man, Carlos Di Sarli gave the melody to the violins, but without sacrificing the rhythm. The miracle of the orchestra is the piano of Don Carlos himself. Instantly recognisable by the cam panitas or “little bells” - the delicate high notes played by Di Sarli’s right hand - at first the piano appears to be just decorative. As it turns out, we are listening to the wrong thing: Di Sarli was famous for the power of his left hand, the one that plays the bass notes. Listen for it, and it starts to emerge from beneath the smooth surface created by the violins. It’s everywhere in the music. Jazzy touches add colour and interest, at the same time as it helps to power the orchestra’s walking beat. Di Sarli never lost sight of the dancers, for which musicians as diverse as Troilo and Piazzolla called his orchestra the most m ilonguero of all. Di Sarli was once called la p oeta d e la zurda, the poet of the left, a clever lunfardo wordplay: zurda is the left-hand, but also a reference to the heart. Listen deeply to his music, and what impresses more and more - the secret hidden in the heart of this elegant music - is this zurda m ilonguera.

Contents Prologue: A difficult fate 1.

A difficult fate

2.

Bahia Blanca

Part 1: T he Sextet (1928 -1935) 3.

Buenos Aires

4.

Ernesto Fama (1930)

5.

Crisis (1931)

6.

In the wilderness

Part 2: T he O rchestra (1938 - 1959) 7.

Roberto Rufino

8.

Corazon (1939)

9.

T he orchestra o f the year (1944)

10. Charlem os (1941) 11. Alberto Podesta (1942) 12. Polyrhythm (1943) 13. Earthquake (1944) 14. Jorge D uran (1945) 15. End o f an era (1947-9) 16. Q ue m ufa ehe - what bad luck 17. T he C h ildren ’s Angel (1949) 18. Early retirem ent? (1949) 19. T he comeback kid (1951) 20. El Senor del T ango (1953) 21. T he submerged cathedral (1954) 22. Los Senores del T ango (The Lords o f Tango) (1956) 23. Last recordings (1958)

24. He took his secret to the grave (1960) 25. Di Sarli in ten tangos Part 3: T he man & the myth 26. Early years 27. Di Sarli on tango Appendices A.

Di Sarli on disc

B.

Discography

C.

Orchestra formations

D. Carnival appearances Bibliography Glossary T erm inology & Structure Index o f titles Acknowledgem ents

Prologue: A difficult fate

A difficult fate

As dancers, the historical details of an artists biography are not always of great interest to us. In the previous volumes of Tango Masters, we have reserved them for an appendix. However, in the case of Carlos Di Sarli, his early years are marked by an event that we cannot ignore. It presents itself to us in every one of his photographs: those dark glasses. They lend an air of mystery to his presence, and create a certain distance between us and him. As it turns out, this is a true reflection of his personality: Di Sarli was a private man, and known to withdraw into silences. There are different versions of the story of how Di Sarli lost the sight of his right eye, but all of them involve a gunshot in the gunsmiths that his father ran a few blocks from the Di Sarli family household in Bahia Blanca. The most common version states than an employee was cleaning a gun when it went off accidentally. A more detailed account suggests that the boy ran back to the shop to fetch something for a family picnic. Not expecting anyone, the employee was taken by surprise when someone burst into the shop, and let off a shot. Others maintain that Di Sarli was depressed after a romantic disappointment. Pointing out that the picnic was to celebrate an engagement in the extended family, they suggest that Di Sarli attempted to take his own life. What is certain is that the employee was dismissed, and Di Sarli was blinded in his right eye, with a metal

plate Pitted at the back of the eye socket. After this he had one glass eye, and wore dark glasses to protect his vision. Di Sarli was, quite literally, forever marked by this event, and it’s hard not to see in it at least pan of the origin of his famously difficult personality. An upright man, he was quick to take offence - for example, if it was suggested, by an impresario unaware of the accident, that he might perform without his dark glasses. It was a difficult fate.

Bahia Blanca

Mention Bahia Blanca, and we instantly remember the name of one of Di Sarli’s most enduring creations, the tango B a h ia B la n ca , which Di Sarli dedicated to the city where he was born and grew up. In the great waves of its melody it is easy to hear the waves of the Atlantic Ocean washing in majestically onto Bahia Blanca’s sandy beaches. Even if we know nothing about Di Sarli, we would still naturally associate his music with the sea, with water. It is fluid, majestic, eternal; its colour is blue. Typically of Di Sarli, the melody in B a h ia B la n ca is carried in the main by the violins. Turning our attention to the beats, our impression is that the violins are doing most of the work here as well, marking them out with their strong staccato playing. What are the bandoneons doing? The simplest way to answer to this conundrum is to go back to some much earlier recordings of this orchestra, such as 1940’s El p o lio R ica rd o. The opening of the piece is dominated by the violins and by Di Sarli’s piano, but when after half a minute we come to the second section of the music, the secret is revealed. The violins attack strongly, but inside each sound we can hear plain and unadorned notes from the bandoneons. They are forbidden from making the strong arrastre so typical of the instrument, but must play softly: instead, it is the violins alone which make the arrastre. This means

that they dominate the soundscape. Here then is a special feature of the Di Sarli orchestra: the normal relationship between the violins and the bandoneons has been inverted. In most tango orchestras, the bandoneons are the stars, but here the violins are at the front. The bandoneons are behind them, almost invisible, whilst the piano is at the centre, organising everything. Listening to the Di Sarli orchestra Orientate first to the walking beat which underpins the group’s existence as a dance orchestra. This walking beat is created by three things: the strong staccato playing of the violins, the bow work of the double bass, which is quite easy to hear, and the magical left hand of Carlos Di Sarli himself on the piano. Listening to the piano takes a bit of concentration. One must clearly separate what is going on in the high notes, played by Di Sarli’s right hand, and the low notes, played by the left. Listening to the delicate tinkling fills sometimes called cam panitas (little bells) takes no special effort, but paying attention to the bass notes takes practice, as this is often covered by melodies, or by the staccato playing of the strings, or the bow work of the double bass. The violins themselves are magnificent. When they are given pride of place, it takes no effort to enjoy them, but try to keep some attention on the violins even when the singer has the melody. The Di Sarli violins are expert both at playing staccato (rhythmically) and legato (melodically). Their staccato playing helps to create his walking beat, whilst their legato playing creates the romantic feeling so identified with this orchestra. The violins will often take a second melody or cou n term elody, usually when the singer has the melody. Many of the orchestras accompany their vocalists in this way, but in no other orchestra is the violin section as important. The way Di Sarli phrases these countermelodics

is very particular: instead of accompanying the singer continuously, he often constructs them from short, phrases, which create a dialogue between the violins and the singer. Paying attention to this, and to the left hand of Di Sarli’s piano, leads us to a far deeper enjoyment of his art. Texture As the orchestra moves between staccato and legato playing, you’ll often hear a big difference in the texture of the orchestra. When the mass of violins plays legato, the sound is rich and dense, especially as the number of violins increases with the passing of the years, but at other moments the texture thins out and can sometimes feel quite sparse. In these moments, we can easily hear the bowed playing of the double bass - listen out for the bass whenever the space opens up. In combination with the strong m arcato of the violins, this sparse texture can create tension and drama - think of the opening of D u elo crio llo . This alternation of texture is characteristic of the orchestra. It is one of the ways that Di Sarli manages to make the orchestra sound so good, at the same time as making music that, compared to the orchestras ofTroilo and Pugliese, is technically quite simple. Syncopation Any orquesta tipica worth its salt employs syncopation, and there is something very particular about how Di Sarli does this. Instead of the syncopation being played by the whole orchestra, he normally gives it only to a part of the orchestra, and usually (but not always) it’s the piano of Carlos Di Sarli himself. He is the creative force in the ensemble, and thus the one that is allowed more artistic freedom. The syncopations are thus less prominent than they are with other orchestras - at times, quite subtle. They invite, rather than demand.

Part 1 The Sextet (1928 - 1935 )

3 Buenos Aires

It was in 1923 that a twenty year old Cayetano Di Sarli arrived in Buenos Aires from his home city of Bahia Blanca in search of the opportunity and success that only the capital could bring. I a rrived in Buenos Aires in a state o f excitement. I was very you ng, a n d was ca rried a lon g by rom antic notions, as w ell as the idea o f success. As so often in these cases, the details of Di Sarli’s early years in Buenos Aires are clouded by missing and contradictory information. The only thing we can be really sure of is that these were hard times. Di Sarli recalls: [In Buenos Aires] I fa c e d up to life, w ith a book o f m usic u nder my arm, ready to play a w ild gam e. Too w ild ! I knew sufferin g fr o m close at hand. Little children sellin g newspapers in the sm all hours, their ey esfu ll o f sleep. The m artyrdom o f y o u n g m en in broken boots, reading y esterd a y’s new spaper in the squares. Young w om en in a dishevelled state in the sm all hours. I p la yed as a pian ist in som e sm all groups that w ere ju s t too im poverished, a n d too close to the river ... Di Sarli’s first big opportunity came in 1923. The violinist Juan Pedro Castillo, called the “King of Pizzicato”1, needed a new pianist

1 Ricardo Garcia Blaya: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/36/Carlos-Di-Sarli/

for his group in order to fulfil an engagement at the prestigious Cabaret Chantecler, later to be the scene of D’Arienzo’s great triumph. It was an inauspicious start: Di Sarli quarrelled with the owner of the Chantecler and left after a very short time. Even at this early stage, Di Sarli was uncompromising about music. Although not an “evolutionist” (a follower of the school headed by by Julio De Caro, which was trying to enrich the musical possibilities of tango music), he was not content to make simple music that might please the public, but not himself: I h a d to make m any sacrifices to fo llo w in the lin e crea ted by the fou n d ers o f the m elodic structure that I uph old in m y orchestra. I d id it, but there w ere days in w h ich I was so hun gry that I didn V even know i f I h a d an appetite. -

Di Sarli in the magazine Radiolandia.23

Di Sarli’s luck changed thanks to the violinist Jose Pecora, with whom he had become good friends. In 1926, Osvaldo Fresedo had been performing at the Abdullah nightclub, the most prestigious in the city at that time. Such was his success that, together with the theatre impresario and author Eduardo Calvo4, he opened a cafe bar called “Bar Fresedo”.5 For this he needed a second orchestra. Pecora arranged a pivotal introduction, and Di Sarli went for an audition. Pecora recalls: Fresedo was d eligh ted by the sweetness a n d strength w hich Di Sarli brought to his interpretations. So impressed was Fresedo that

2 The unpublished biography of Baldi, referenced in Giorlandini el al.: El Sehor con Alma de Nino 3 Quoted by Jose Maria Otero: http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/el-sexteto-di-sarli.html 4 Calvo wrote the lyrics for Fresedo's tango Arrablero. 5 It's not quite clear where this was. At one point Fresedo states that it was opposite the Teatro Politeama, but later he says that it was on the junction of Rivadavia and Alberti, a few blocks from Plaza Once.

he asked Di Sarli to play at the Abdullah, whilst his regular pianist Jose Maria Rizzuti was sent to join the second group at the cafe. Fame beckoned, but the debut was short lived. One of the owners of the Abdullah demanded that Di Sarli play without his dark glasses. Di Sarli took offence and, unwilling to explain, left the same night.6 Fresedo himself never mentioned this incident, even stating that Di Sarli had never played in his orchestra. Not long afterwards (we believe still in 1926), Fresedo offered Di Sarli a second chance. By this time, Fresedo’s fame and success had grown and he was now running three sextets: one at the Tabaris Cabaret (formerly known as the Royal Pigall), a second at the Casino Pigall, and a third at the “Fresedo” bar.78Then he received a tempting offer to play at the inauguration of the Fenix cinema in Flores at Rivadavia 7802.KFresedo explained that he would like to accept, but it just wasn’t possible. The owners replied: Then make us an orchestra. Turn up in the in terva l play on e tango - there's not norm ally tim e f o r a n yth ing m ore - a n d w hen the film starts you can g o a n d the orchestra can carry on w ith out you . And that’s what happened. Through Pecora, Fresedo asked Di Sarli to head up a fourth orchestra, which fulfilled the contract, playing Fresedo’s arrangements.9 Whilst the sextet never had a regular singer, Juan Carlos Thorry performed with them from time to time. With four line-ups to conduct, Fresedo went from venue to venue, spending more or less time at each one according to its prestige. He left his car parked outside the Bar Fresedo, and drove up to the

6 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2705 7 Oscar Zucchi: El tango, el bandoneon y sus interpretes, Tomo IV, ppl684-6 8 Arcangel Vardaro claims that the cinema opened only in 1928: see El Tango en la Decada Del 50, p47 9 Strangely, Pecora doesn't mention the F£nix in his interview, casting doubt on his other recollections (such as the incident at the Abdullah).

cinema to arrive in time for the interval.10 Cesar Ginzo, who played in this line-up, recalls: Fresedo h im self appearedfleetin gly, w ell into the night; h e pick ed up the bandoneon, p la yed w ith us f o r a bit a n d then, h elped by the darkness in the room, disappeared. 11 Di Sarli later expressed his gratitude by writing the tango M ilo n g u e ro v ie jo which he dedicated to Fresedo, who is thus the “old milonguero” of the title; the original sheet music bears the sub-title F resed o. The first recording of this tango was made a few years later by Fresedo himself, with Ernesto Fama on vocals. Sadly, Di Sarli’s sextet never recorded it, but he made four recordings with his orchestra. What happened to Di Sarli after the work at the Fenix? Not long after the opening, Fresedo received yet another offer, to play at the re­ opening of the Paramount Theatre. Fresedo declined, because running all these group was just too much work, but the owner then poached the sextet that had been at the Fenix - Di Sarli’s group.12 Towards the end of 1926, Pecora was asked to set up an orchestra to play at the Charleston cafe in the barrio of La Boca. Pecora set up the group with Di Sarli as pianist, even naming the group after Di Sarli - very much against the convention of the time, which was that the musician who found the work would head up the band. This group played there successfully for four months, but the work came to an end suddenly. Arriving for work one evening they found the doors locked: the cafe had been closed by order of the local judge.

10 Oscar Zucchi: El tango, el bandoneon y sus /nferprefes, Tomq II, ppl013-5 11 Oscar Zucchi: El tango, el bandoneon y sus interpretes, Tomo IV, pl686 12 Oscar Zucchi: El tango, el bandoneon y sus intirpretes, Tomo II, pl015

Carlos Di Sarli's sextet c.1929. The violinist on the right is Josä Pecora. 1' Both Pecora and Di Sarli remained without work into 192"". Di Sarli then appeared briefly on the Hlectra label as a house pianist. He substituted Dr Francisco Pracanico as the latter, whom hlectra had now appointed as the label’s musical director, exchanged the pianist’s chair for the conductor’s baton. As well as accompanying the singer Olinda Bozan (sister to the actress singer Sofia Bozin), Di Sarli is thought to have played on some of the records of the Pracanico orchestra.1' A much more important event took place when one of Francisco Canaro's brothers, Humberto, was offered a job at the Cafe Ciuarani on Calle l avalle. Unable to take it up himself, Humberto413

13 Antonio Canto identifies the figures in the sextet as Jose Pecora and Hector Lafalle (violins), Tito Lando and Ricardo Gargiulo (bandoneons), and Domingo Capurro (double bass), which would locate the photograph in 1929. It's not known why the band are dressed in gaucho costume, which as far as we know, never happened for performances in Buenos Aires; possibly it's a publicity photograph intended for use abroad 14 Di Sarli is said to have played on Pracamco's Malucha and Peinate con gomina, - both recorded in 1927 See Giorlandi et a!.,p.38

Canaro passed it on to Pecora, although with the express and curious condition that the offer was for Pecora personally, and not for Di Sarli. Pecora accepted, but when the day of the opening arrived, he once again put the group under Di Sarli’s name. This almost cost him his friendship with Humberto Canaro, who didn’t speak to him for four years. The opening at the Guarani was a real success. Pecora tells us that the group filled the cafe with patrons and they were resident there for seven months, playing from 3pm till 8pm in the evening, and then from 10pm until lam . However the band almost broke up after ten days, because the other members found out that the leading figures in the band (presumably Di Sarli and Pecora) were earning more than they and demanded a raise. This situation was somehow smoothed over, and the group went on to enjoy great success.15 They also performed at the Renacimiento cinema and on LR10 Radio Cultura. This line-up was the same one that had played at the Fenix: Jose Pecora & David “Toscanito” Abramsky (violins), Cesar Ginzo & Tito Lando (bandoneons), Carlos Di Sarli (piano) and Adolfo Krauss (bass). Abramsky left after a month, being replaced by Hector Lefalle, whilst Krauss was replaced by Domingo Capurro, who remained Di Sarli’s regular bass player into the mid-1940s. Ginzo left Di Sarli in the middle of 1928 to join the orchestra of Juan Carlos Cobian, because he found playing bandoneon in the orchestra boring: I d id n ’t m uch like the style [ o f Di Sarli a n d Fresedo], w hich d ep en d ed on the rhythm a n d the instrum ental "colour”. I p referred it w hen the bandoneons w ere emphasised, w ith their flou rish es a n d their variaciones. Even at this early stage, we can see that playing bandoneon for Di Sarli required a special temperament, in which a musician could be content to show great restraint. The violins are already more prominent in the group than the bandoneons, something revealed by the photograph of the sextet opposite. Who 15 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2708

are rhe musicians in full view? Di Sarii himselK of course, and then Abramsky and Pecora - rhe violins. The bandoneons stand behind the piano.

Di Sarli's sextet in 1927 On 16'1' October 1928, Fresedo left Buenos Aires foi a lengthy European tour, beginning in Paris. It was an excellent time to visit: Ciardel bad made his debut in Paris just two weeks earlier, enjoying a resounding success. Fresedo took with him the musicians from his main orchestra and dissolved the others. Frcsedo’s lengthy absence presented a problem for his record companv, Victor, who were now without one of their main recording artists. I hey needed someone to plug the gap. Di Sarli was the obvious choice. His work under Fresedos banner had increased his reputation and the sextet was getting airplav on Radio Cultura"’. I he musical level of the group was very good, and moreover, the style was

lb Giorlandim et al , El Senor con Alma de Nmo, p37

reminiscent of Fresedo. So it was that on the 26th November 1928, Di Sarli entered a recording studio for the first time. These records are, first of all, good music, and good for dancing; of all the sextets performing at this time - Canaro, Lomuto, Fresedo, Firpo and others - the Di Sarli sextet is perhaps the first choice of dancers today. This is down to the special qualities of its walking beat, which we’ll talk about more in a moment. As well as pleasing the dancers, these recordings fascinate tango researchers. Many choose to hear in Di Sarli’s sextet the continuation of Fresedo’s, which would sound rather different upon its return. Certainly there are similarities: a romantic sensibility, combined with a sober temperament, especially in the restrained use of the bandoneons, whose soli are characteristically in a low register. However, as intriguing as the similarities are the differences. First of all, Di Sarli’s group already has a strong walking drive, whilst Fresedo’s never did. For this Di Sarli is already using the arrastre (tango’s characteristic way of attacking a beat), making it an integral part of his m arcato (the way of marking out the beats), whilst for Fresedo, it is deployed as an occasional effect. Secondly there is Di Sarli’s piano, and as ever we must be careful to pay at least as much attention to the bass notes in the left hand as we do to the treble fills performed by the right. Di Sarli takes a much more wide-ranging role than that enjoyed by Fresedo’s pianist, Jose Maria Rizzuti. At times the left hand crashes around the bass register of the keyboard with subtle jazzy touches, whilst the right hand already shows signs of the delicate little fills (cam panitas - little bells) which so identify his playing. This extreme separation of the roles of the left and right hands seems to be a quality that marks out the very greatest tango pianists: Pugliese, Goni and Di Sarli.

Jose Pecora, who lived these years with Di Sarli, is unequivocal: Di Sarli’s pianism was entirely his own: Those who say [that Di Sarli cop ied his pian o style fro m Fresedo's orchestra] d id n 't know Di Sarli w hen he was starting out. Carlos had in his hands his ow n school a n d that m ilonguero fe elin g w hich m ade him stand ou t fr o m so m any others.1 Now it’s time to listen to the recordings. As we do so, we should remember that the musicians whom we will later identify with Di Sarli are either not present on these first recordings or not leading their sections. Roberto Guisado, his long-standing first violin, does not join the group until 20,h October 19291718, and it’s probable that he only becomes first violin when Pecora retired from music in mid1930. Felix Verdi meanwhile, whose name is forever associated with Di Sarli’s as his first bandoneon, does not join until 1932. He is not present on any of these recordings. The Di Sarli style depends much less on the other musicians than that of Troilo or Pugliese.

17 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2705 18 El Tango No.8, p7

l sf violin

2nd violin Abramsky

1927

1928

Domingo Pecora

1929

Hector Lefalle Roberto Guisado

1930

1931

Roberto Guisado

19 3 2

Is' band.

2nd band.

Cesar Ginzo

Tito Lando

Tito Lando

Ricardo Gargiulo

Gianatelli

Otero

Otero

Verdi

Bass Krauss

Domingo Capurro

Adolfo Muzzi

Table 1: Sextet personnel 1928-1932 (tentative)

It’s all about the bass It’s much easier to hear the bass notes in these Di Sarli recordings than it is in those of another artist who began his career on the Victor label, Julio De Caro. Clearly this is not down to technology, but to the musical style and preferences of the two groups. We can easily hear the bass notes of Di Sarli’s piano, and with a bit of concentration we can hear the double bass as well, something we can’t say about De Caro’s recordings on the same label just one month earlier. As a pianist, Di Sarli’s famous left hand is far more active in the low register of the keyboard than that of Francisco De Caro (the evolutionary pianist in De Caro’s lauded orchestra); as a bandleader, Di Sarli has made sure that his bass player is not too far from the microphone. In both regards, Di Sarli is more m ilonguero than his better regarded contemporary.

An estrib illista for Di Sarli Di Sarli’s first choice for estribillista is better than it looks. Santiago Devincenzi was just beginning to become known when he worked for Di Sarli in 1929. A few years later, with his name now shortened to Santiago Devin, he became famous working with the trio of Antonio Sureda. As well as singing with Di Sarli, he also worked just with guitars, drawing favourable comments from Carlos Gardel.19 Compared to his later work as a soloist, Devincenzi sounds a bit restrained with Di Sarli’s orchestra. However, that’s exactly what’s called for, and he produces some fine performances, such as C o lib riy o , C a m p a n ea n d o, Q u ien t e v e and C ica trices. The following year, Di Sarli would cut some sides with Ernesto Fama. Fama may be a better singer, but I like Devincenzi’s interpretations more. 1

T.B.C.

26.11.1928

music: Ascanio Donato lyrics: Roberto Fontaina/Victor Solifto Forgetting that there was more than one Donato, this tango is frequendy ascribed to the bandleader Edgardo Donato, but it was written by his brother Ascanio.20 Julio De Caro acknowledged its quality by recording it at the end of 1927, but without Di Sarli this wonderful tango might have sunk into oblivion. Edgardo Donato didn’t record it himself until the 1930s. You’re thinking: I’m sure there’s a version by Donato from the 1930s, or the 40s, or maybe the late 1920s. I thought so too, but when I checked, there wasn’t. There are no Argentine versions at all from the 1930s or 40s, although it was in the repertoire of tango bands abroad.

19 Juan Angel Russo, article reproduced on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/139/Santiago-Devin/ 20 The same applies with Te conozco mascarita, also written by Ascanio.

Di Sarli takes the piece at a slow pace - much slower than De Caro had, and it’s the same with the tango on the other side of the disc, La guitarrita. Di Sarli strips out De Caro’s innovations: there are no countermelodies, he doesn’t move the melody around the orchestra as quickly, and he never gives the melody to the piano although listen to what Di Sarli does in his left hand as he accompanies the B section (0’40” - 0’56”). We can’t listen to Donato’s own version, but we can read the sheet music. Di Sarli sticks faithfully to Donato’s indications regarding when the bandoneons take the melody, but simplifies the bass line to create an interpretation this is at times almost sparse. In the trio section (0’56” - Γ30”), Di Sarli deploys all the violin techniques that we will associate with him for the next thirty years. It begins with a plain harmony in the violins (0’56” - Γ08”), simple but satisfying. They alternate between staccato and legato playing, and make slow crescendos. If the Di Sarli violins sound richer in later decades, it is only because there are more of them, which means that they can play fuller chords. The more one listens to this tango, the more one hears how complete the Di Sarli style is on the band s very first recording session. Finally: everyone knows that T.B.C. stands for Te bese, I kissed you, right? We can infer as much from the lyrics (although what’s printed there is not Te bese, but T.B.C.). One researcher speculates that this is a coded reference to tuberculosis, a real killer in those days.21 Oscar Zucchi has a third theory, that it is named for a “special club” in Montevideo,22 perhaps a place where one could find out whether T.B.C. really did mean Te bese. This sounds plausible to me. 21 Lazaros Triarhou: Tango impressions with medical overtones, Hektoen International Journal, 2015. http://hekint.org/tango-impressions-with-medicalovertones/ 22 Oscar Zucchi on todotango, op cit.. There are other tangos employing the same device, such as 7. V.O. - the name of a famous cafe in downtown Bs. As., but read aloud: Te veo - 1saw you.

2

La guitarrita (The little guitar)

26.11.1928

music: Eduardo Arolas This tango was one of Arolas’s biggest hits. He recorded it himself in 1917. After this the work seems to disappear, unless you know that the work - written as an instrumental - acquired a lyric by Pascual Contursi and resurfaced as Que queres con esa carol, under which title it was recorded by Carlos Gardel in 1920. Despite this endorsement, Contursi’s lyric didn’t stick, and the work wasn’t picked up by other performers; the next recorded version is this one, by Di Sarli. Listen to Arolas s recording and there are two surprises. The first is that Arolas intended the slow bandoneon introduction to be played at the end as well. The second is how advanced the music was for its time: much more advanced than the other groups recording at that time, such as Maglio, Canaro and Firpo. Arolas has a cracking pianist in Luis Riccardi - he will go on to be a big influence in Canaro’s orchestra. Di Sarli’s playing is much less conspicuous than Riccardi’s - in this regard, the two interpretations have nothing in common. Although Di Sarli restricts the role of the piano in the accompaniment, we still hear a bit more of him than we do in the record on the other side of the disc, most notably at the entrance to the trio section at Γ30”, where he plays a double glissando, first ascending, and then immediately descending with a crash into the lowest register of the piano. (This is a common Di Sarli piano effect: listen out for it in later recordings such as Cometin, La viruta and Pimienta). This is followed by lots of violin pizzicato, something perhaps that would inspire Edgardo Donato, the most playful of violinists, to record a version two years later.

3

Soy un arlequin (Vm a harlequin)

0 1 .0 3 .1 9 2 9

words and music: Enrique Santos Discepolo The tangos from Di Sarli’s first session, T.B.C. and L aguitarrita, are charming, but lack pace and power. Now we get performances with a much stronger walking beat. In early 1929, Di Sarli was playing at a cabaret called the Folies Bergere, named after the original in Paris. One of the other acts here was the singer Tania, the lover of the musician and poet Enrique Santos Discepolo. The latter was consequently a regular visitor and Di Sarli and he became friends. Discepolo was now collaborating with his older brother Armando, a playwright and director, in the presentation of musical comedies. Armando wrote and directed the plays, whilst Enrique wrote the songs. One evening Enrique brought Di Sarli the sheet music for a new tango he was going to include in one of these comedies, a musical reworking of Armando’s 1924 play Muneca. The piece was this one, Soy un arlequin. Together, Tania and Di Sarli gave the piece its unofficial debut at the Folies Bergere. When the play opened, Soy un arlequin - with the voice of Azucena Maizani - was a smash hit. It was recorded by Maizani, but also by the singers Alberto Gomez, Ignacio Corsini and Ada Falcon, and there were also versions by dance orchestras: Di Sarli, Canaro, D’Arienzo and Lomuto. That makes eight versions of a song at its debut: a triumph. Di Sarli - already a demanding taskmaster, made fo u r takes of this track (all instrumental). Two different takes were released on disc (Victor 47033-A), but what you are listening to is probably take 4.23

23 According to Victor, take 1 was also issued. I haven't been able to find out exactly what happened. Most CD re-releases come from the LP "Di Sarli para

The first thing one notices is the strong, arrastre driven walking beat, marking out the first and third beats of each bar, like a soft version of Pugliese’s famous yu m ba.2AOver this, Di Sarli develops the melody in pizzicato. The bandoneons actually get to interpret most of the ‘B’ theme (0’38” - Γ18” and again Γ57” - 2’38”) - something we’ll hear quite a lot in these sextet recordings. The final repetition of the A theme (2’38” onwards) brings a delicious violin counter melody, supported by the bandoneon’s soft, rhythmic playing of the main melody. With this interpretation, the Di Sarli sound is pretty much complete. Harlequin was one of the characters of the Italian C om media dell'arte, a rich source in Buenos Aires for fancy dress characters at carnival time. He is a friendly trickster, nimble and quick, known also for his brightly coloured costume. The music of Soy un arlequin preserves this light, comic feeling, but the lyric - not presented by Di Sarli - is dramatic: Soy un arlequin / un arlequin que salta y baila, Para ocultar / su corazon lleno de pena I’m a harlequin / who jumps and dances To hide his heart full of pain This fusion of the comic with the dramatic, pioneered by Armando Discepolo, was seen as an Argentine version of the so-called “Theatre of the Grotesque” and given the namegro tesco criollo.242S Of die dance versions, only Lomuto’s version, an exquisite interpretation embellished by the voice of Charlo, can really

Coleccionistas" CAL-2994, and to me this sounds like Take 4 (available from CTA and TangoTunes). 24 For an explanation, see: Tango Masters, Osvaldo Pugliese, chapter 2. 25 In theatre, grotesque refers to the painful, ironic laugh with which we respond to the tragedies and cruelties of life (a concept developed by the Italian playwright Pirandello). Enrique Santos Discepolo's tangos generally, and Soyun arlequin in particular, are thus, in a technical sense, grotesque.

compete with this one by Di Sarli. Once you get familiar with the Lomuto recording, you may start hearing the lyric in your head when the Di Sarli version is playing - just as Di Sarli’s listeners would have done. 11

F lor m a r ch ita ( W ith e r e d flo w e r )

14.08.1929

music: Juan Feliu words: Carlos Lopettini This delicious tango, sorrowful, dark and intense, is not typical of Di Sarli, but we have to include it here not just because it is great music, but because of the treatment of the walking beat. Here, the strong beats (1 and 3) are stronger than ever, but what about the ones in between (2 and 4)? As well as the double bass, we can hear Di Sarli occasionally reinforcing them with his piano. It’s the beginning of a more intense beat, with a certain resemblance to Pugliese’s famousyu m ba, which Di Sarli will deploy more often in the early 1950s. The tango follows the formula established in S o y u n a r leq u tn : the violins take the A theme, the bandoneons take the B theme, and in the final verse, the violins play a countermelody over the m elodia ritm ica playing of the bandoneons. It’s simple, but it’s great music.41 14

P ob reyo (P o o r m e)

09.10.1929

words and music: Cesar Petrone Half a year on from S o y u n a r le q u tn y and the walking beat has intensified: this has real Di Sarli feeling now. Towards the end of the A section, Di Sarli crashes into the bass notes - listen very very carefully, and you can actually hear the bandoneons reinforcing the arrastre (0’26”). It’s 1929, the band have only two violins, and they are both occupied playing the melody in a rhythmic fashion. For

once, Di Sarli cannot cover the sound of his bandoneons with his violins - this will change in 1938 when he forms his orchestra, and has more violins to play with. 16

E lca la b o z o (T h e p r is o n ce ll)

09.10.1929

music: Augusto Gentile Gentile was a prolific composer, but only two of his works reached the highest level: R o m d n tico b u lin c ito and F lor d e fa n g o . The rest of his output is largely forgotten, and we’d have to include this tango in the category. Firpo’s 1927 recording is charming enough, but lacks impact. The Orquesta Tipica Brunswick (1930) and Juan D’Arienzo (1941) maintain a similar feel while progressively speeding it up, but Di Sarli hears the romanticism in Firpo’s original and takes the piece in a different direction, more gentle and subtle. Di Sarli’s interpretation is the most appealing of all and it’s interesting to us because of the jazzy touches we can hear in the bass notes of Di Sarli’s piano underneath the violins (2’20”), the notes grouped in threes with unusual accents. It’s a kind of polyrhythm, the first time we hear it in Di Sarli, and a promise of what is to come. 22

C am paneando (K eeping watch)

31.12.1929

vocals: Santiago Devincenzi music: Mauricio Saiovich words: Alejandro Gutierrez Del Barrio This is very much a tango of two parts. The first tune (‘A’), in a bright major key, is not very promising, but the second melody (‘B’) brings an abrupt darkening of the mood (0’32”). This change

is bridged masterfully by Di Sarli’s piano, and the Έ ’ theme is then carried by the bandoneons in a mournful, low register, whilst Di Sarli’s piano provides a syncopated accompaniment underneath. The return of the ‘A’ theme brings the sun back out from behind the clouds, but we already know that this sunny weather can’t last. When the ‘B’ theme returns, the melody is handed off to Devincenzi’s voice. He handles the simple lyric beautifully. C am paneando means ‘keeping watch’ in lu nfardo, and the lyric is the simple picture of a man remembering how he used to wait at a particular street corner for the woman he loved. Closing his eyes to re-capture that moment, it shifts: what he remembers is rather the time when he believed in love. I love this tango, and it comes as a surprise that there are no other recorded versions. 23

Q u ien te v e ( W h o ever s ee s y o u )

01.03.1929

vocals: Santiago Devincenzi music: Juan Rodriguez words: Enrique Cadicamo I was stunned when I read the lyric to this tango, the complete version of which we can hear in a version recorded by the singer Tita Merello just two weeks before this one by Di Sarli. The lyric is thick with lu nfardo, so it’s not an easy read, but here’s the gist. It’s a story about someone who has left their barrio for the flashy life of the city. They’ve abandoned and disgraced their mother, and have even changed the way they speak: instead of the accents of their barrio, they now speak in French. W hoever sees you , the lyric tells us, w ou ld n ever guess that y o u h ave a bad nature. W hat’s the surprise here - surely this is just one of dozens of lyrics condemning the poor girl of the barrio who is trying to improve her situation.

Well, I’ve been misleading you: the protagonist of this tango is not a woman, but a man. What isn’t a surprise is that this excellent tango wasn’t recorded by other bands, or by the male soloists; it’s fine to condemn the women, it seems, but not the men. Bravo, Di Sarli, bravo. This is another tango with a strong walking beat. The best bits are the jazzy bass syncopations in Di Sarli’s piano accompaniment listen to the very low notes in Di Sarli’s left hand (0*49” - 0’55” and again at 2’30”, but more subtly underneath the violin countermelody.

Ernesto Fama (1930) Nowadays our first encounter with Ernesto Fama is as the main vocalist of Francisco Canaro from 1939 onwards. However, Fama had a long pedigree as an estribillista (refrain singer). He had sung for Canaro in the years 1932-34, and for Fresedo back in 1928 - earlier we discussed their recording of Milonguero viejo1(\ Fama had joined Fresedo on his tour of France later that year, but when Fresedo decided to continue to New York in 1929, Fama returned to Buenos Aires, famous, but without a penny to his name. He found work recording with the Orquesta Tipica Victor, but as this group only existed in the studio the work was not well paid. Fama recalls meeting Di Sarli, the latter immediately proposing that Fama record with his group. Di Sarli then asked: Are y ou alright? And without waiting for an answer, he thrust 30 pesos in his pocket. Fama thought to himself: Fama, you are sa ved !1 Fama recorded two tracks with Di Sarli on the 3rd September 1930: Por la p in ta, and the enduringly popular Chau pinela. These performances were so well received that later that month he was invited into the recording studio by Francisco Canaro. Fama accepted, but remained loyal to Di Sarli, recording 10 tracks with him in all and staying with the group even after it lost its recording contract.267

26 see pl4 above 27 Article by Nestor Pinson about Fama on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/657/Ernesto-Fama/

To my ear, Fama sounds rather better with Di Sarli than he did with Fresedo; one commentator calls these sessions the highlight of Fama’s career.2829Listening to recordings such as M aldita, I have to agree. Fama has also matured as a singer. With Fresedo, in Buenos Aires he had only sung on the records, not in public,21' a practice that was common at the time. Now 22 years old, the trip to Paris had given him good experience of singing before a dancing public. His natural modesty perfectly suits the style both of the era and of Di Sarli’s sextet. 25

C ica trices (S ca rs)

24.01.1930

vocals: Santiago Devincenzi music: Adolfo Aviles words: Enrique Maroni Yes, this is the same tango recorded in the 1940s by D’Arienzo with Hector Maure. The special feature of this tango is the way Di Sarli syncopates his piano accompaniment. This happens throughout the piece: the first time is about eight seconds in. A syncopation is a beat occurring when one doesn’t expect it. Di Sarli plays all the notes, but emphasises some more than others, impressing the classic sincopa a tierra pattern upon an otherwise plain accompaniment. This subtle touch is typical of Di Sarli. Devincenzi’s restrained voice suits the composition perfectly, creating an atmosphere of deep emotion.

28 Johan Vindevogel: http://users.telenet.be/tangoteca/ernesto_fama/ 29 http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/657/Ernesto-Fama/

35

C hau p in e la (T h at's th a t)

03.09.1930

vocals: Ernesto Fama words and music: Humberto Castiglioni (“Casti”)30 Si no resuelves vos pian tarte d e m i lao, C ach oyo m i bagayo y jC hau, pinela, chau! I f y o u don 't d ecid e to leave, I ’l l pack m y bags a n d that's an en d to it! Fama’s first outing with Di Sarli marks him out as a cut above fellow estribillistas such as Principe Azul (singing with Firpo), even if he cannot match the great Charlo. This is a classier voice than Devincenzi’s - it’s easy to hear why Canaro will try to recruit him. Di Sarli has picked up the pace slightly since the previous year. His walking beat, with strong arrastres in the violins, drives the tango forward vigorously, and it’s this that has made C hau p in e la a favourite of dancers. The music itself is not especially remarkable, and the tango relies largely on Fama’s voice for interest, although the way Di Sarli accompanies him with a sustained pizzicato backing in the violins is very attractive. The tango concludes with a fine countermelody in the violins.

30 Humberto Castiglioni briefly had his own orchestra at the end of the 1920s. (Antiguas fotografias del Salto Argentino (1880-1960), pl65). His production as a composer was sparse but of high quality. After the economic crisis he left music and worked for 25 years at Gath & Chaves, a famous department store in Buenos Aires which at one time even issued its own records. http://www.elheraldo.com.ar/lectores/62_don-humberto-castiglioni-unpersonaje.html

41

Q u e D ios la p e r d o n e (M ay G o d fo r g i v e h er )

10.01.1931

vocals: Fernando Diaz music: Manuel Flores words: Celedonio Flores Ruego a Dios que no la quiera mal, Ruego a Dios q ue no la haga sufrir, Que la p en a que a m i m e ha causado, No la cargu e en su p ob re vivir. Ruego a Dios que la p erd on e igual Como y o tam bien la perdone, Que si un dia volviera a m i lado Como antes, para ella sere. This is an unusual tango in many respects, something we meet in the very first moment, when the tango opens with a mini-crescendo in the bandoneons. Di Sarli opens with the bandoneons! Dare we call it a flo u n sh ? I think we might! The lyric, with its offering of forgiveness, is also rather different from the usual offerings of anger and revenge. Fama is absent for this recording session and his place is covered by Fernando Diaz, who will go on to sing with Lomuto. Diaz acquits himself well, without being especially memorable. Finally, isn’t that a violin solo after the lyric? The beautiful tone is the work of Roberto Guisado, Pecora having now retired. Note that there is another tango with exactly the same title from the same period. The tango Q u e D ios la p e r d o n e sung by Agustin Magaldi is not this one, but a different work.

48

M a ld ita (D a m n ed w o m a n !)

14.08.1931

vocals: Ernesto Fama music: Antonio Rodio words: Celedonio Flores I’ll never forget the moment when, whilst dancing, I suddenly heard the lyric for the first time. As an outpouring of vitriol, this tango is hard to beat. Lyricist Celedonio Flores has used up all the empathy he displayed in Q u e D ios la p e r d o n e just a few months earlier: jM aldita, m il veces! jM aldita, hasta la m u erte! No cjuiero ni acordarm e mds. D amn y ou a thousand tim es! D amn y o u to death! I don Veven w an t to rem em ber any lon ger This tango was quite popular at the time, with dance versions by Canaro (with Charlo), Donato (with Teofilo Ibanez) and Pedro Maffia (with Fiorentino). (There were also several versions by soloists; one of these would be by Mercedes Carne, backed by the orchestra of Di Sarli himsel0. Donato’s version lacks emotional impact - he doesn’t really have it in him to be nasty - Maffia is smooth, and Canaro is decorative: Di Sarli’s version is my favourite, and Fama has never sounded better than he does here. There is only an estribillo, a single chorus, but together Di Sarli and Fama really deliver the lyric. Comparing the interpretation of Di Sarli with that of Canaro is instructive, even at this early stage of the former’s career. Canaro allows Charlo to form his phrases quite freely, whereas Di Sarli keeps Fama much more on the beat.

The upheavals caused to the world economy by the stock market crashes of 1929, and the subsequent great depression, affected Argentina much less than the United States. However, for tango musicians the situation was compounded by the introduction of talking pictures. Once the cinemas had installed the new sound equipment, they no longer needed the services of tango bands, and most lost their work there after the carnival season of 1930 (February - March). The last group to perform in a cinema was the VardaroPugliese sextet, which had its debut at the Metropol Cinema on Γ' December 1930, but left not long afterwards/1 This economic crisis temporarily halted the import of foreign records, but not of foreign films, and the sound equipment meant that cinema audiences were now exposed to foreign music on these film’s soundtracks. The Electra label folded at the end of 1930, and by the middle of the following year the remaining record companies were beginning to find themselves over-stretched. At the end of the 1920s, many new sextets had sprung up in what we can now see was a very fertile period for tango. These musicians were inspired by the developments of the De Caro brothers and their school, and for the sextets this was their Golden Age. Columbia, Brunswick and RCA-Victor had taken on13

31 Luis Adolfo Sierra, Elvino Vardaro, in La Historia del Tango 15, p2654

5

Crisis

many of these groups in order to compete with Odeon, who had the three biggest names of the period: the singer Carlos Gardel, and the orquestas tipica of Roberto Firpo and Francisco Canaro. RCA-Victor now began pruning its roster of artists, terminating the contracts of Luis Petrucelli, Carlos Marcucci, Juan Guido and Carlos Di Sarli. Columbia’s American branch was acquired by the new EMI and withdrew from Argentina altogether, which meant the end of the recording contracts of Minotto Di Cicco, Antonio Bonavena, Anselmo Aieta and Pedro Maffia, and the dissolution of their house sextet, the Tipica Colombia. Brunswick tried to keep going. It appears that they first terminated the contracts of Edgardo Donato and Ricardo Brignolo (the composer of Chique) but kept going for a while with Julio De Caro and with their house sextet, the Orquesta Tipica Brunswick, which was also needed as a backing orchestra for their soloists. However, by the end of 1932, Brunswick were gone as well.32 The recording industry now became a duopoly consisting of Odeon and RCAVictor. These two companies would call the shots in the tango scene until the early 1930s. With no work in the cinemas, the loss of their recording contracts meant ruin for the majority of these sextets, which thus disbanded. The former leaders were mostly able to return to working for others, but many musicians were left without work. Pugliese describes the 1930s as a time of great hardship for musicians, who walked up and down the city’s main artery, Calle Corrientes, looking for work.

32 According to Fabio Daniel Cernuda, their final recording - which was of the Magaldi-Noda duo - was made in September 1932, and their last advertisement appeared in October: http://sellosdiscograficos.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/sobre-el-sello-brunswick-enargentina.html

Di Sarli’s sextet was reduced to working as a backing group for the singer Mercedes Carne, who cut 22 sides on the Brunswick label with his accompaniment in the years 1931-32. Di Sarli’s name did not appear on the label, which reduced the size of the royalty that Brunswick had to pay him. Don’t think that these are 22 “lost” Di Sarli recordings: it’s impossible to recognise the orchestra in these performances, which include rancheras, foxtrots, and even a schottische. Without its own contract, Ernesto Fama now left the sextet and took up the more exciting opportunity offered by Canaro.33 The sextet continued working as a dance orchestra, incorporating Antonio Rodriguez Lesende as their permanent singer in March 1932. This new formation found work at the Casino Pigall cabaret, playing there for more than six months.34 Felix Verdi joins the orchestra Meanwhile, an important change took place in the line-up: the bandoneonista Roberto Gianatelli departed, and the new man was Felix Verdi, who would play with the maestro on and off for more than twenty years. Verdi had started his professional career as a violinist but had switched to bandoneon after encountering Pedro MafFia playing in De Caro’s orchestra. In 1929, Verdi was working in the band of Roberto Dimas Lurbes (as a bandoneonista) and recalls that his boss took him along to the Cafe Guarani, where there was a band he wanted to hear. It was Di Sarli. For Verdi, the encounter was life altering before he even entered the building:

33 Their first recording in this period is Criase o no, cut on 17th February 1932 34 Antonio Cantö, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2718

When / reach ed the venue's door I h eard som eth ing differen t that I h a d n ever h eard before. 1 liked the style, the way, the strength. Sure, it was D i Sarli. I was tou ch ed to such an extent that a fter m y g ig at the cabaret I stayed p ra cticin g that kind ofstyle. Much later, sometime in 1932, Dimas Lurbes came with the news that Di Sarli was looking for a bandoneon player, and was coming to listen to him to play that night. Verdi was nervous but Di Sarli was satisfied, and signed him up.35 Di Sarli was surprised how quickly Verdi adjusted to the style, perhaps not realising that Verdi had already been practising it for three years. Di Sarli decides not to hire Troilo 1932 is also the year that Di Sarli hears the playing of an 18 year old bandoneon player called Anibal Troilo, who is already making waves for the way he regenerated the orchestra of Juan Maglio. He tells him: “I’d bring you into the orchestra but you play too many flourishes”.3637 It’s a funny line, but seriously - can you imagine Troilo in the Di Sarli bandoneons? I can’t, and I don’t think Troilo could have, either. 1934: Di Sarli quits The group continued working throughout these difficult years. After the carnival dances in February 1934 the band had a short stint at the Cine GiiemesT Once this was completed, Di Sarli suddenly announced that he was going to Rosario for a few months in order to rest. Finding itself without a leader or a pianist, the band recruited Ricardo Cannataro as a replacement pianist and carried on in the same style

35 Norberto Chab, Verdi - The "Disarlian" paradigm: http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/309/Verdi-TheDisarlian-paradigm/ 36 Jose Maria Otero on tangosalbardo: http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ 37 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2719

without Di Sarli, although still under his name. The “Orquesta Di Sarli” returned to the Guarani, the scene of their earlier triumph in 1927, to renewed success. By all accounts, Cannataro was able to reproduce the Di Sarlian style perfectly.'8 Roberto Guisado led the formation.'9 In Rosario, Di Sarli is said to have played a few solo gigs and then formed a trio with a violinist and an 18 year old bandoneon player called Juan Cambareri (who would later find fame in the line­ ups of Roberto Firpo).383940 Later that year the “Orquesta Di Sarli” was signed up to play at the opening of a new confiteria bailable, the Novelty. A condition of the contract was that they perform as the Tipica Novel. Ismael Spitalnik (who later played with D’Agostino, Calo & Pugliese) occasionally played bandoneon for the group.41 The performance so pleased the owners, the Lombartour group, that they were offered work at their other venues, including the cabarets Tabaris, Ambassador and Embassy. When they came to the Embassy in 1935, Cannataro was ill and unable to play. The band auditioned other pianists, but without finding what they needed. At this point, Verdi heard a rumour that Di Sarli had returned to the city. He urgently began looking for him, obtaining the address from Domingo Moro, first bandoneon in the (not yet famous) D’Arienzo orchestra. In fact, it appears that Di Sarli had recently completed a stint of 45 days as a substitute pianist for Juan D’Arienzo.42 Verdi went to see Di Sarli and asked him to return

38 ibid p2720 39 Carlos Taboada, Carlos Di Sarli parte II, http://www.investigaciontango.com/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&vi ew=article&id=88:muscios&catid=42:orquestas<emid=62 40 Tino Diez on Terapia Tanguera: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/di_sarli.htm 41 Julio Nudler, Tango judio, pl28 421traced this rumour to a biography of D'Arienzo written for the Buenos Aires Tango Club by the journalist Jorge Palacio, who generally wrote under the

to play for his old group. Di Sarli accepted, but advised Verdi that he was out of practice.43 The group found out the truth of this statement when he joined them that evening: Di Sarli lacked the power he had had previously, and by the end of the evening his fingers and wrists were aching. However, his power and style returned in a few days; and the group carried on together - still as the Tipica Novel. One evening, towards the end of the year, the audience at the Embassy included the talented pianist and composer Juan Carlos Cobian, an old friend of Di Sarli’s from their youth in Bahia Blanca. Cobian was so impressed by his friend’s interpretation that he leapt to his feet and declared: “Di Sarli is our best piano player!”44 This outburst carries weight when we remember that Cobian was the first pianist to start decorating between the phrases and was himself a big influence on Francisco De Caro, the pianist in Julio De Caro’s influential and much-admired sextet. After Di Sarli had been playing with his old group for four months, Cannatore returned and Di Sarli gave up his place to him. What happened to the Tipica Novel thereafter is unknown.

pseudonym "Faruk". See: Revista del Buenos Aires Tango Club, Afio 5, Numero 10, Abril 2001. 43 Recall that, when detained as a political prisoner, Osvaldo Pugliese did his finger exercises every day by drumming them on a table. 44 Carlos Taboada, Carlos Di Sarli parte II, http://www.investigaciontango.com/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&vi ew=article&id=88:muscios&catid=42:orquestas<emid=62

6 In the wilderness

Di Sarli was now without work. Word reached him that the film studio Argentina Sono Film was starting work on a new film, Loco lindo {Crazyguy), for which they required a tango with this title. With the help of a fixer, Di Sarli got the job (although his name appears incorrectly in the credits as De Sarli). The writer Conrado Nale Roxlo wrote the lyrics under the pseudonym “Chamico”. These two wrote one other song for the film’s soundtrack (an estilo titled C a n cion d e a u s e n c ia ), which also featured Di Sarli’s lovely vals R osam el. L oco lin d o appears three times in the film. Ernesto Fama, in gaucho costume, sings the song at a bar with a guitar backing. Later the other tango star in the picture, Sofia Bozan, also sings the song, backed by an orchestra on a balcony (four bandoneons, three violins and a double bass - there’s no room for a piano). Reaching the top of the stairs, she passes the conductor - could it be Di Sarli? After her triumphant performance, the band strike up again with the director now centre stage. The figure is not one we know so well, but the credits gave his name: it’s Alfredo Gobbi. Di Sarli had hoped to obtain some income from writing the title song for a feature film, but L oco lin d o ended up costing him money. From the 300 peso fee, 150 went to the lyricist, 150 to the fixer and a further 150 to a “relative” of the director, leaving him 150 pesos out

of pocket. The tango was recorded as an instrumental dance number by the orchestra of Roberto Firpo. Trio No.l In 1936 Di Sarli decided to re-form his orchestra. He went first to see his brother Roque who was playing in a nightclub called uLa Chaumiere ”.4S On hearing his brother’s plans, Roque’s generous answer was: listen to my orchestra, and take the musicians you need. Carlos chose the violin players Angel Goicoechea and Adolfo Perez, and the singer Ignacio Murillo. The new orchestra opened at the “Moulin Rouge” cabaret but it seems that the venture did not last long, because by the end of the year Di Sarli was employed as the back-up pianist for a famous trio of the time, the “Trio N° 1”, which existed only to perform on Radio El Mundo. This was an all-star line­ up: Juan Carlos Cobian on piano, Ciriaco Ortiz on bandoneon and Cayetano Puglisi on violin. Antonio Rodriguez Lesende was the vocalist. Cobian performed in the trio alongside organising and playing in his tipica. Ever the bohemian, he was an unreliable collaborator, never attending rehearsal. This worried the others who persuaded the management of the station to recruit Di Sarli as a reserve pianist, but in fact he was seldom needed as Cobian usually turned up at the last minute, just before the broadcast began. Di Sarli thus earned very little from this post. Cobian’s bohemian ways once more sent him spinning away from music. After a whirlwind romance he married a rich society lady known to us only as N.M.G.46, but in the cold light of day she decided to divorce him. In order to get rid of him, she deposited $30,000 in a bank account in New York. Cobian thus departed for the United

45 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2727 46 Carlos Groppa, The Tango in the United States: A History, pl49

States in November 1937 to collect the money, taking with him his friend, the lyricist Enrique Cadicamo.47 Di Sarli now become the regular pianist of the “Trio N° 1”. A rare photograph shows him smiling äs he performs with them. Once the trio’s contract on the radio expired, it had no reason to exist and the members went their separate ways. Di Sarli disappeared once again - it’s even possible that he followed Cobian to New York, but no-one really knows. He reappears only in late 1938.

47 Cobiän didn't return to Argentina until 1943. Cadicamo says that Cobian cabled him from Mexico in 1942 to ask him to send him money for the passage home to Buenos Aires. Apart from these sketchy details, no-one knows what he did in the intervening years.

Part 2 The Orchestra ( 1938 - 1959 )

Towards the end of 1938, Di Sarli reformed his orchestra with many of the same elements from the line-up of 1936. Roberto Guisado re­ joined as first violin. Di Sarli did not summon the loyal Felix Verdi to head up the bandoneons, but turned to an earlier choice, Roberto Gianatelli, the man whose shoes Verdi had filled back in 1932/*8 The new orchestra opened at the “Moulin Rouge” cabaret, where Di Sarli had played in 1936, and made their debut on Radio El Mundo on Τ' January, 1939 at 22:30, sharing the bill with Enrique Carbel (a regular at the station who had cut one side with D’Arienzo). The programme was: M a re ja d a , M ilo n g u e ro v ie jo , El ca b u re, and M a d re, this last sung by M urillo.4849 This debut was a success, but not a triumph. The band had only one show a week, and when this initial season ended after two or three months, Di Sarli was let go. Murillo then left Di Sarli, who was still largely without recognition, to join the orchestra of Roberto Firpo. The middle of 1938 had seen a change in the affections of the dancing public, who now began to prefer the vocal tango to the instrumental one. For any orchestra to reach the highest levels of popularity it needed a singer of the very best. D’Arienzo had Alberto Echagiie, and 48 Gianatelli had recently played for Troilo as third bandoneon. 49 Revista El Tango N° 8 (Carlos Di Sarli)

Troilo had Fiorentino - big names whom the public wanted to see and to listen to. Di Sarli’s vocalist, Ignacio Murillo, was simply not on this level, and his departure is no great loss. Di Sarli needed another singer. His eye settled on Roberto Ray,50 who had been singing with Fresedo for six years and was looking for a change. It seems that Di Sarli was not really excited about having Ray as his vocalist, but that Ray was the best option available to him. This is where an electrifying young singer named Roberto Rufino enters our story. Born in the barrio of Abasto, just two blocks from the house of Carlos Gardel, Rufino had started singing professionally at the age of 14. His powerful voice had soon won him admirers and propelled him into the ranks of the orchestras de barrio, beginning with Antonio Bonavena at the Cafe “Petit Salon” on Calle Montevideo. Now, just 16, he was singing at the Cafe Nacional on Calle Corrientes, the city’s most important street for nightlife and entertainment. Here he sang from mid-morning until one the following morning with whichever orchestra happened to be on stage - a veritable marathon. The evening session was with the orchestra of Francisco De Rose.51 The story goes that the violinist Roberto Dimas Lurbes heard Rufino singing with De Rose and suggested that Di Sarli pay a visit to listen to him.52 Di Sarli was sceptical because of the youth’s age and inexperience. However, finding himself without a vocalist after Murillo’s departure, and with the continued insistence of Dimas Lurbes, Di Sarli decided to go and listen to the young singer, whereupon a now legendary encounter took place.

50 Jose Maria Otero on tangosalbardo: http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/roberto-ray.html 51 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2731 52 ibid

Rufino adds a colourful detail to this story: the person who finally convinced Di Sarli to visit the Cafe Nacional was not Dimas Lurbes, but one of the girls who worked at the “Petit Salon”, Margarita by name."' She told Di Sarli that there was a marvellous lad singing M ilo n g u e ro v ie jo (Di Sarli’s own composition, remember) at the Nacional. Di Sarli went with his representative Carlos Garay to listen to Rufino and was immediately impressed. The voice may have been young, but it was complete: powerful, and by turns both romantic and dramatic. The audition Di Sarli invited Rufino to audition with him that very day, walking with him from the Nacional down to the Moulin Rouge, which Rufino would have been too young to enter alone. The passage of this audition is now legendary. Sitting down at the piano, Di Sarli asked Rufino, w hat w ou ld y o u like to sing? - Alma d e bohem io, came the reply. With its high, sustained opening notes, this was a difficult selection for an audition, and Di Sarli queried the choice: Look, that's a d ifficu lt one. Rufino said nothing, but just shrugged his shoulders. Seeing this, Di Sarli played an introduction on the piano, and Rufino made his entrance, hitting the opening phrases perfectly. After just two lines, Di Sarli, overcome with emotion, closed the lid of the piano and got to his feet, embracing Rufino warmly without saying a word. The audition was over. Rufino being underage, the contract was signed by his mother Agustina.5354 The debut “El Pibe” Rufino made his debut with Di Sarli at the “Moulin Rouge” at the end of 1938. Rufino proudly recalls how Di Sarli presented

53 http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/tino_rufino.htm 54 Tino Diez: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/tino_rufino.htm

him. Apparently, Di Sarli introduced Rufino to the public and said that they must be the judge of whether he had made a good choice or not, and that he would know from how much applause the new boy received.55 The number chosen for the debut was Alma de bohemio. As you can well imagine, it was a triumph. Turning to Di Sarli, Rufino could see him smiling broadly from his seat at the piano: his place in the orchestra was assured. Right from the beginning, the orchestra had problems because of Rufino’s age: technically, Rufino was a minor and thus too young to enter a cabaret. At one of his first gigs Rufino failed to show up. Leaving the club later, Di Sarli found him standing outside: the doorman hadn’t let him in. Rufino tried to cover his embarrassment at the fact that he was still wearing short trousers by standing behind the piano. Sometimes he borrowed a suit from his brother. There was also the constant worry of spot checks by the police; the first time this happened, Rufino hid behind the piano. The management then devised a warning signal: in the event of a raid, a bell would ring twice. Soon enough, the evening came when the bell sounded, whereupon Di Sarli threw a coat over Rufino’s shoulders and ushered him out of a back door.5657 After this, Di Sarli ordered Rufino a suit at the famous tailors Los 49 A utenticos and he did not sing at nights until it was ready, but long trousers were not enough to eliminate all the inconveniences. The problems only finally ceased once Di Sarli paid a visit to his friend Alberto Gowland, who was a judge, and obtained a written permission for Rufino to sing in the clubs.5

55 Oscar Marmol, quoted by Tino Diez on Tango Reporter: http://www.tangoreporter.com/nota-rufino.html 56 http://www.magicasruinas.com.ar/revistero/argentina/reportaje-robertorufino.htm 57 Perla Lorenzo de Rufino & Pedro Alberto Colombo, Roberto Rufino, pl8

The owners of the “Moulin Rouge” were also concerned about getting into trouble with the authorities. Faced with this attitude, Di Sarli adopted the same proud posture that he took his whole life long, and simply decamped to another club, the “Imperio”. As it turns out, there was someone else who had also worried about hiring a minor as a singer. Who was the orchestra leader who spent his nights off listening to the radio with his wife in order to discover new talent, with whom every singer dreamed of working? That’s right, Anibal Troilo. Apparently, he discovered Rufino even before Di S a rli.R u fin o would have to wait until 1963 for his chance to sing with E lgordo. On the radio In June 1939, Di Sarli returned to the studios of Radio Έ1 Mundo’ - but this time not with just one broadcast a week, but seven. The new broadcasts brought the voice of Rufino before the public, but real success would have to wait for the end of the year and the band’s first recording: C orazon. 58

58 Rufino's obituary in the newspaper Clarin, 25-02-1999: https://www.clarin.com/espectaculos/cantor-brillo-epocaoro_0_HJbfB40gRFx.html

49

11.12.39

Corazön

50

11.12.39

El retirao

51

09.02.40

Catamarca

52

09.02.40

Milonga del sentimiento

milonga

Roberto Rufino

53

15.02.40

Alma mia

vals

Roberto Rufino

54

15.02.40

La trilla

55

17.04.40

El opio

56

17.04.40

Milonga del centenario

57

19.06.40

Cosas olvidadas

58

19.06.40

El incendio

59

04.07.40

Racing Club

60

04.07.40

Milonguero viejo

61

05.08.40

Ausencia

62

05.08.40

El jaguar

63

23.09.40

En un beso... la vida

64

23.09.40

El polio Ricardo

65

08.10.40

Shusheta

66

08.10.40

Volver a sonar

67

23.11.40

Nobleza de arrabal

68

23.11.40

Lo pasado, paso

69

11.12.40

Viviani

70

11.12.40

Rosamel

Roberto Rufino

milonga

Rodriguez Lesende

Roberto Rufino

vals

Agustin Volpe Roberto Rufino

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino vals

Table 2: 1939-1940 recordings

Roberto Rufino

Corazon (1939)

C ora z on : heart. This is one of the most famous and most popular tangos of all times. But C oraz on was more than just a stellar hit: it created a new style of interpretation. Rufino established himself as the vocalist who sang about problems of the heart. Rufino was also by far the youngest singer to make it at the top level. Fiorentino had been 31 when he joined Troilo, and was 34 before he made his first recordings with him; Alberto Echagüe, similarly, was 28 when he had his first hit with D’Arienzo. Rufino, by contrast, was just 17 years old. Rufino’s elevation to the pantheon of tango’s consecrated stars was immediate: I was ju s t a l a d a n d was already tou ch in g heaven w ith m y hands. E verything h appened so fast. But to find success at such a young age is a mixed blessing. Di Sarli did his best to guide him: Don Carlos was m y teacher, m y advisor, a n d the on e w ho m ore than on ce boxed m e on the e a r s Di Sarli’s first advice was to take care around the many female fans. Look Rufino, yo u 're a professional: don t g e t dow n fr o m the stage, even f o r a glass o f water, a n d save the girls f o r y o u r day off, a n d it's better f o r y o u r voice not to smoke. This advice to a young man whose nickname was Terrem oto - Earthquake - had very little effect. Rufino said, What do y o u w an t m e to do, tw enty years old, a n d a ll the w om en ca p tiva ted by m y voice a n d m y y o u th .5960

59 Roberto Rufino, pl36 60 ibid, pl37

At the same time, Rufino suddenly found himself earning 3,000 pesos a month - a fortune in those days. Even so, one month he spent it all within a week, chasing after a duchess. Finding his pockets empty, he assumed he hadn’t been paid (!) and went to Di Sarli to ask for his wages. Di Sarli was at first angry, but then handed over the money “as if it were nothing”.6162 Rufino did his best to behave like a professional, but he had a carefree nature, and was not a serious, responsible individual. He himself confesses: / was very im m ature. On one occasion, Rufino was playing football with some friends when a car pulled up. A man got out: it was Di Sarli. What are y o u doing, lad? You re p la yin g fo o tb a ll a n d w e are a ll w aitin g f o r y o u a t rehearsal7’2 But Rufino’s exceptional voice and talent made up for these defects in his character. Rufino was an intuitive singer, with great pitch, and a fast learner - he absorbed new repertoire very quickly. Being in a top-flight orchestra was a school for any singer, and Rufino learnt fast. An intriguing detail is that he listened to Di Sarli’s decorations in the piano and tried to reflect them in his voice. As a singer he continued to improve after he left Di Sarli, notably with the FranciniPontier orchestra in which he sang from 1947-1949. It was also in those years that he met his wife Perla Lorenzo, with whom he had a long and happy marriage and who was a great stabilising influence. (She confesses that he captivated her with his rendition of the tango C la veles h la n cos). However, Rufino confesses that his formation as a singer was completed only when, in the early 1960s, he joined the orchestra that was every singer’s dream: that of Anibal Troilo.

61 ibid, pl37 62 ibid, p i34

No showing off In these early recordings, there are no variaciones and very few solos. This turns out to be a feature of the orchestra, an inherit consequence of its restrained style. In Di Sarli’s entire recorded oeuvre we find only one bandoneon va riation , that in El choclo (two recordings: 1953 and 1954). Apart from this, Di Sarli scholars tell us that there are two piano solos: one in the 1941 recording of M i refugio, and the magnificent solo in La cachila - a tango which has a solo written into its composition. Finally, they mention Roberto Guisado’s violin solos in Corazon and the 1945 recording of Tinta verde. Can there really be so few? I listened carefully to the recordings, and the answer is, it depends how long a solo has to be before it counts. Roberto Guisado plays a fine violin solo in the 1942 recording of La cumparsita. But even when we include shorter interventions, we find only a few more: the violin solo in the two recordings following Corazon, which are Retirao and Catamarca, and a very brief violin solo in all three recordings of Λ la gran muneca. There’s also a piano phrase in Germaine, making ten pieces in a recorded repertoire with hundreds of titles. No other orchestra has so few. For “pop” orchestras such as D’Arienzo’s, the variation was the thrilling climax of almost every piece, whilst for those making more sophisticated music, such as Troilo, Calo or Pugliese, the solos provided the occasion for the musical expression that was essential to their music making. In other words, for the other three of the “Big Four” dance orchestras, these elements were indispensable. How on earth does Di Sarli manage without them? Di Sarli provides a climax to each and every tango he performs simply by making a crescendo. This is surely satisfying, because we don't notice the lack of solos until it’s pointed out to us. And because the melodies are carried by the strings, we can barely hear the bandoneons, which means we don’t miss their variaciones.

The romantic repertoire The Di Sarli repertoire is Pilled with stellar tangos that went almost unrecorded by other bands. Viviani, El ingeniero, Germaine, Indio manso and U nafija come immediately to mind, to name just a few. As you may have noticed, these are all instrumentals. There are many works from gu ardia vieja legends such as Arolas, Posadas and Greco. Firpo’s name crops up surprisingly often, either as composer {El amanecer, M arejada, Vea vea, Cuidao con los cincuenta, Didt) or as the person who had popularised a work {La cachila, El polio Ricardo, El estagiario), usually decades earlier. These early works endured because of their originality and creativity, and they often had a broad appeal amongst orchestras making very different styles of music. Di Sarli is not a member of the vanguard, exemplified by the followers of De Caro - Troilo, Pugliese, and Laurenz, but nor is he really a “traditionalist”, like Canaro, Firpo and D’Arienzo. Instead he is a romantic, following the line of Osvaldo Fresedo. Earlier still, we find this romantic mood in the work of Roberto Firpo. His original 1920 recording of his tango Viviani, recorded three times by Di Sarli, bears the legend: Tango sentim ental. Rufino’s repertoire: what are we missing? Even with the “big four” orchestras, we don’t have all their hits on disc. Working dance bands had a much larger repertoire than they could possibly record, but there were other reasons too. At the beginning, a band might not have a recording contract. Later, when a singer left a band, there would often not be time to record a recent hit. Rufino was five years with Di Sarli but in the time he left and returned at least twice, in addition to fulfilling his military service.

El bazar de losjuguetes Rufino’s vocal repertoire, combined with his style of singing, was very demanding on the vocal apparatus. Cascabelito, for example, requires the singer to hit the Bb above middle C - just a fraction below the famous “high C ” which confers a legendary status on opera singers such as Luciano Pavarotti. One Saturday afternoon, singing Alma de bohemio, - the tango with which Rufino always began his performances - on Radio El Mundo, the young singer coughed up blood.63 Di Sarli took him to see Dr Pribluda, who was an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialist consulted by nearly all the singers of the period. Pribluda sent him for a rest cure to the village of Alta Gracia, high in the mountains around the city of Cordoba. Di Sarli made all the arrangements. The newspapers had a field day; one of the tabloids even started a rumour that Rufino only had one lung. Rufino UE1 pibe terremoto” got bored and returned to Buenos Aires after just a week. Podesta was put in charge of looking after him, which would seem to date the episode to 1942. It was many weeks before Rufino came back to the orchestra, and after this he always sang with a handkerchief in his hand, just in case. In the interim, Rufino, accompanied by Podesta, visited Doctor Pribluda frequently. The doctor had a piano in his consulting room, and on one occasion Podesta played a tango he was working on. Rufino helped him finish it, and that’s how the tango El bazar de losjuguetes was born.

63 Osar Marmol: http://tangodemiarrabal.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/el-bazar-delos-juguetes.html

So, what are we missing in the case of Rufino? Well, the big omissions are few, but significant. First of all: Milonguero viejo. That’s right! Di Sarli recorded it four times, and it was the piece that brought Rufino to Di Sarli’s attention. Perhaps he was absent on the day of the recording. The greatest omission however is Di Sarli’s own 1939 composition No mepregunten por que. At the time, it was recorded only by Canaro, who recorded it with the voice of Ernesto Fama in October 1939, a month before the Di Sarli orchestra’s first recording. Di Sarli didn’t manage to record it until 1931. Rufino’s unrecorded repertoire included E lciruja (later recorded by Di Sarli as an instrumental), Discepolo’s Cambalache, and probably also Alma de bandoneon and Buenos Aires, three tangos which Rufino names in an interview as the most popular amongst his public.64

64 Rufino interviewed by the magazine Siete Dias llustrados, 15-10-1973: http://www.magicasruinas.com.ar/revistero/argentina/reportaje-robertorufino.htm

49

C oraz ön (H eart)

11.12.1939

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Carlos Di Sarli lyrics: Hector Marco Early in 1939, Carlos Di Sarli had a tune stuck in his head, one that he had written himself. We know that tune: just listen to it now, and that famous introduction will stick in your head for hours afterwards. Di Sarli needed a lyric for his new tango, but didn’t yet have a regular collaborator. Cayetano Puglisi introduced him to the musician and lyricist Hector Marco. Marco was thirty two years old, but already a veteran of the scene. He had worked extensively on the radio, both as a singer, and also as an actor in radio plays. He’d even tried forming his own orchestra, but gave up when he realised how difficult it was to get musicians to turn up for rehearsals. Di Sarli knew Marco’s work from the v d sA lm a m ia , which he had recorded in 1940, and the tango Q u e n u n ca m e f a l t e (recorded by Laurenz and Tanturi in 1943, but dating from 1937). He now asked Marco if he would like to work with him on a tango. The two went to a bar where Di Sarli began to hum a tune to Marco. According to legend, Marco then said: “I’ve already got the title. It’s Corazon.”6S Why do we like this tango so much? There are many reasons. It has a very catchy tune, one that allows Rufino to fully display his pyrotechnic abilities as a singer.

65 http://www.todotango.com/creadores/biografia/639/Hector-Marco/

Di Sadi’s opening cadence on the piano announces one of the most famous and most important recordings in the history of tango. Di Sarli’s violins immediately display the strong staccato playing so characteristic of his style, and it’s hard to hear the bandoneons. After a brief piano link (O’ l 5”) the melody passes very briefly to the bandoneons - enjoy this while it lasts, because this is something we’re going to hear precious little of in Di Sarli. The melody quickly returns to the strings, now playing legato with wonderful phrasing; listen underneath them to the strong bow work of Domingo Capurro on the double bass. The bass underpins the orchestra, holding it together as a dance outfit with a strict tempo whilst the strong melodies soar above it. Finally they return to staccato playing, Di Sarli repeats his opening cadence, and the introduction is over: everything is prepared for the entrance of the vocalist. Rufino’s performance is astonishing. He seizes the stage with his first notes. When he approaches the end of the first verse, just twenty seconds later, his voice soars into the heavens. It’s a spectacular and thrilling moment. By the end of the performance, Rufino has convinced us that he knows everything about the sufferings of the human heart, when in fact he is just a lad of seventeen years. But let’s also give credit to the tango’s lyricist, Hector Marco: his are the words that Rufino delivers - in a way, he sings through him. Corazan, m e estds m intiendo... corazan, t f o r que lloras? Heart, you 're lyin g to me... heart, w hy are you crying? C orazon is up-tempo, but in key aspects it is pure Di Sarli. When Rufino enters, listen (if you can) not to him, but to the orchestral marcato underneath (the way the orchestra is marking out the beats). The whole band works together to deliver a strong walking beat, which is what makes this tango so easy and so pleasurable to dance to. Listen closely and doesn’t Di Sarli emphasise the odd

beats (1 and 3) just a little more than the others? In other words: don’t you find the Di Sarli m arcato suggestive of Pugliese’s famous yu m b a - just as it was ten years earlier with his sextet? After Rufino has sung a verse and a chorus, we get a short solo: the orchestra’s first violin Roberto Guisado briefly plays a countermelody, but then the bandoneons take the melody and the moment is gone. Then: the strings enter en masse and build to a finish - no crescendo, no variation, nothing. This is something absolutely characteristic of the Di Sarli style, and it works so well that no-one notices until it’s pointed out to them. From the beginning, the band rehearsed intensively and the recording was made in a single take, giving us the feeling of a live performance. Marco was present in the studio. The performance went very well; everyone felt it. Di Sarli stood up from the piano and went over to Marco, telling him: Congratulations. I f y ou like w e can be collaborators fr o m n ow on. The following year the pair produced En u n b eso la v id a , and Marco wrote a new lyric for Di Sarli’s old vals R osam el. Di Sarli had found his song writing partner. Look out for Marco’s name on the band’s recordings, working not only with Di Sarli, but with other composers too. Di Sarli seems to have really liked his simple but honest style.

50

El retirao (The pensioner)

11.12.1939

music: Carlos Posadas The Afro-Argen tine musician Carlos Posadas was one of the greats of the gu ardia vieja. He died in 1918 aged just 44, leaving behind a small but original and influential repertoire which was re­ popularised in the early days of the dance revolution by Di Sarli (El retirao, Eljagiiel) and Troilo (Cordon de oro, El tamango). The standout feature of El retirao is the strong arrastre (zhum !) with which the orchestra introduce each line of the verse: listen especially to the repeat of the main motif at O’ 13”. In the chorus, Di Sarli adds a beautiful descending piano run under the violins (0’44”), although the powerful left hand is not yet much in evidence. This being an old instrumental, there is not just a verse (A) and a chorus (B), but also a third section or m o (C). After this, Guisado then takes the melody solo for the repeat of the A section, and we can appreciate his beautiful, woody tone. Solos on both sides of a Di Sarli disc? Enjoy it. This is the first time this ever happened, but also the last. In the future, Di Sarli will usually play these melodies soli, i.e. by the whole violin section, rather than just by a single instrument.

The orchestra o f the year (1940)

For the carnival dances of February 1940, Di Sarli was engaged for the carnival dances by Racing Club, one of the “Big Five” Argentine football clubs and thus one of the most prestigious carnival venues. With Rufino as its singer, the orchestra enjoyed a sensational triumph. The press lauded Di Sarli as the “King of Tango” and the “leading director of the year”. A second singer? No, not really Early in 1940, a magazine article shows a large picture of Carlos Di Sarli rehearsing the singer Antonio Rodriguez Lesende. Is it a second singer for Di Sarli? No, not at all: the article says that Rodriguez Lesende is substituting for Rufino during the latter’s illness. This seems plausible enough, and we know that Rufino had voice problems at one time (probably 1942), but Rufino had so many absences from the orchestra that it’s hard to take this statement at face value. Whatever the reason, Di Sarli needed a temporary replacement for Rufino. The man chosen was Antonio Rodriguez Lesende - the singer who had famously turned down Anibal Troilo/’6 As stand-ins go, Rodriguez Lesende was top drawer: the only reason he wasn’t already singing with an orchestra was that he didn’t want to, because of the6

66 Michael Lavocah: Tango Masters, Anibal Troilo, pl5

late nights and long hours. In this case, the stint was only planned to be a short one, until Rufino could return. Rodriguez Lesende s one recording with Di Sarli, Milonga del centenario (4th April 1940) reveals a voice that is quite similar to RuPino’s: romantic and lyrical, able to soar, more mature than Rufino, although perhaps less dramatic. Once Rufino returns to work, Rodriguez Lesende departs. Todo el Mundo al Marabu The orchestra’s success at the carnival dances opened the doors of the prestigious Marabu nightclub for them. Di Sarli made his debut there on the 20th July 1940. Here he became so popular with the clientele that he played there not for weeks but for years, his name becoming indelibly associated with the venue. However, Rufino has disappeared on another adventure, and Di Sarli is again forced to find a temporary replacement for a couple of months. This time the man chosen is Agustin Volpe, very much in the mould of Rodriguez Lesende, but he’s not Rufino. He makes one recording, the vals Ausencia, and then, like Rodriguez Lesende before him, he departs. D’Arienzo: still king o f the beat At the end of the 1930s, Buenos Aires has been dancing to D’Arienzo’s tune, which was as we know one played at a rapid tempo. All the orchestras had to follow this, producing music that was exciting but not always in character. This is something we can hear very clearly in Di Sarli’s instrumentals in 1940. In the early part of the year, interpretations such as Catamarca and El opio, successful enough at the time to merit selection for recording, today seem just a bit too busy - an effect exacerbated by the transfers we have, which are often a little bit too fast. In the later part of the year, however, works such as El polio Ricardo, Shusheta and Nobleza de arrab al have a different stamp. Di Sarli maintains the excitement through the staccato playing in his violins and the use of jazzy rhythms, but the

tempo has slowed. With the benefit of hindsight, this is the period where the influence of D’Arienzo on Di Sarli is at its most felicitous. Verdi re-joins The orchestra was expanding and, swallowing his pride, Di Sarli went to see Felix Verdi to ask him to come back. Verdi had just formed his own orchestra with Cannataro on piano. Leading the bandoneon section was Ismael Spitalnik (who had also played in the Novel). The band had a full schedule of dances arranged and was about to appear on Radio El Mundo. When Di Sarli told Verdi that he needed him, Verdi immediately abandoned all his plans. A Di Sarli milonga goes unpublished There are precious few Di Sarli milongas, and the sheet music for the 1940 milonga M ilo n g a d e lo s p o r te n o s (“the milonga of the year!”) declares a Di Sarli recording - but there isn’t one, and no-one else recorded it.6 It’s impossible to know whether the recording actually took place: the most likely chain of events is that it was planned, but that Di Sarli had a bigger hit in the meantime, which was more important to record. Certainly, the year has no shortage of hits.67

67 Johan Vindevogel on TangoTeca: http://users.telenet.be/tangoteca/discos_perdidos_o_fantäsmas/index2.html

51

Catamarca

09.02.1940

music: Eduardo Arolas Pugliese described the repertoire of his orchestra as rooted in what he called the ‘ABC’ of the gu ardia vieja: Eduardo Arolas, Agustin Bardi, & Juan Carlos Cobiän. Here is our first clue that this trio inspired Carlos Di Sarli as well. Arolas has a reputation for coming up with punchy tunes, and Catamarca is no exception. But what are we to make of this instrumental? Up-tempo and vigorous, it opens with such a strong staccato beat that it puts many listeners in mind of D’Arienzo, although it has much more rhythmic interest. It’s impossible to track the evolution of the piece’s interpretations, as despite the fact that it was composed at least twenty years earlier, this is its first recording. The melody is a little more complex than some of his other tunes, and there are few recordings. Di Sarli embraces this complexity and develops it. Much as we like listening to the result, it is too complex for many dancers today. But listen closely, and there are some revealing hints about what is to come in this music. In particular I’m referring to the unexpected piano accompaniment that suddenly appears behind the opening phrase just five seconds into the piece. This descending phrase is in groups of three notes, which cut across the pattern of four beats to the bar - an early example of the polyrhythm to which Di Sarli would return in 1943 in a far more subtle form. From the outset the violins show - even more than they do in El retirao - how Di Sarli is the king of staccato playing in the violins. Roberto Guisado, for the third and final time in these early orchestra recordings, plays a fine violin countermelody solo in the repeats of the verse (0’58” and again Γ55”). All the same, the atmosphere created by this tango is not typical of Di Sarli and the musical line he will follow. What we are hearing

here, especially in the fast pace, is the influence of Juan D’Arienzo. The recording is interesting rather than satisfying, and does not really have a Di Sarlian character. About the title: Catamarca is a province of Argentina but also the name of a street in Buenos Aires where Arolas and his group were playing in a casita, a little house - a euphemism for a small brothel.68 52

Milonga del sentimiento (Milonga o f feeling)

0 9 .0 2 .1 9 4 0

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Juan Carlos Barbara words: Rafael Dadino This little known milonga - never reprinted on CD by RCA-Victor - is effectively Di Sarli’s riposte to anyone who finds his style too restrained. Here he allows himself to let rip as a pianist with complete abandon, playing not just with great touch, but with great speed. Di Sarli dominates the piece from start to finish, and the speed and aggression of his runs in the B section make my arms hurt just imagining what it took to play them. Di Sarli’s famous left hand is less in evidence than usual, but listen closely just after Rufino steps away from the microphone and you’ll hear him crash into the bass whilst simultaneously executing an upward glissando (slide). Yes: for once in his life, Di Sarli is just showing off. The lyric, unsurprisingly for a piece with such a cheeky, com padrito style, is nothing special - and it’s the only weak lyric in the entire Di Sarlian repertoire.

68 Roberto Seiles & Nestor Pinson writing about the tango Argafiaraz, whose name has a similar origin. See: Argaharaz, its story and its lyrics, http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/596/Arganaraz-its-storyand-its-lyrics/

54

La trilla (The threshing)

15.02.1940

music: Eduardo Arolas I discovered the meaning of this word on the Buenos Aires subway, which is richly decorated with murals made from wall tiles. One scene depicts a wheat harvest in the argentine countryside. Next to the threshers is written: La trilla: the threshing.69 This had long been a subject for folk songs in the countryside of all nations; in la gran aldea, the big village (an early nickname for Buenos Aires), it now became a tango. As soon as we see the name of Arolas we expect a strong and original composition, and the work does not disappoint. The piece is another one championed by Firpo, who had recorded it back in 1916, and then again with hisgu a rd ia vieja quartet in 1936. I fancy it would have been in the repertoire of all the bands at this time. Di Sarli’s violins are super staccato, but the real feature of the recording is how easy it is to follow the bowed double bass of Domingo Capurro: listen for example to the fabulous descending bass run half way through the first section (O’ 12”). This is an up-tempo tango, and Di Sarli’s piano decorations fairly punctuate the phrases —no “little bells” here! Listen as well for the moments when his left hand combines with the double bass, e.g. when the violins switch from legato to staccato in the verse (0’34”). The walking beat is getting stronger.

69 This scene is at the station Facultad de Medecina on Linea D. The scene is one of three depicting scenes from rural Rosario in 1836. See: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facultad_de_MedicinaJSubte_de_Buenos_Aires)

55

C osas o lv id a d a s (F o rgotten th in gs)

19.06.1940

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Antonio Rodio words: Jose Maria Contursi Son cosas olvidadasy esos viejos am ores y a l evoca r tiem pos m ejores se van nublando nuestras miradas. They a re forgotten things, these o ld loves a n d in evok ing better tim esy ou r gaz e clouds over Contursi, he of the Gricel story 0, warns us of the dangers of looking back - obviously, the forgotten things are not as forgotten as we would wish. The arrangement is a simple but powerful dialogue between Rufino’s voice and the violins. Rufino, despite the fact that Di Sarli liked his singers to sing in strict tempo, manages to form his phrases quite freely. This first comes at the end of his first stanza (Γ 0 4 ”): P arece que fu e ay er —It seems like it was yesterday. Listen closely, and you’ll hear that he keeps this free phrasing throughout his interpretation. In the recording of this tango that you are listening to, Rufino’s voice may well sound even higher and more excited than it was in real life: this is one of those recordings that has suffered badly from being accelerated when it was transferred to LP and later to CD. For a less frantic, more natural sounding version, head over to Age Akkerman’s blog. 170

70 Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aniba! Troilo, pp64-67 71 Age Akkerman: Di Sarli - Cosas olvidadas, in a hurry: http://tangodjduo.nl/disarli-cosas-olvidadas-in-a-hurry/

60

M ilo n g u e ro v ie jo (O ld m ilo n g u er o )

04.07.1940

music: Carlos Di Sarli In 1940, Di Sarli finally recorded his tribute to Fresedo, M ilo n g u ero v i e jo , written back in 1928. We know that this number belonged to Rufino’s repertoire, so it’s noteworthy that when Di Sarli finally recorded it, he did so as an instrumental. What could be the reason? This is pure speculation, but the discography strongly suggests that Rufino was absent from the band during July and August, off on one of his periodic adventures, or possibly ill. It was usual to record at least one vocal number on each session - but that didn’t happen on this one. The following month, there is one, the vals A u sen cia , but it’s recorded by Agustin Volpe. Volpe has not been chosen as a contrasting vocalist; he is very much in the mould of Rufino, and is clearly his replacement. It’s possible that Rufino was meant to record this number, but was absent on the day. As well as being Di Sarli’s tribute to Fresedo, M ilo n g u e ro v ie jo is important for another reason: it’s the only number that Di Sarli recorded four times with this orchestra, enabling us to track the developing style of the band, in particular, the gradual shift from a D’Arienzo inspired fast tempo to a slower, richer and more melodic sound. This recording is fast, but not as fast as what we hear on the records. The sheet music is in the key of E major, as are all Di Sarli’s recordings, except the last one from 1955. This has been pitched up a tone to F#, to make it sound more brilliant. In Di Sarli’s arrangement, the final repeat of the verse is really special. The introductory phrase begins as usual with the melody in the violins, but then, as it passes to the piano, the whole orchestra falls silent (Γ 43”), creating an atmosphere of expectation. Di Sarli preserves this in the 1944 and 1952 recordings, but in the 1955

version, it’s gone: for some reason, Di Sarli gives the melody to the bandoneons. They play it very softly, and the moment loses power. My favourite version is the 1952 one. Returning to the present recording: notice how, as the orchestra starts up again after this moment of silence, Di Sarli begins to jazz things up in the piano. The increase of energy that this provides is all that Di Sarli gives us by way of a crescendo: a few seconds later, the verse concludes, and the performance is over. 64

El p o lio R ica rd o (R ica rd o ‘The ch ick en ')

23.09.1940

music: Luis Fernandez This exciting instrumental, another tango brought to Buenos Aires from Uruguay by Roberto Firpo, is an important recording because it’s the one which really reveals the special way Di Sarli combines the bandoneons with the violins to produce his unique arrastre - the driver of the Di Sarli walking beat. In the first half of the chorus (beginning 0 28”), the violins fairly tear into their strings, with playing so staccato that it might remind us of the percussive bite of Pugliese. We can listen to the recording made in 1917 by the Ferrer-Filipotto sextet to hear what inspired Di Sarli. 2 However, inside this sharp exterior we can hear some soft notes: the bandoneons. This is the special Di Sarli formula: violins playing staccato on the outside, supported by the bandoneons playing softly on the outside. It’s the musical equivalent of a boiled sweet with a soft centre. After a highly syncopated trio, the tango repeats the chorus. The first part of this has the same violin-bandoneon Notice how, when27

72 Victor 69421-B [matrix B-19502], recorded in New York 17/1/1917 http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/700004110/B-19052EI_pollo_Ricardo

Di Sarli takes the melody in his piano, it’s the violins which play the sincopa underneath (Γ 40” - Γ55”). Often in Di Sarli it’s the other way round, but never is it the whole orchestra all together - that would be D’Arienzo. After this repeat, the verse is repeated again with a soaring countermelody in the violins. 65

Shusheta (Thefop)

08.10.1940

music: Juan Carlos Cobian The accelerated tempo forced on Di Sarli by D’Arienzo sometimes produced results which were not very Di Sarlian in character, but there were much happier consequences, such as the tango we just listened to, ElpoUo Ricardo. Shusheta is another such example. If you remember D’Agostino’s 1945 performance with Angel Vargas, you might be thinking that Di Sarli has dispensed with Cadicamo’s charming lyric. However, the truth is that Cadicamo hasn’t written it yet; Cobian wrote this as an instrumental in 1920, and the reference for this present interpretation is Cobian’s own instrumental recording from 1923. I urge you to listen to that version, because the two performances are remarkably similar. Cobian is a fine pianist, but it’s what he does with the violins that should strike us as an inspiration to Di Sarli; if anything, he likes the violins even more. They take the melody, playing either legato or pizzicato, sometimes in layers, whilst the bandoneons simply double them. Now let’s listen to Di Sarli’s interpretation. It runs: A B A B A , and each A section is bracketed by a descending figure - an intro and outro, if you like. What Di Sarli does to Cobian’s interpretation is to add rhythmic staccato playing to the violins and to jazz up the accompaniment of the double bass and the piano. The descending figure in the introduction is handled by the violins playing pizzicato, doubled by high bell like notes in Di Sarli’s right hand, whilst the

double bass syncopates underneath. The violins then tear into the melody, often playing with a strong arrastrey whilst Di Sarli’s piano crashes around the bass notes. Very quickly the melody is handed to the bandoneons (O’ 10”) - a rarity in this orchestra - whom the violins accompany with rhythmic effects. The B section completely changes the character of the piece. The violins now sing out legato, lightening the mood. Each repeat of the A section emphasises the rhythmic play still further - in the final repeat we hear them accompany with chicharray the scratching sound produced by playing behind the bridge. To close the piece, Di Sarli takes the descending figure but treats it differently. No high piano notes, no pizzicato, but the violins at the forefront playing a simple, descending counter-melody, whilst the bandoneons and piano accompany, playing the melody gendy in the background. It’s a prefiguration of the weeping violins that we will come to associate so with the orchestra.

10 Charlemos (1941)

1941: Another record breaking year Carnival, the week of celebration before the beginning of lent, was not just a big party. It was big business as well. The orchestras charged ever larger sums, but the organisations that booked them, mostly sports clubs, made profits as well - profits they could use to develop their facilities. For 1941, Di Sarli had signed a contract to play the carnival dances at Club Atlanta, agreeing a free of 14,000 pesos for 7 dances - a fabulous sum, previously unheard of. A club in Rosario now offered Club Atlanta 5,000 pesos to break their contract.73 They refused, and in fact turned a profit of 17,000 pesos on the dances, which enabled them to pay for a new dance floor. When this was reported in the papers it increased the competition for the top bands even further. 74 Rufino - more star struck than ever Rufino continued to go from success to success. Di Sarli bought him a brand new Pontiac, saying: “A singer doesn’t travel to gigs on the tram!’’ Famously, Rufino promptly forgot where he’d parked it and the car was found for him by the local police. By way of thanks, Rufino - who may have been irresponsible, but could also be 73 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2740 74 ibid p2744

generous - spent his next free evening singing for everyone down at the police station. In June 1941 Rufino split from Di Sarli to join the unknown orchestra of Alfredo Salvador Fanuele, with whom he had the chance to join a tour of Chile. s Young, and overwhelmed by the success and adulation that his success with Di Sarli had already brought him, Rufino’s head was easily turned by this offer. Di Sarli hired the singer Carlos Acuna to cover the vacancy.7576 Acuna was reasonably well received by the public but he lacked Rufino’s star quality. His single recording with the orchestra, C u a n d o e l a m o r m u e r e , (from August of that year), displays a voice that is adequate, but that fails to soar as Rufino’s had done. By October Rufino was back, but Acuna was kept on as a second singer: photographs show both men present in the orchestra. Acuna found himself very much the second singer, and quit at the end of the year.77

75 Tino Diez, Roberto Rufino: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/tino_rufino.htm 76 Roberto Rufino, p20 77 Oscar del Priore: Los cantores del tango, p p l21-123

71

18.02.41

72

18.02.41

73

06.03.41

74

06.03.41

75

18.04.41

76

18.04.41

77

20.05.41

78

20.05.41

79

06.06.41

80

06.06.41

81

21.06.41

82

21.06.41

83

16.07.41

84

16.07.41

85

02.08.41

86

02.08.41

87

03.10.41

88

03.10.41

89

20.11.41

90

20.11.41

91

03.12.41

92

03.12.41

93

11.12.41

94

11.12.41

95

26.12.41

Charlemos Pena mulata La cachila Cortando camino El estagiario Mi refugio Bien frappe Marianito Cascabelito Patotero La torcacita Griseta Marejada Germaine Cuando el amor muere Sentimiento criollo Don Juan El cielo en tus ojos La mulateada La morocha Zorzal El recodo El paladin Y hasta el cardo tiene flor Lo mismo que antes

milonga

Rufino Rufino

vals

Rufino

Rufino Rufino Rufino Rufino

Acuna

milonga

Rufino Rufino

milonga

Rufino

Rufino

Table 3: Carlos Di Sarli 1941 recordings A glance at the discography shows that, as in 1940, more than half of the band’s recordings in 1941 are still instrumental, very much against the trend of the time. Di Sarli, it seems, is still not yet quite ready to fully embrace the vocal tango.

71

Charlemos (Let’s chat)

18 .02.19 4 1

vocals: Roberto RuPino words and music: Luis Rubistein A man tries to call a girl he has met, Renee, 8 but she’s given him a false number. Don t h an g up, he says to the woman who answers; let's y o u a n d I chat. They talk in the grey afternoon, until the woman says, Shall w e m eet? - Oh n o, says the man: it's better like this: you see, I'm blind. The text is a nice example of the tango lyric as a story in three minutes, complete with a final twist. As this performance became known, people started ringing the telephone number mentioned in the lyric (Retiro 6011), which turned out to be the number of the Retiro railway station. Rubistein then changed the number and when the soloist Ignacio Corsini recorded the tango in March, he asks for Belgrano 6011. Corsini’s interpretation was a big success, and it’s thanks to him that the tango became really popular, one of the big hits of the year. Today however it’s Di Sarli’s version which is lauded by the modern public. The special pleasure of the recording comes in the way the orchestra accompany Rufino in the chorus (beginning 1’26”). The violins sing a countermelody under his voice, which Di Sarli’s piano then joins with a rolling bass figure. When Rufino steps away from the microphone, these elements move to the foreground ( 213 ”), whilst the bandoneons play the melody in a rhythmic but gentle fashion, so gently that one barely notices them. Somehow this is satisfying enough that we are not surprised when the piece ends at the end of the phrase, after just two and a half minutes.78

78 As so often, it's a French name, France being the byword for sophistication in the "Paris of the South".

72

Penam ulata The sorrow o f a mulatto woman

18.02.1941

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Sebastian Piana words: Homero Manzi This m ilonga can dom be sounds rather jolly, as they all do, but look at the title: Pena m ulata (mulatto being an old word for someone of mixed race). Manzi is going to give us something different. The story is set in “El barrio del tambor”, the barrio of drums - in other words, one of the Afro-Argentine neighbourhoods (probably somewhere around the district of San Telmo). A black woman (she has “piel de carbon” - skin the colour of coal) has given birth to a little girl of mixed race. But the girl is now an orphan: her mother was murdered, and her father lost his life trying to avenge the death. This is one of several milongas by Homero Manzi talking about the lives of the Afro-Argentine population in Argentina: think of Negra M arta (Demare, Fresedo, 1941), Papa Baltasar (Troilo 1942) and Ropa blanca (Malerba, Troilo, Demare 1943). All of them have tough, socially aware lyrics.73 73

La cachila \La cachirla (The pipit)

06.03.1941

music: Eduardo Arolas La cachila was one of the most original works produced by the creative genius of Eduardo Arolas. It seems to have been presented a challenge to musicians, because there are relatively few interpretations, and the more traditional orchestras avoided it. A review of its performances reveals the slow unfolding of the potential latent within the composition.

This 1941 interpretation by Di Sarli captures the piece at its moment of greatest transformation. Di Sarli’s piano is everywhere, and his mad solo in the B section (0*37” and again at Γ44”), in which he crashes freely around the whole keyboard whilst the rest of the orchestra waits in silence, is a tour de force. The music may say “piano solo”, but what Arolas then wrote down was nothing like this. Despite allowing himself the freedom of this solo, Di Sarli and the orchestra maintain their discipline. When we return to the A section for the final time (2 Ί 4 ”), the volume is brought right in: the strings play quietly in staccato, whilst Di Sarli plays a sparse countermelody on the keyboard. Then he can’t contain himself any longer: he rushes up the keyboard and the strings join him in a sudden but brief crescendo. As they fall back, the bandoneons play the final phrase underneath. And that’s it - it’s over. The modulation between abandon and restraint is masterful, defining this interpretation and creating its excitement. A word about the title: there are two possible meanings in South American Spanish. La cachila or La cachirla is a small grassland bird, the short-billed pipit (Anthus furcatus). However, in Uruguay it can also refer to an old jalopy. People have been arguing about the meaning ever since. According to one story, Arolas was playing the piece at a dance hall when his violinist Rafael Tuegols, watching one of the dancers, exclaimed: “Look at this guy creeping about! He looks like a cach ila.” The piece had not yet received a title, and the name stuck. 979

79 Oscar del Priore & Irene Amuchastegui, Cien Tangos fundamentales, pp80-81

75

E l esta g ia rio (T h e in te rn )

18.04.1941

music: Martin Lasala Älvarez Lasala Alvarez was a Uruguayan medical doctor who completed his medical studies in Paris, where stagiaire was the local word for a trainee or intern. It s thought that he wrote this tango in 1916. Roberto Firpo performed it in Montevideo together with El p o lio R ica rd o. Both were successful and he brought them to Argentina, recording them there in 1917. After this we find it recorded by Edgardo Donato in 1938. Di Sarli’s interpretation lacks the hurried feeling that we notice in some of his other early instrumentals. It manages to combine Donato’s playfulness with the romantic sensibility of Firpo. For evidence of the former, listen to his jazzy 3-3-2 syncopations in the left hand of the piano in the second half of both the verse (0 1 5 ”) and the chorus (0’42”); for the latter, listen to the romance of the violins in the trio section (0’55” - Γ25”). There’s also a cute, and unusual, moment at the end of the trio when the whole band falls silent and the double bass plucks two notes to mark the end of the section (Γ 25”), reinforced only by the left hand of the piano. The piece remained in the Di Sarli repertoire, but sadly he didn’t record it again. Why sadly? The piece has a lovely countermelody in the final repeat of the verse (Donato also uses it, so it must be in the sheet music). The majesty of these counter-melodies doesn’t emerge until the slower pace of Di Sarli’s later interpretations; it would have been wonderful to have had a 1950s version. To finish with, a little curiosity: the tangos on this disc (Victor 39266), which had M i r e fu g io on the B side, were also released in England by HMV!

79

C ascabelito (Jingle bell)

06.06.1941

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Jose Bohr words: Juan Andres Caruso A cascabel is a jingle bell, one of those little round bells that we associate with Christmas; the sheet music shows a kiss reflected in one of these bells. The lyric tells us of a flirtatious night of carnival, ending in an enchanting kiss. Now the girl is gone; she herself is the flighty little bell of the lyric.80 Bohr mirrors the lightness of the lyric with a melody that flies up into the very highest part of Rufmo’s vocal range, where Rufino hits a high Bt> with no apparent effort. Di Sarli portrays the tinkling sound of the jingle bell in his piano. This is the effect that tangueros call campanita> little bell. Di Sarli finishes the piece with an instrumental section. As usual, there is no solo: Di Sarli simply plays the cam panita one more time, leaving us with the sound of the little bell. It’s so successful that we associate the title not with the lyric, but with Di Sarli’s piano. 80

Patotero (Patotero sentimental) (Sentimental tough guy)

06.06.1941

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Manuel Joves words: Manuel Romero There are a couple of tango canciones from the 1920s in Rufino’s repertoire that were more associated not with the great Carlos 80 Michael Krugman on Tango Decoder: http://www.tangodecoder.com/2016/08/subtitled-tango-43-cascabelitopugliesemaciel-1955.html

Gardel, the greatest tango singer of all times, but with his rival Ignacio Corsini. One is Griseta\ the other is the one that made Corsini’s reputation: P a to tero sen tim en ta l. The lyric is unusually frank in its description of the Argentine macho. In South American Spanish patota means a boisterous crowd of friends - boys from good homes who misbehave because they know that their families’ reputation will stop them from getting into any real trouble. A patotero is a member of such a crowd. So this tough guy is not a loner: he’s got the company of his friends. He’s the rey d e l bailongo, the king of the dance hall. But his smiling countenance covers up the fact that he simply feels like crying. The years are going by, and he’s still alone. He confesses to himself: En m i vida tuve muchas, m uchas minus p ero nunca una m ujer... In m y life I v e h ad lots a n d lots o f girlfrien ds but n ever a real wom an Worse is to come: once there was someone who really loved him, but he dumped her. She wept, and all his mates looked at him as if he were mad, but he was too proud to change his mind. In a modern world populated more than ever by singletons, this seems to me a lyric for our times. In this arrangement, Di Sarli constantly changes the instrumental colour from the outset. The introduction opens with violin legato, switching rapidly to bandoneons with violin pizzicato. Then, as the violins play rhythmically, Di Sarli’s famous left hand drives the tango forward with great force (0 1 6 ”), but after just a few moments, he dissolves the tension this generates with some delicate notes, only to play forcefully again. When Rufino enters, Di Sarli maintains this change of colour behind his voice. In the second part of the sung verse (Γ46 ”), the

violins climb high, competing for our attention and adding a majestic touch. 81

La to r ca cita (T h e lit tle p ig e o n )

21.06.1941

music: Jose Martinez Where does Di Sarli get these from?! La torcaza is a pigeon resembling the European wood pigeon; its English name is the “eared dove”. On the cover of the sheet music we see it perching on a branch outside a ranch in the countryside. This rural connection might make you think that this is an old tango, and you’d be right: Augusto Berto recorded it with his Quinteto Criollo Augusto back in 1913. The tango was never a big hit but it must have remained in the public mind: Enrique Rodriguez recorded it in 1940, although his interpretation is not especially interesting or memorable. Whether from Rodriguez or from some other source, Di Sarli was inspired to make his own interpretation (as with E lesta g ia rio ) and the results are marvellous. This is an old style instrumental in five sections: A B A C A. In the trio section (C), listen to how Di Sarli jazzes things up by breaking into a 3-3-2 syncopation (Γ 57”). The interpretation is by no means old-fashioned: with its slower pace and sudden crescendos, this tango combines better with tangos from the later part of the forties, such as La ra c h a , than it does with Di Sarli’s other instrumentals from this time. 84

G erm a in e

16.07.1941

music: Alberto Lopez Buchardo Alberto Lopez Buchardo was one of those scions of wealthy families who, at the turn of the century, travelled to Paris to live the bohemian life. There he became a key figure in the spread of the

tango. Around 1911, Lopez Buchardo was present at the sophisticated Parisian salon of the Marquise de Reske along with the Argentine playboy Ricardo Giiiraldes. When asked about the music of their native Argentina, the two men decided to make an impromptu demonstration. Lopez Buchardo sat down at the piano and played El en tr e r r ia n o , whilst Giiiraldes, taking a society lady who had never danced tango as his partner, danced a tango in front of the astonished audience. This event has entered history as the night tango was launched in Paris: a pivotal event in the history of our beloved genre. Lopez Buchardo composed a number of tangos during his stay, many of them with French titles. The one that achieved the greatest fame was named for a French woman: G erm a in e. Sadly, Lopez Buchardo did not live to hear Di Sarli’s interpretation - the only one by a dance orchestra - because he died of tuberculosis in 1918, at just 36 years of age. Di Sarli recorded G erm a in e three times: this 1941 recording is the first. The arrangement sounds playful, both in the violins, which have lots of pizzicato, and especially in the piano, which is everywhere in this performance. Despite the three big opening chords, this is one of those tangos that does not wow you on first listening, but slowly gets under your skin. I asked myself why, so I started analysing it and made a startling discovery: the verse does not have four lines, like every verse in the history of tango music, but fiv e . Count them with me. Three big chords and some pizzicato: that’s the first line (of eight strong beats). The bandoneons reply; that’s the second line. Three big chords again: that’s the third line. Then suddenly the mood shifts, and we get a new melody, inside the verse itself, presented in violin pizzicato. That’s the fourth line, and then it repeats: that’s the fifth. A five line verse with two tunes: not usual.

Now you want to know: is this Di Sarli’s idea, or is it in the original music? I listened to Eduardo Arolas’s recording from the 1910s and - go on, make a guess - it’s there too; Lopez Buchardo wrote a five line verse, and it works just beautifully. Next comes the chorus, with plenty of jazzy touches in the piano, and a trio, Then the verse is repeated: again, a five line verse, but with its second melody presented delicately in the piano (2’00”). At the end of this section, Di Sarli makes a beautiful descending run on the piano (2’ 15”), and then repeats the verse again , this time with a violin countermelody. So, Eve extolled the virtues of this arrangement - I am presenting it to you as a neglected masterpiece? Well, I prefer the pace and balance of the 1952 version (see p i67). Those for whom playfulness is the most important aspect may prefer this up-tempo 1941 recording. But there is one strange thing about this recording: at the end of the verse (0 38”), isn’t there a beat missing at the end of the piano bridge joining the verse to the chorus? This is not a mistake on the transfer, but is present on the shellac; it sounds like a physical error on the master. This was not unheard of, but normally such a mistake would have been detected, and a second take made.89 89

La m u la tea d a [m ] (T h e m u la tto g a n g )

20.11.1941

music: Juan Pesce words: Julio Eduardo Del Puerto M ilo n g a d e ls e n tim ie n t o gave us a clue about what milonga means for Di Sarli: a simpler interpretation (as it is for Troilo and Pugliese also) but one in which the piano has a bigger role than normal, and the violins a smaller one. And in La m u la tea d a , as in some other Di Sarli milongas, this means a greater, more traditional role for

the bandoneons as well. Listen to how they drive this milonga forward: after the briefest of introductions - a riff tossed between the piano and the bandoneons, not the violins - it’s the bandoneons who lead us off. The bandoneon section must have loved playing this at a live set, after all the restraint of the tangos. 90

La m o r o ch a (T h e b r u n ette )

20.11.1941

music: Enrique Saborido words: Angel Villoldo This is a very simple tango; has it got enough content for Di Sarli to do something with it, especially when taken at a slow pace? The answer of course is yes. Compared to his 1954 recording on RCA-Victor, this early version has less dramatic sweep. With fewer violins present than in later line-ups of the band, the bandoneons take a bit more space: in the first repeat of the verse (Γ00 -) they play the melody, very low, but interjecting a pair of very high notes into the long gaps between the phrases. It’s a kind of call-and-response, but sparse and spacious, very different from the way that call-and-response is used by Canaro, a master of that technique. This is a tango that Di Sarli kept in his repertoire for his entire career, recording it three times. One commentator remarked: Di Sarli must have loved brunettes. Take a look at the family photograph on p207, and you’ll see that his wife and daughters are all brunette.

91

Z orzal (The thrush)

0 3 . 12.1941

vocals: Roberto Rufino words and music: Dorita Zarate This is the ultimate phrased milonga, with superb cadencia and swing. Orient yourself to the phrases, and you’ll hear that they are all 4 beats long - except at the end of each section (each verse or chorus), when the band play a single phrase with just 2 beats, just to check that you are still awake. The strong phrasing and constant repetition creates a hypnotic feeling; this is a very different conception of milonga from that being pursued by other orchestras. The only thing remotely similar is D’Agostino’s E lp o r te n ito .

11 Alberto Podesta (1942)

a

An inconvenience: Rufino is called up On the 6rhJanuary 1942, Rufino turned 20 years old and had to fulfil his military service. La colim ba, as it is known in Argentina, could last up to fourteen months, but for Rufino it seems to have been no more than six, and it was not an arduous affair. Such was his celebrity that, instead of performing the chores of the average conscript (run, clean, sweep - co n e, lim pia, b a n e , hence co-lim -ba ), it was enough for him to sing for his supper. In addition, he was often given leave to sing with the orchestra at the weekends. When this was not possible, it was given out that he was ill. All the same, Di Sarli needed to take action. On the 3rdJanuary, three days before his birthday, Di Sarli rushed him into the studio to record a single tango, Noche de cam aval (Otra vez cam aval). From the title we can surmise that this was intended for the forthcoming carnival dances, which were still six weeks away. More importantly, Di Sarli now urgently needed a second singer. Even if Rufino was released for the dances at weekends - something which could not be relied upon - he still needed a singer for the band’s busy schedule, which included performances in the cabarets and on the radio. When it came to his vocalists, Di Sarli was almost as discerning as Troilo, and his choice would create another of the

great partnerships of the 1940s, one that in time would even rival that of Di Sarli with Rufino. Alberto Podestä In 1941, Miguel Calo made just four recordings, all with a sixteen year old singer whose stage name was Juan Carlos Morel. One of these numbers was a polka, but the other three are often heard in milongas all over the world: the tangos Yo s o y e l ta n g o and D os fr a c a s o s , and the vals B a jo u n c ie lo d e estrella s. Perhaps you’ve guessed that the vocalist in question is today better known as Alberto Podestä. Miguel Calo and his brothers owned a cabaret called “Singapur” on Montevideo, just off Corrientes, and that’s where the band performed most nights. One evening in January 1942, just before their set, somebody brought the young singer a business card, saying that the gentleman would like to meet Podestä after the show. The name on the card was Sr Angel Väzquez, Carlos Di Sarli’s agent. This could mean only one thing - the possibility of singing with the Di Sarli orchestra. Podestä confessed that he was shaking with nerves for the entire evening, but that he sang as never before. “Imagine, to have the chance of singing with Di Sarli before I was eighteen. It was like a dream come true!”81

81 Jose Damiani, Alberto Podestb's memories: http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/121/Podesta-AlbertoPodestas-memories/

Accepting was an easy decision to take, and Podesta handed in his notice to Calo, who was far from pleased. But this promotion meant a big increase in both pay and prestige for Podesta. Calo had been paying Podesta 250 pesos a month, but Di Sarlfs offer was 350 for every show at the Marabu cabaret, as well as 250 for every radio performance and 30-35 pesos for each dance. All in all, he was taking home 1300 pesos a month.82 Podesta commented: “It was like earning $10,000!” 83 Podesta had been singing under the name Juan Carlos Morel, but Di Sarli was not much taken with this and asked what his parents’ surnames were. The reply came that his father’s name was Ale - a Turkish name, and thus a clear non-starter for a stage name, all were agreed - whilst his mother’s name, Podesta, was quite common in show business. Di Sarli replied: “Lad, from now on you’ll be Alberto Podesta and of all those who sing with that surname you’ll be the only one to do so for a long time”. 82 Jose Maria Otero on Tangos al bardo: http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/alberto-podesta.html 83 Tino Diez on Terapia tanguera: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/tino_podesta.htm

Podestä signed with Di Sarli on Is' January, 1942 and recalls that the numbers he sang at his first rehearsal (at the Imperio) were Buenos Aires, Cosas olvidadas (already recorded by Rufino in 1940) and the vals Rosas de otono,8485 Podesta’s entry to the orchestra was a mixed experience. There were many benefits. As well as the fame and the prestige, and the possibility to meet many new people (such as the star players of the River Plate Football Club), he willingly confessed that he improved as a singer: Di Sarli, like Troilo, knew how to get the most out of his vocalists. The advice of the two men was remarkably similar. Just as Troilo told Goyeneche to “speak” the lyric, Di Sarli advised his new singer not to expend his vocal “capital” when he performed, but to sing only with the “interest”.8^ “When one sang a bit strong, Di Sarli would shout: Interest, lad, interestΓ Podesta’s entry into the orchestra was well timed when one considers the musical current of the time. 1942 inaugurated a new romantic current in tango music, a change exemplified by the Troilo orchestra and typified by songs such as M alena and A l compos del corazon. For Di Sarli, the new voice of Alberto Podesta, more suave than that of the dramatic Roberto Rufino, would prove key in following this development. Early in 1942, the Di Sarli-Podesta rendition of the tango A l compos del corazon won an edition of the radio competition Rondo del Ases (A Round of Aces) against competing versions by Canaro, Tanturi and Troilo. Podesta now rapidly found real recognition as a singer; his voice really suits the romantic repertoire now being pursued by Di Sarli.

84 Information from Jose Maria Otero. 85 Interview with Alberto Podesta in the newspaper darin·. https://www.clarin.com/ediciones-anteriores/parecedescubriendo_0_SyeWI80kRFI.html

Despite all these wonders, Podesta was unhappy. 1 he problem was his co-star, Roberto RuPmo; or rather, the problem was that they were not really eo-stars. Ruhno may ha\e been a few \ears older than Podesta, blit he was less mature. A pop idol, adored and feted by the public, he had been enjoying the limelight as Di Sarii\ only singer tor three years and did not want to share this with Podesta, whom he perceiv ed as a rival. Podesta was earning good money, but he was not having to sing for it. Whilst the two men shared the recordings, it w’as a different story at the gigs, where Ruflno took the lion's share of the vocals, singing five numbers for each one given to Podesta.

Alberto Podesti remembers his time with Di Sarii He didn 't like the singers to phrase freely. He b elieved in strict tem po, to the death, a n d I cam e fr o m Calo w ho h a d a very d ifferen t modality. I h a d to work h a rd to f i t in to th e orchestra. He was very dem anding, w e rehearsed fo r hours a n d hours u n til the son g was in a ccord w ith his m usical conception. For me, w ith Di Sarii, it was a ll learning. He in stilled into m e that a singer m ust n ever shout, a n d that I should make use o f m y mezza voice, sen d in g the phrase fo r th as i f I w ere speaking it, but w ith music. His constant example was Gardel. H ow h e a d m ired Gardel! A nd he him self, g iv in g the example o f w hat h e w a n ted from me, used to sin g flu id ly a n d lyn ca lly w ith out ever fo r cin g an a ccen t, or ban gin g ou t a beat. R ecording w ith Di Sarii was a trem endously rigorous artistic task. B ut f o r him , before an yth in g else, even before p erfection , was w hat cam e fr o m the heart. I f on e o f the takes h a d a d efect bu t the expression was good, he w ou ld choose that one. He was an extraordinary director. Vll n ever fo r g e t working w ith him. Alberto Podestä8678 Things suddenly improved for Podestä at the end of August because Rufrno, a restless character, quit Di Sarii once more. However, in a matter of weeks, Rufino changed his mind and came back. Podestä then in turn quit, going to sing with Miguel Calo, with whom he recorded the vals P e d a cito d e c ie lo on 2nd September. This happened so suddenly that at the time people said that Podestä had “disappeared”.8 Here it seems that the customary one month’s notice was dispensed with: Di Sarii surely knew that these two men just didn’t get along, and that it would be better to allow Podestä to go.

86 Jose Maria Otero: ABC del tango, pl46 87 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarii in La Historia del Tango 15 p2748

However, Rufino then changed his mind again, separating from Di Sarli at the end of September to join the orchestra of Emilio Orlando. Rufino writes: Even I ca n ’t now rem em ber why I went, after all this time™ but elsewhere he confesses that the real reason was that working with Di Sarli was very exacting. All those com ings a n d goin gs w ere to do w ith m y lack o f maturity, w ith the natural tensions a n d dem ands o f the rehearsals, the dances, the recordings, the radio sessions. Rufino would continue to change orchestra so often that he later acquired an additional and uncomplimentary nickname: El Rey d el Pose, the Transfer King.8889 Alberto Podesta then came back to Di Sarli along with Carlos Acuna, and for five months the orchestra was a happy ship. Rufino’s absence meant that Podesta made all the recordings. El As del Tango Today Di Sarli is known as El senor d el tango - The Gentleman of Tango. But we shouldn’t imagine that this was always so: in fact, this name only came into being in 1953. Prior to this, Di Sarli was known by a number of other epithets, and in 1942 one that we see used is El As d el Tango - the Ace of Tango. As well as a being a nice name in itself, there is a clever allusion to the show Ronda de Ases. However, Di Sarli discarded this name, and in a possibly unique case of recycling it was later applied to Hector Varela.

88 Roberto Rufino, pl38 89 Nestor Scalone on his blog: http://nestorscalone.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/racha-fatal.html

96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118

03.01.42 30.03.42 30.03.42 09.04.42 09.04.42 26.05.42 26.05.42 23.06.42 23.06.42 23.06.42 29.07.42 29.07.42 12.08.42 12.08.42 12.08.42 09.09.42 09.09.42 12.11.42 12.11.42 30.11.42 30.11.42 21.12.42 21.12.42

Noche de carnaval

Entre pitada y pitada

Rufino

milonga

Podesti

vals

Podesti

No estä

Alzame en tus brazos

Podesta

AI compas del corazon

Podesta

Sombras del puerto Rosa morena

Podesti milonga

Junto a tu corazon

Rufino

Podesti

El amanecer

Cuidado con los 50 Necesito olvidar

Cuando un viejo se enamora

Rufino

milonga

Rufino

Decime que paso

Rufino

Tarareando

Rufino

Manana zarpa un barco

Rufino

Juliin Centeya

milonga

Podesti

Rosas de otofio

vals

Podesta

La cumparsita Va a cantar un ruisefior

Podesta

Nido gaucho

Podesti

Organito de la tarde

Volver a vernos Estampa federal

Podesti vals

Table 4: Di Sarli recordings 1942

Podesta

97

E n t r e p it a d a y p it a d a [m ] (B etw een p u f f a n d p u ff)

30.03.1942

vocals: Alberto Podestä words and words: Rodolfo Sciammarella Di Sarli, like Troilo and Pugliese, recorded few milongas, so we should be grateful that this one was brought to him by a cigarette company, who wanted to record the chorus by itself to use as an advertisement (the lyric says: Time has shown m e that sm oking helps m e forget). Di Sarli liked it so much that he recorded the whole piece.90 This milonga is unspectacular but it’s a real foot-tapper which gets under your skin. Di Sarli’s piano does a lot more than in his tangos, but it’s not easy to hear exactly what because it’s often buried under the violins - it’s at times like this that I wish Di Sarli had recorded for Victor’s rival, Odeon, whose recordings from this period sound more detailed. Concentrating on the piano will bring a lot more pleasure to the experience of dancing this milonga. 98

Noestd (She's not there)

30.03.1942

vocals: Alberto Podestä words and music: Jose Bohr The interpretation is the classic Di Sarlian combination of delicacy and strength. In the first sung verse, Di Sarli gives us the chained syncopation or sincopa sucesiva (Γ 22”) - something that modern tango musicians are wont to ascribe to the later artists of the

90 See: Ernesto Abälsamo, Cronicas de Tango: Sus protagonistas, Sus anecodtas, p84

vanguard such as Piazzolla, Gobbi and Salgän. It’s easy to hear how they fail to notice Di Sarli’s contribution: it’s so subtly done. In the chorus, repeated syncopations beneath Podesta’s voice (Γ 44”) underscore the drama of the lyric. The melody of this song sits very high in Alberto Podesta’s vocal range: wouldn’t it have suited Rufino better? In fact, the song was Rufino’s, but he was unable to attend the recording session, a Thursday during his military service.91 Podestä had to stand in for Rufino at the last moment. 104

E la m a n e ce r (T h e dau n t)

23.06.1942

music: Roberto Firpo For a generation raised on Di Sarli’s late instrumentals, it’s easy to overlook the earlier incarnations of his great tangos. E l a m a n e cer , Firpo’s evocation of the dawn, is a case in point. To understand what Di Sarli does to this piece it’s really helpful to listen to an earlier version by its composer, Roberto Firpo - not the primitive one with a guitar trio from 1913, but the sextet recording from 1928. Firpo opened this interpretation immediately with the twittering of birds in the violins which we so associate with this piece. Di Sarli is having none of this. He is saving this for later on: we will have to wait for it. Fifteen seconds in, and there’s a surprise. The verse has a very simple countermelody, just an obbligato part really, which Firpo scores for violin, but Di Sarli, that lover of the violins, gives it to the bandoneons, and they come to the fore.

91 sleeve notes to the Di Sarli-Podesta LP "Sombras del Puerto" Camden CAL2693; also confirmed personally by Podestä to Orlando Paletta, See: http://www.hermanotango.com.ar/SABIA%20UD%20QUE/SABIA%20UD%20Q UE%20l.htm

The verse (0’30”) brings us back into familiar territory, with the strings playing en masse, but listen out for the powerful piano playing of Di Sarli underneath them. Next is a trio section (Γ 00”) which unfolds over a base of string pizzicato, faithful to the music. Then comes the repeat of the verse (Γ 35”). Perhaps the violins will now give us the dawn chorus - no, not yet. What about the obbligato part then: will Di Sarli give it to the violins then, or perhaps to the bandoneons, as he did at the beginning? No, Di Sarli plays it on the piano. This is a quiet revolution: obbligato parts aren’t meant to be played on the piano, because it can’t sustain the notes. The result is mostly silence. At what feels like the half way mark (Γ 48”), the melody passes to the bandoneons and the violin of Roberto Guisado begins its imitation of the dawn chorus. When he finishes, the piece should be over but instead, Di Sarli repeats the obbligato countermelody one more time (2’03). N ow he gives it to the violins, who build to a climax. Di Sarli: magisterial restraint. Now go and listen to the 1931 version, which is the same, only more muscular. 113

N ido g a u c h o ( G a u ch o n est)

30.11.1942

vocals: Alberto Podestä music: Carlos Di Sarli words: Hector Marco Nido ga u cho was the name of Hector Marco’s small stud farm.1,2 He took it as the inspiration for this simple but affecting tango. Like 1944’s La ca p illa b la n ca , the lyric is set in the countryside, something one can feel without understanding a word of Spanish.29

92 http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/639/Hector-Marco/

In N ido g a u c h o , the protagonist describes the beauty of his ranchita, his little ranch, and expresses the hope that the woman he desires will come there with him and make it a lover’s nest. It’s very refreshing to hear such an innocent tango, and the song was a big hit. Di Sarli recorded it again twice more - the only vocal tango he recorded three times, marking it out as his favourite vocal tango.

Polyrhythm (1943) As 1942 turned in to 1943, the new romantic mood persisted but it began to be underscored by a growing complexity. In the case of Di Sarli, the point of inflexion is the tango Cometin, from the band’s first 1943 session. This creates a light impression, but listen closely and it’s not as simple as it at first appears. When we listen to another tango from the same session, Como sehace un tango, it becomes clear what this new complexity will mean for Di Sarli: polyrhythm, the presence of two rhythms at once. In tango music this means a pattern of three beats cutting across the usual four. Naturally, the instrument which is permitted this freedom is the piano of Don Carlos himself. Di Sarli’s subtlety and mastery permit him the early use of a device which is more associated with tangos from later in the decade, such as Pugliese’s Negracha. As the year progresses, the music that the orchestra is making reaches a new level of maturity and sophistication, exemplified by masterworks such as Boedoy San Juan and the masterful Anselmo Acuna el resero. What about the singers? At the end of 1942, Rufino had left for the orchestra of Emilio Orlando, leaving Podestä as the main singer with Carlos Acuna as second singer. In Orlando’s orchestra, Rufino had what he thought he wanted: an orchestra where he was centre-stage, and with a less demanding schedule. His new vocal partner was the golden but still unknown voice of Alberto Marino. However, he missed the limelight, and his voice was continuing to attract attention

from other suitors. At the end of February 1943939495 he was all set to join Troilo, who was looking for a vocal partner for Fiorentino, when he changed his mind and re-joined Di Sarli94; the pair were back in the studio on 5th March 1943, recording Cometin , Como se hace un tango, and the vals Un dia Uegard as though nothing had happened. Acuna was let go, and now joined the orchestra of Rodolfo Biagi. The problems between Podesta and Rufino recommenced immediately. This time, Rufino determined to humiliate his rival. One evening, Rufino had been singing and the crowd were pressed up against the stage to listen to their hero. Rufino then offered the next number to Podesta. This appeared to be a show of magnanimity, but actually it was a trap, because the next number was Alma del bohemio - a difficult song to perform, requiring careful preparation with the orchestra. Podesta was forced to accept, but he had not rehearsed the number. When he made his entrance, with its sustained high notes, it’s said that the orchestra stopped playing in confusion. The crowd started to drift away from the stage. Podesta was crushed: in a later interview, he confessed that he went back to his digs after the show and wept.95 Podesta got leave from Di Sarli to record two tangos with Calo: Percal (on 23th February) and S i ίύ quisieras (on 18th March). Soon afterwards he quit. His plan was to re-join Calo, but he changed direction en route, deciding on the new experience of working with Pedro Laurenz.96

93 A newspaper advertisement on 20th February announces "Emilio Orlando with Rufino and Marino" at the Club Rari-Nantes. Source: Michael Krugman / TangoDecoder. 94 Michael Lavocah: Tango Masters, Anibal Troilo, pp69-70 95 Alberto Podesta interviewed by Karina Micheletto in the newspaper Pagina 12, 26th Sep 2006: https://www.paginal2.com.ar/diario/suplementos/espectaculos/3-3943-200609-26.html 96 Tino Diez, op cit.

The Sea, The Sea Di Sarli was born by the coast and it seems that the sea ran in his blood. As a restless young man he thought about joining the merchant navy and escaping to a life on the ocean wave. His childhood friend Juan Carlos Cobiän talked him out of it.1' We shouldn’t be surprised by this. In those years Buenos Aires was still a busy working port, and air freight was almost unheard of. The docks would have been full of life and commerce. The first such song we came across is Firpo’s M arejada, which was in the orchestra’s repertoire from the beginning and was finally recorded in 1941. 1943 is particularly rich in sea themed songs: Navegante (Vito DumasJ, Tristeza m arina and Verdemar are recorded within three months of each other. In 1943 we have Que no sepan las estrellas, and in 1948, La novia del mar. Finally, in 1957, he completed and recorded Bahia Blanca, which he dedicated to the city of his birth - a coastal city, and a port. But there are other non-urban themes in Di Sarli’s music. Several tangos are set in the countryside, such as La capilla blanca, and Nido gaucho - both composed by Di Sarli himself with his regular lyricist Hector Marco. Today these are very famous tracks, but they have passed almost unrecorded by other bands, as if no-one else could work out how to interpret them.97

97 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historic/ del Tango 15, p2695

The story is not quite over, because Laurenz convinced Podesta to work up a version of A lm a d e b o h em io , incorporating the extended opening notes. This interpretation was immediately successful, becoming Podestas trademark ever after. Thanks to Laurenz, a humiliating personal defeat for Podesta was transformed into an artistic victory. They recorded the number together in July 1943, and today it’s an iconic recording, the most famous interpretation of this classic tango. Upon Rufino’s return, Podesta had quit and so the vocals on these new recordings were handled entirely by “El Pibe”. The field was clear for Rufino to make his mark, but would he have the maturity to do so? 1943 is also the year that the bandoneonista Federico Scorticati, finding himself without work, joined the Di Sarli orchestra.98 A brilliant and versatile player, Scorticati’s name is not as well-known as it might be because, whilst he did lead a famous group, it (mostly) did not work under his name - it was the Orquesta Tipica Victor, which he led from 1933 until 1941. Finally, in 1943 Di Sarli once again recruited a second singer. The man chosen was the relatively unknown Osvaldo Cabrera. Fie had even less impact in the orchestra than Alberto Podesta, and his tenure was brief. Little is known about him.99

98 Article on Federico Scorticati in the journal Tango y Lunfardo (17/7/92): http://nestorscalone.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/federico-scorticati.html 99 There is one other siting of Cabrera. In January 1944, he sang alongside Radi Aldao (ex. D'Agostino) in the orchestra of Orlando Goni. Both men were replaced in May by none other than Francisco Fiorentino. See: Michael Krugman: Orlando Goni: Sympathy for a devil (Introduction) on the Tango Time Machine: http://www.tangodecoder.com/2016/12/index.html

119 05.03.43

Cornetin

120 05.03.43

Un dia llegara

121 05.03.43

Cömo se hace un tango

122 17.03:43

Pa’ los muchachos

Rufino

123 17.03.43

Adiös te vas... !

Rufino Rufino

Rufino vals

Rufino

Rufino

124 17.03.43

Canta, pajarito

125 05.05.43

Nueve puntos

126 05.05.43

Si tij quisieras

127 05.05.43

Bar Exposicion (Cosa linda, barata)

Rufino

128 14.05.43

Don Jose Maria

129 28.05.43

Anselmo Acufla el resero

Rufino

130 14.06.43

Zorro plateado

Rufino

131 05.08.43

La viruta

132 05.08.43

Navegante (Vito Dumas)

Rufino

133 07.09.43

Tristeza marina

Rufino

134 07.09.43

Ensuenos

135 07.10.43

Verdemar

136 07.10.43

Yo soy de San Telmo

137 04.11.43

Los muftequitos

Rufino milonga

Rufino

Rufino

138 04.11.43

A mi me llaman Juan Tango

Rufino

139 04.11.43

Todo

Rufino

140 04.11.43

El jagüel

141 17.12.43

Maldonado

142 17.12.43

Tierra negra

143 17.12.43

Esta noche de luna

Rufino

144 17.12.43

Boedo y San Juan

Rufino

milonga

Rufino

Table 5: Di Sarli recordings 1943 Look at the discography, and you’ll see that the sessions of 14th May, 28th May and I4'h June yielded only one release each - an unusual occurrence. It’s quite possible that another tango was recorded on each occasion, but not released. What could the missing tracks be? One may be >4 la s s ie t e en e l ca fe. The sheet advertises recordings by Calo (who recorded the tango in January 1943) and Di Sarli.100

100 http://users.telenet.be/tangoteca/discos_perdidos_o_fantasmas/index.html

119

C om etin (The co m et)

05.03.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Pedro Maffia words: Homero Manzi/Catulo Castillo T an, tari! Roque Barullo, the conductor on the tram, blows his cornet, and we’re off! Manzi and Castillo (what a team!), who composed this tango for the 1942 film Eclipse d e sol starring Libertad Lamarque,101 transport us back to the time when trams were horse-drawn.102 Barullo is a young guy with an eye for the girls; he hopes the sound of his cornet will catch their attention. Beneath this charming exterior, Di Sarli hides a great deal of complexity, largely handled in the rhythm of his piano. If you are tempted to think that this rhythmic play is the work of the composer Pedro Maffia, one of tango’s greats, listening to Canaro’s 1942 recording will disabuse you of this notion. Canaro also has little piano runs, but they are fewer and have no syncopation. Enough talking, let’s listen to the song and to Di Sarli’s fabulous piano. He enters right away, playing the opening chords - no cornet here, thank you! (No prizes for guessing what Canaro does here). The violins take over and Di Sarli finishes their phrase with a downward glissando (slide) which starts high and crashes into the very lowest notes on his keyboard. Keep listening to his touches as the violins take over with their staccato playing.

101 Check out the video on youtube, it's a lot of fun! In keeping with the era depicted in the lyric, Lamarque performs this as an old-style tango-milonga. Roque Barullo follows her round the stage, displaying his most charming smile. 102 Michael Krugman on Tango Decoder: http://thesleepmeister.typepad.com/tango_decoder/2014/10/cornetin-blastsfrom-the-past.html

Rufino comes in at the customary moment and sings his verse and chorus, but listen to what Di Sarli does on the piano underneath that verse (Γ 12” onwards) - groups of three notes cascading down the keyboard like a falling leaf. It’s already polyrhythmic, but we don’t feel it because so far Di Sarli is just in the high notes, and isn’t bringing this pattern into the bass notes. However, once Rufino steps away from the microphone (2 Ί 8 ”) Di Sarli has the field to himself. He starts with the same cascading figure as before, but it becomes more and more jazzy - I can’t describe it, you’ll just have to listen to the record. At the end of the tango, Rufino returns, he and the band make a small crescendo together, and it’s over. It’s a masterpiece, but so light and playful that we barely notice. 121

C om o s e h a c e u n ta n g o (H ow ta n g o is m a d e)

05.03.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Arturo Gallucci words: Enrique Dizeo This is one of those tangos that affects me so much that I want to scream! The violins are beginning to weep - listen to what they do underneath Rufino’s voice at the beginning of the verse (1 0 6 ” and again at 2’35”), Di Sarli crashes round the bass like a wild thing (2’09” onwards), but of all this alternates with moments of great simplicity and spaciousness. It’s a tough act for Rufino to re-enter after Di Sarli’s wild interventions. He manages it, but the performance leaves you begging for more of Di Sarli’s piano. For that we have to skip ahead two months to M ay’s A nselm o A curia e l resero . To feel just how sophisticated this interpretation is, try listening first to this version, and then immediately afterwards to that of

Lucio Demare, with the romantic voice of Raul Beron. Comparisons are invidious, but it’s no contest. So, how is tango made? By mixing pain with the sorrows of love. But this is not really a tango about love and pain: it’s another tango dedicated to the Latin mother. 126

S i tu. q u is ier a s ( I f y o u w o u ld lik e to )

05.05.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Francisco Pracänico words: Luis Rubistein A great tango by Pracanico with beautiful lyrics from Luis Rubistein. Pracanico’s music develops great contrast between the light mood verse and the drama of the chorus, which starts low before exploding in a great crescendo. There are two recorded versions: one by Di Sarli and a contemporary one by Calo, and it’s hard to choose between them. In Di Sarli’s version, the way the violins accompany the singer is as ever magnificent. However, it doesn’t feel quite suited to Rufino’s range: listen to the change in tone of his voice as he reaches for the low notes at the beginning of the chorus (1 ’30”). Rufino is of course now the only singer, but if Di Sarli had still had two singers, one can’t help but feel that he would have given this song not to Rufino, but to Podesta - the very man who is singing this so beautifully with Miguel Calo. Now you’re thinking: how would S i tü, q u isier a s have sounded by Di Sarli-Podesta...

128

D on J o s e M arta

14.05.1943

music: Rosendo Mendizabal On first listening, this arrangement sounds exactly the same as the more familiar 1954 one on RCA-Victor, albeit with fewer violins. Listen more closely, though, and it’s not just the number of the violins that is reduced: so is their role. This earlier version gives just a little more to the bandoneons, for example in the middle of the B section (Γ 18”) when they take the runs, with just a little violin pizzicato to help at the end. By the 1950s versions, this will be gone. And listen to the strength of the arrastres - what about that for a driving walking beat! This is my favourite of Di Sarli’s four recordings of tis tango. DJs, just start playing this already! Optional homework: go and listen again to the sextet version from 1930 - quite a bit simpler, huh? 129

A n selm o A cu n a e l r e s e r o (A nselm o A cu n a th e c o w b o y )

28.05.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Felix Laurenz/Pedro Casella words: Luis Caruso Read the lyric of this tango and there’s nothing there - just some sentimental claptrap about a humble argentine cowboy. But the lyric is not the highlight of this tango: it’s the music. What phrasing! What feeling! What timing! The opening phrases weep in Di Sarli’s violins, as they tumble repeatedly to earth. The chorus opens quietly, but then Di Sarli’s piano bursts onto the scene (0’48”), first with some jazzy notes in the bass, and then with a tumbling polyrhythm in the upper register. Rufino’s arrival, on this rare occasion, is not the highlight of the tango, although he sings well enough: this is a more mature voice than the one we

heard back in 1939, on CorazSn. After another syncopated piano break (2’32”), he returns, and the final stanzas are truly magnificent. After Rufino sings Tropa, tropa, tropa - the cowboy’s cry to his animals - the violins descend chromatically to bridge to the final words: No la llores corazon (Don't cryfor her, heart)... and as he holds the final note long and low, the violins descend in pizzicato to the final chords. Watching the performance of Jorge and Maria Dispari at La Viruta is the perfect way to feel what this tango is really about.103 Before you ask - Yes, bandoneonista Felix Laurenz is related to Pedro Laurenz - he’s his half-brother. 130

Zorro plateado (Silver fox)

14.06.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Charlo words: Enrique Cadicamo When the Peron government brought in the censorship of lyrics on 4th June 1943, a number of artists rushed to the studio in an effort to record current hits before the ban took hold. Zorro plateado is a case in point. Jose Garcia and his Grey Foxes had recorded this tango back in January, making it quite possible that it had been in Di Sarli’s repertoire all year. Like Garcia on Odeon, Di Sarli and RCA-Victor make the small concession of changing the title on the label from Zorro plateao to the more grammatically correct Zorro plateado. This failed to appease the censors and the record was banned, which must have impacted the sales, but we can be very glad to have this recording at what is a very special time for the orchestra.

103 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plk7fW4IWKM. Search for: "JORGE DISPARI & LA TURCA (1)"

Di Sarli’s interpretation combines rhythmic play with subtlety, and a comparison with Jose Garcia’s earlier performance is instructive. The possibility of a polyrhythm is built into Charlo’s melody, which opens with a repeated pattern of three rising notes. Garcia emphasises this, creating a syncopated feeling, but Di Sarli plays it straight, leaving the feeling of polyrhythm hanging in the air like perfume. However, the orchestra breaks free in the B section (0’32”). After a small crescendo (in the violins, where else!), Di Sarli can contain himself no longer, releasing a marvellous outburst of 3-3-2 on the piano about half way through (0’48”). Rufino’s performance is a miracle of subtle timing, his voice seeming to float across the triplet notes without ever losing the beat. The “silver fox” of the title is a m ilonguero, a 43 year old man (at a time when life expectancy was under 60): no doubt, his hair has all turned grey. He’s a great dancer and walks tall in the milonga: he dances with vigour and heart, and the girls love dancing with him. The lyric implies that if he really wanted to find love, he could. The way the tango ends is surprising. After Rufino has sung a verse (‘A’) and a chorus (‘B’), the band naturally returns to the A theme. We expect this to be taken instrumentally, but instead Rufino continues. However, he sings only the first line, and then the tango ends suddenly. It’s something we’ll hear again in Llueve otra vez, but not something I recall hearing from any other orchestra. 131

L aviruta (M oney)

03.08.1943

music: Vicente Greco D’Arienzo had recorded this gu ardia vieja tango of Vicente Greco in 1936; almost seven years later, Di Sarli - never simply a follower of fashion, and not known for having repertoire in common with

the King of the Beat - decided to make his own interpretation. What could he find in this composition to satisfy not just his public, but himself? As it turns out, quite a lot. Tht gu a rd ia vieja hits which won their place in the later repertoire of the golden age are largely the ones with strong, catchy melodies. La v ir u ta is no exception. The opening of this tango (in any version) is a descending run of seven notes. Di Sarli builds on D’Arienzo’s version by adding a pair of piano glissandi underneath this run, first up the keyboard, then down, ending in characteristic fashion with a rumbling bass chord that rings out into space. The trio section (Γ 35”) starts strongly, but then halfway through the bandoneons take over, playing soft and low. This is typical Di Sarli - always delay the climax! The highlight of the recording comes when we reach the final ‘A’ section. As this final section begins (2’07 ”), Di Sarli repeats his energetic entry, with the big opening glissando —but the mirroring descending slide never comes. The piece suddenly turns introvert, and the violins enter with a melting counter-melody. This mood is sustained to the end of the piece, and the restrained ending reminds me a little of Troilo s La cu m p a rsita . This is typical of Di Sarli, who disdained the ostentatious big finish, but are we really satisfied by this ending? I’m just not sure. The 1952 version, with its stronger beats, seems to work better. About the title: viruta generally means wood shavings or sawdust (as in the milonga A rrabalera) but in lunfardo it’s yet another pseudonym for money. As this is an old tango (Maglio recorded it in 1913) that lunfardo meaning is probably the one intended here.

134

Ensuenos (Dreams)

07.09.1943

music: Luis Brighenti words: Enrique Cadicamo This is a rare melody, in both senses of the word - unusual and exquisite, and very seldom attempted. The title is perfect: this romantic tango cancion certainly creates a dream like atmosphere. Fresedo recorded it (also as an instrumental) back in 1927, and Di Sarli follows here in his musical footsteps, lending weight to the theory that Di Sarli “just follows Fresedo”, because Di Sarli’s is the only recorded version of this tango from the golden decade. This tango is a slow burner. The interpretation is sparse, which does at least make it easy to appreciate the fine bowing of Domingo Capurro on the double bass. The performance exhibits great restraint, with no fireworks, and at first you may feel that it never takes off. However, listen to it enough times and it starts to get under your skin, and then you begin to understand why Di Sarli liked it so much. The melody has the wave like feeling that in later years will characterise the sound of the orchestra. Seeking out the 1927 version of Fresedo is worthwhile because you will (hopefully) immediately notice a difference: the Fresedo version feels as though it has a line missing! Let’s listen closely and find out what’s going on. A section of tango music, whether it be verse, chorus, or trio, is typically made up of four lines of music. But in Fresedo’s version, the verse is not - it has only three. The first and the last line are the same, so there are just two musical ideas. In order to make the composition fit the conventional pattern, Di Sarli repeats the first line, giving it to the bandoneons with a violin countermelody. Remember, this line was already repeated, so we now hear this idea three times. This enhances the hypnotic, dream­

like atmosphere generated by Brighenti’s melody. At the end of the third line - that’s the one that’s different to the other three! - listen out for Di Sarli’s descending piano run, releasing the mood generated by the previous phrase. If the tango’s beautiful melody captures you, as it did me, then I commend to you the version by the Quinteto Real from the 1960s. 135

V erdem ar (S ea g r e e n )

07.10.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Carlos Di Sarli words: Jose Maria Contursi Now we come to one of Di Sarli’s most famous tangos, and one of Rufino’s finest performances. The lyric is an absolute killer. You’ve already guessed that it’s a love story, and that the woman’s eyes are sea green. But what happens? V erdemar... Verdemar... se llenaron d e silen cio tus pupilas. V erdemar... V erdemar... y o u r eyes h ave fille d w ith silen ce She is dead, and the lyric gives a description of the body, as if her lover is identifying her: waxen skin, colourless lips, and the co ld o f n igh t upon y o u r heart. We don’t know how she died, but the repeated evocation of the sea always makes me imagine that she has drowned. The interpretation - very unusually for Di Sarli - begins with the low moaning of the bandoneons, creating a sense of foreboding. It then bursts suddenly into a violin crescendo, only to return to the bandoneons again. Di Sarli wrote the music himself, and it’s if as he wrote it knowing exactly how it would be orchestrated. Rufino’s dramatic voice melds perfectly with the lyric. I listened very closely to find out whether he pronounced the V of Verdemar

as ‘ν ’ or ‘b* (the latter pronunciation having today completely displaced the former in Spain), and the answer is, he uses both, according to which he feels will fit better.

This was Contursi’s only collaboration with Carlos Di Sarli. Contursi was the author (and the protagonist) of the tango G rtcel, written and recorded with Troilo, with whom Contursi developed a close working relationship.104 It’s natural to expect that Troilo would perform V erdem ar as well, and indeed he did: it was advertised in the Radio El Mundo dance guide of 6th December.105 Troilo never recorded it though, as if to say: this tango is yours, maestro. And although it was picked up by female vocalists such as Libertad Lamarque, who had a big success with the piece, that’s a view I would have to agree with. 137

Los m u h eq u ito s (T h e lit tle d o lls)

04.11.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Francisco Pracanico words: Oscar Rubens Oscar Rubens added a new lyric to Pracanico’s old tango San F ern a n d o to come up with this 1943 hit. This is a simple tango with a simple lyric, harking back to the innocence of childhood. The delicate opening is explained by the sheet music: “Imitando una cajita de musica” - imitating a musical box. This is the music which makes the sad protagonist’s poor little dolls dance again; he gazes upon them with tenderness and emotion.

104 Michael Lavocah: Tango Masters 1: Anibal Troilo, chapter 14. 105 Michael Krugman on Tango Decoder: http://www.tangodecoder.com/2015/07/troilo-sings-verdemar-1943.html

It seems that this tango was rapidly accepted by Di Sarli’s public. An advertisement in the “El Mundo” newspaper on Wednesday 3rd November, advertising the song’s debut on Radio El Mundo that day, declares the piece to be “El tango que hace sensacion” - the tango which is causing a sensation.106 It was recorded the next day. The only other version by a dance orchestra is that of Enrique Rodriguez, recorded the following month. The impressive thing about Di Sarli’s interpretation is the effortless way he moves between moments of great delicacy - the music box being imitated by the piano - to moments of great power, with the strong walking beat in his powerful left hand suddenly returning and propelling the dancers forward once more. It sounds so natural that it would be easy not to notice what has happened. 138

A m i m e lla m a n J u a n T an go (T h ey c a ll m e J o h n T an go)

04.11.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Carlos Waiss (“Sostaita”) words: Tito Ribero A jolly but mediocre lyric, an unexceptional melody, but an interpretation which elevates an otherwise average tango to a whole other level. The magic ingredient is, of course, Don Carlos’s piano, played in this tango with joyful, playful syncopation. As the B theme begins (0*37”) the fact that the bandoneons take the melody calls the attention, but don’t be distracted - listen to the joyful piano accompaniment, a kind of 3-3-2 but with a habanera lilt, above which the violins accompany in pizzicato. At the end of

106 Michael Krugman / Tango Decoder http://www.tangodecoder.com/2016/01/di-sarli-los-munequitos.html

the first line of this section (in the bandoneons, remember) Di Sarli adds some playful syncopated touches obeying the same rhythm. What is this rhythmic pattern? It’s an offset 3-3-2, which runs like this (bold numbers are the emphasised beats): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 When Rufino enters, what the band plays is pretty much the same as in the instrumental introduction. Listen to the B section (Γ 48”) - the only difference is that the violins play quietly staccato instead of pizzicato. Rufino’s voice provides the final crescendo. Perfect. 139

T odo (E veryth in g)

04.11.1943

vocals: Roberto Rufino music: Hugo Gutierrez words: Homero Exposito y todo fu e d ar en an dia> todo, todo e l corazon... a n d everyth in g was given in a day, everyth in g, a ll o f the heart... This has to be one of Di Sarli’s greatest creations. The standout feature is what happens when Rufino, having sung the verse and chorus, steps away from the microphone (2’07”): the violins enter with the most exquisite countermelody, a simple descending figure that weeps with emotion. Di Sarli’s violins were never more beautiful, and they draw all our attention, but listen a second time and you will hear Di Sarli accompany the violins on the piano, delicately playing the melody of the chorus in his right hand. When Rufino re-enters, of course he takes the melody, but the violins do not stop: they move into the background, playing the counter melody very softly. Di Sarli and the double bass play a simple accompaniment. It turns out that we have already heard this countermelody, here in this piece. Go back and listen to Rufino, and one can hear that, whilst piano and bass are accompanying the singer, the violins are

softly playing underneath him all the time. The countermelody that so draws our attention belongs to the chorus, and when Rufino sings the chorus, it s already there (Γ 35”): soft, in the background, but unmistakeably the same tune. Di Sarli’s music is more complex than it sounds; what impresses us is not just Rufino’s vocals, but the interplay between the singer and what else is going on behind him. The emotional impact of Rufmo’s voice and Di Sarli’s violins multiply one another. When Rufino eventually goes solo, he would find that his voice would not have as much impact as it did with Di Sarli, just as Fiorentino did when he left Troilo. Homero Exposito was an original and evocative lyricist, one of tango s greatest poets. His lyrics were often recorded by Troilo, although the two worked together only once; this tango would surely have been in the Troilo Fiorentino repertoire

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______________ ____ lH0YA22? Sometimes, one feels, Di Sarli’s modesty gets the better of him. Di Sarli and Brameri will use this trick again: look out for vocal tangos which are less than two and a half minutes long, and you will find them with ease.

174

S iete p a la b r a s (S even w o rd s)

29.08.1945

music: Jüan Maglio/Prudencio Aragon words: Alfredo Bigeschi First recorded (by Arolas) in 1913, Maglio’s 1930 version is pretty good but it came at a time when he was considered a spent force and didn’t have much impact. After this, the work seems to have been ignored by the dance orchestras. Di Sarli makes the piece sound modern, and I find it hard to place the year of the interpretation; the piece has such a distinct flavour that it feels hard to combine even with other Di Sarli instrumentals from the same period. In the opening, the melody is handled by the violins playing pizzicato but as ever the trick is to listen to what the left hand of the piano is doing underneath: walking up, in a kind of mirror to the melody. It’s genius, but actually it’s in the sheet music. If the composition feels a bit too good for Juan Maglio, that’s because Prudencio Aragon is thought to have lent a hand to the piano part. What are the seven words of the title? The lyric tells us, seven words that the departed lover has written on a scrap of paper on the table: “m e voy con otro d e mas hom bria” - I’m leaving you for someone more manly. Ouch. This isn’t the only rare tango rescued by Di Sarli from Maglio’s repertoire: there’s also Y h a sta e l ca r d o t ie n e flo r .

176

A la gran m uheca (To the b ig doll)

29.08.1945

music: Jesus Ventura With its big, single opening chord (whoosh!), this is one of Di Sarli’s most instantly recognisable tangos. This tango came from a satirical review show with the same title, where it was the name of a bazaar and toy shop. The show was forgotten, but this tango endured. Di Sarli’s interpretation was for many years the most popular tango of his fans, and considered the Di Sarlian cumparsita\ such was the identification of the piece with the orchestra that D'Arienzo only added it to his repertoire after Di Sarli’s death. In this 1945 version, listen out for the violin’s whip effect (Idtigo) in the sharp opening crescendo that defines the piece (and occurs twice at the beginning of each verse). The short violin solo which opens the repeats of the verse (Γ 0 2 ”, 2Ό2”), added by Di Sarli, is however not very easy to hear, and the timing feels a bit square: the later versions breathe more. Skip ahead to p i 65 to explore the 1952 recording. 177

Tu in tim o s e c r e t o (Y ou r in tim a te s e cr e t)

30.10.1945

vocals: Jorge Duran music: Graciano Gomez words: Hector Marco Di Sarli gives us something very different with this intimate, reflective tango. The verse opens with repeated piano chords doubling with violin pizzicato, an unusual sound texture that creates a wistful mood. La dicha es un castillo, con un p u en te d e cristal, Camina suavem entey si lo quieres alcanzar...

Jorge Durän

14

Bliss is a castle, reached by a bridge o f glass Walk softly i f you w ant to reach it With his delicate piano, Di Sarli offers us a sound image of this fragile glass bridge. The opening of the chorus offers a great contrast: expansive, lyrical, and optimistic, especially in Duran’s voice. Ven... ;M ira, que herm osa estd la luna! Ven... reclinate en m i corazon... Come... see h ow lovely is the m oon! Come... reclin e in m y heart But even as he sings these words, the delicate piano enters underneath. Love, says this tango, is a fragile dream. 181

D u elo c r io llo (C reo le d u e l)

29.03.1946

vocals: Jorge Duran music: Juan Rezzano words: Lito Bayardo What a tense and dramatic opening! This is the story of a duel of men of honour, on a silent and moonlight night: a knife fight, to the death. Here is a Di Sarli interpretation that appears, on the face of it, to lean heavily on Canaro. In the 1920s, Max Glücksmann - director of the Odeon label (Discos Nacional Odeon) had organised an annual tango contest. One of the label’s roster of bands would perform the tangos at the contest and then record them. For the

contest of 1928, that orchestra was Canaro, and the fourth placed tango was D uelo crioUo.nl Canaro’s recording still has appeal today, but, strange to say, it was not a big hit amongst the dancing public, and the work was more associated with the singer soloists such as Carlos Gardel and Ignacio Corsini. Di Sarli returned the work to the ranks of the dance orchestras in 1946 with this spacious and dramatic interpretation. The tense opening is taken straight from Canaro’s 1928 interpretation. No doubt it was the idea of Canaro’s arranger, Luis Riccardi. Whilst Canaro had made a slow crescendo through this opening, Di Sarli starts at full power, but with a much slower beat, driven by the strongest arrastre he can manage. This sparse but powerful playing creates an atmosphere of drama and suspense, enhanced by Di Sarli’s delicate touches on the piano. The sudden reduction in volume at the end of this phrase (O’ 15”) is especially dramatic. Unexpectedly, the bandoneons then briefly take the melody, in a low and mournful register, increasing the sense of foreboding. Di Sarli then switches to the massed strings (0’25”), which build to a great crescendo before again falling silent (TOO”). Now comes Duran. His powerful and dark baritone is the perfect voice for this song - his performance is magnificent. Singer and orchestra together build to an impressive crescendo (2’30”), with the violins continually repeating the same chord underneath Duran’s voice before they too fall silent, leaving Duran to tell us the outcome of this creole duel: m orir los dos. They both died.17

117 N e s to r P in s o n o n t o d o ta n g o :

http://www.todotango.com/historias/cronica/157/Los-concursos-de-MaxG lu c k s m a n n /

191

La v id a m e en g a n o (L ife d e c e i v e d m e)

05.12.1946

vocals: Jorge Duran music: Alfonso Casini words: Marvil (Elizardo Martinez Vilas) Di Sarli impressed and even mystified his contemporaries with how much he was able to achieve musically whilst simultaneously rejecting the musical innovations of De Caro and his followers. In this tango we can hear one of the tricks he used to do it: a dynamic expressed not by a change of volume, but of texture. Let’s listen to the ‘B’ theme in the introduction (0’30” - Γ10”) and notice how, in the first half, Di Sarli makes sudden crescendos which open into unexpected spaces, with the whole orchestra virtually silent - a sparseness that might remind us of D’Agostino. After repeating this trick a few times, the orchestra returns to the more gentle crescendos with which we are familiar. It’s a new kind of contrast, between fast and slow crescendos, whilst the walking pace remains unaltered. This is a strong performance - why aren’t there more versions of this tango? The answer is simple: Marvil was not one of the very best lyricists, and the most sophisticated orchestras didn’t perform his compositions.

15 End o f an era (1947-49) Di Sarli was not a great traveller, but for the carnival season of 1947 he travelled to Montevideo, which was not labouring under the pall of the censorship being imposed upon tango in Buenos Aires by the government of General Peron. For this trip he managed to tempt Alberto Podesta away from the orchestra of Francini-Pontier, and was thus able to present himself for the carnival dances in February with two singers.118 When they returned to Buenos Aires, Duran left Di Sarli to join Pedro Laurenz. (Later that year he would switch to the innovative orchestra of Horacio Salgan).119 This was in some respects a strange move, for neither orchestra was recording at that time. Researchers have speculated that Duran, having made his reputation with Di Sarli, perhaps thought that his style was now too identified with one orchestra and wanted to develop artistically by working with other orchestras which were different in style. This may be true, but one can’t help noticing that, with Podesta’s return, Duran had lost his status as the only singer in the group. Di Sarli replaced Duran with Oscar Serpa, whom he poached from Fresedo, but Podesta still got most of the recordings. It’s nice to know 118 Humberto Barrella, El tango despues de Garde! 1935-1959, p243 119 Rumour has it that Duran recorded three numbers with Salgän, perhaps as acetates (test recordings): Sueno querido, Barrio pobre, and Pan. See: http://www.argentinatango.es/En-Argentina-Tango-Jorge-Duran-sanjuanino-ycantor/63

that one of his most successful numbers in this period was Alma de bohemiOy but sadly for us he was not able to record it. When Podesta himself moved on in 1948, Serpa became the orchestra’s first singer and managed to record one track before the dissolution of the orchestra the following year. Looking at the repertoire (see overleaf), one notices immediately that there are not many recordings: a dozen in 1947, and just two in 1948. This was a difficult period for tango, as the supply of new material dried up under censorship. Di Sarli manages to find some great new tangos (.Dejame, La cancion mas triste), but I can’t help feeling that La racha has been in the repertoire of the orchestra since the beginning, and is only being recorded now because of the lack of new tangos. Still, we’re not complaining: it’s a wonderful tango, if somewhat neglected today. D i Sarli: a poor manager o f singers? When we look back at the comings and goings of Di Sarli’s singers, we see a pattern emerging. In the 1940s, all the orchestras who could afford it worked with two singers. This was in part simply to cope with the workload, but it also enabled the orchestra to develop a broader repertoire. The exemplar here is Troilo. Throughout the decade, he worked very successfully with contrasting voices such as Fiorentino and Marino. Di Sarli seems unable to manage this in the 1940s. We know that he was a difficult personality and a poor man manager: now we see the impact this had on his vocalists. Beginning with Rufino and Podesta in 1942, Di Sarli allowed professional rivalries to generate conflict in his orchestra. There is always a top-dog and an under-dog, and the under-dog always leaves. It’s only in the 1950s that he develops a stable vocal partnership.

Oscar Serpa, singer with Di Sarli 1948-1949 & 1951-1956

193

14*01*47

Noche de camaval (otra vez camaval)

194

14.01.47

Comme il faut

195

14.01.47

Pueblera

196

14.04.47

Didi

197

24.04.47

El pollito

198

24.04.47

Por el camino

Podesta

199

08.05.47

Döjame

Podestä

milonga

Durin Durän

200

08.05.47

La racha

201

28.05.47

La canciön mäs triste

202

28.05.47

Soy aquel viajero

Podestä

203

26.09.47

Dinero... dinero

Podesta

204

26.09.47

De vuelta

205

22.06.48

La novia del mar

206

22.06.48

Los 33 orientales

Podestä

vals

Table 8: Di Sarli recordings 1947-1948

Podesta

Serpa

202

Soy aquel viajero (I am that traveller)

28.05.1947

vocals: Alberto Podesta music: Hector Grane words: Justo Ricardo Thompson Soy a q u el viajero que partio sin un adios y sabe que a l llegar tu voz no escuchard I am that traveller w ho left w ith out a good b ye a n d knows that h e w on 't hear y o u r voice w hen h e arrives As his boat docks, a returning traveller realises that his dream of finding the woman he deserted without a goodbye is just that - a dream. For one of his final recordings with the orchestra, Podesta and Di Sarli give us this magnificent tango of which we know of no other version. The massed opening of the violins is romantic and captivating, and they accompany Podesta masterfully - notice especially how they play in triplets underneath his voice towards the end of the first verse (Γ 28”). When Podesta steps away from the microphone at the two minute mark, the violins remain muted and Di Sarli enters, but simply playing the melody. Podesta returns for the final phrase, and as he holds the final notes the bandoneons softly hold a chord underneath - a rarity for Di Sarli.

203

D in ero , d in e r o (M on ey, m o n ey )

26.09.1947

vocals: Alberto Podestä music: Enrique Delfino words: Catulo Castillo This tango starts lightly enough, although the sound picture is misleading: a man is remembering how a girl left him because he was poor. Still, the first melody suggests that he is at peace with that. But with the chorus, both the music and the lyric suddenly turn dark: jD inero, dinero, din ero! M etal sin corazon no com pra lo que quiero. M oney, money, m oney! M etal w ith out heart it doesn't buy w hat I want. Our hero is less at peace than we thought. M oney denies us an equal love, he laments: and it turns out that he has made it rich - he is now rodeado d eo ro p el, surrounded by shiny trinkets, but no happier than before. Podesta delivers the lyric beautifully, although I can’t help imagining the dark colours of Duran’s baritone - he would have been singing this had he not left to join Laurenz. Of the many Di Sarli songs which present a contrasting mood between verse and chorus, this is probably the most intense. An underplayed masterpiece.

205

La novia d el m ar (The brid e o f the sea)

22.06.1948

vocals: Oscar Serpa music: Jose Ranieri/Elias Randal words: Horacio Sanguinetti Di Sarli’s last session of the 1940s produces this exquisite jewel. Serpa’s voice, on this his first recording with Di Sarli is a revelation. He sounds much better here than he had done with Fresedo: whilst Fresedo kept him trapped in the high notes, Di Sarli makes better use of his range, and he sounds more powerful and more dramatic than before. It’s hard to imagine one saying that a voice can sound better than Podesta, but here he does. His unique tone brings an exquisite sensibility, and the accompaniment of the violins appearing in the gaps between his phrases from the outset - is done to perfection. The lyric evokes a scene from Buenos Aires’s past: a port side tavern with a beautiful serving girl (ta b em era ). All the sailors are sweet on her, and they give her the nickname la novia d el mar. the bride of the sea. But she goes off with a captain, back to Europe (Ella abandono la Cruz d el 5 «r)120, leaving them all pining. As such, for at least two people this is a tango with a happy ending, and there are precious few of those! For those DJs who don’t like mixed tandas, this song will be hard to play, being Serpa’s only recording with Di Sarli in this period, but Di Sarli and Serpa will record an even stronger version on the Music Hall label in the early 1950s.

120 "she abandoned the Southern Cross" - this constellation is identified with Argentina, which is the southernmost country in South America. To abandon it implies a return to the northern hemisphere.

16 Que mufa che - what bad luck Around 1948, Di Sarli fell out with his presenter Julio Jorge Nelson (lyricist of the tango M argarita Gauthier). Nelson had been in the habit of using Di Sarli’s publicity photos as personal business cards. In particular, it was hard to resist using them to give out one’s telephone number to Di Sarli’s female fans. Di Sarli found this unprofessional, and told Nelson to stop it. One day Di Sarli’s brother Roque (who was now acting as his representative) informed him that Nelson had been unable to give up this small vice. Di Sarli sacked Nelson on the spot. Nelson felt himself unjustly treated and decided to get his own back by spreading the rumour that Di Sarli was m u fa, bad luck.1:1 He would not permit Di Sarli’s name to be uttered in front of him, earning him a new and uncomplimentary nickname: El in nom brable, The Unnameable, to add to his existing sobriquet, El tuerto, The Blind Man. Juan D’Arienzo, a superstitious man, and also one who saw Di Sarli as a rival, was happy to pass this rumour on - for example, telling film producers not to use Di Sarli, as this would bring them bad luck. And it’s a fact that, uniquely amongst the big orchestras, there is no footage of Di Sarli performing. Successive Argentine governments did their best to prevent Pugliese from appearing in films, but despite this we have footage from the21

121 Ben Molar in his book Final, quoted by Tino Diez: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/di_sarli.htm

period122, which goes to show that superstition can be an even more powerful and oppressive force than blacklisting. These rumours took hold. Di Sarli found that people would avoid his company in restaurants, or would sometimes cross the road to avoid him - even musicians whose works he had recorded. On one occasion, as he sat down to play at the piano, the lights in the venue went out. All this took its toll on Di Sarli, and it was undoubtedly one of the factors behind his withdrawal from tango in 1949. A curious urban myth started by Ben M olar123 gives Di Sarli his revenge, telling us that Nelson is buried beneath Di Sarli. Whilst they are both interred in Chacarita, the story is untrue: Di Sarli is buried in the “Corner of Personalities”, whilst Nelson’s ashes lie elsewhere, in a simple numbered niche. However, the myth satisfies us because, like all good myths, it communicates a truth: Di Sarli’s music rises above these cheap superstitions, whilst Nelson sullied his good name by resorting to such low tactics. He was one of the great announcers, and noted by tango historians as one of the men who cultivated the myth of Carlos Gardel; but dance fans will now remember him as one of the people who brought a great man down.

122 Pugliese appeared in the 1948 film 123 Ben Molar, Final

M/s Cinco Hijos.

17 The Children’s Angel (1949) In January 1949 a small Italian aircraft, a two seater Ambrosini S.1001 Grifo, was flown by its two pilots from Rome to Buenos Aires - a real feat of aviation in those days. The flight was the idea of an Italian priest, Fr Carlo Gnocchi, who had set up a foundation to care for Italian children left destitute by the Second World War. The foundation had 15,000 children in its care, many of them disabled or mutilated. In May 1948, this plane had made a shorter, but still impressive flight from Rome to Eritrea in North Africa. This was widely celebrated in the press and Fr Gnocchi had the idea of a flight to South America to raise funds amongst the large Italian community. With the support of Pope Pius XII the project proceeded apace. Fr Gnocchi christened the plane LAngelo D ei B im bi - The children's angel. On 9th January 1949 the plane crossed from Dakar in West Africa to Natal in Brazil, and then slowly made its way south. In Uruguay and Argentina large crowds of Italians turned out to see them. The plane arrived in Buenos Aires on 12th February. With the support of Pope Pius XII, the Italian government instructed all the Italian embassies and consulates to hold fund-raising receptions. In Argentina, they visited all the cities in the interior with important Italian communities, among them La Plata, Mar del Plata, Mendoza and Cordoba. The fund-raising campaign was astonishingly successful, bringing together five hundred million lire.12*4124 124 https://www.zona-militar.com/foros/threads/el-angel-de-los-nifios.26224/

Di Scirli loved children and had been donating his royalties for the last quarter of each year to the Argentine children’s charity “Patronato de la Infancia de Italia” since 1942,2\ Of Italian descent himself, he decided to support this new venture too and he resolved to write a tango with this title. Hector Marco supplied the lyric, the work being called simply: El A n gel d e lo s N inos (L A n gelo D ei B im b i) .1( For these efforts he was made a Commander (Comendador) of the Sovereign Order of the Most Holy Trinity of Ville Dieu of Malta and of Rhodes,12 being presented with this honour at a reception at the Club Italiano on 3Γ' October 1957.125167128 Thereafter, in recognition of this honour, whenever Jorge Duran sang the milonga La m u la tea d a with the Di Sarli orchestra he changed the last line of the chorus from nnestro Restaurador to nuestro C om endador (our Commander).

125 A magazine report from early 1943 shows him visiting the children, refugees from the war in Italy which had left many children orphaned and destitute. 126 There is now an Italian feature film about Fr Gnocchi's life: Don Gnocchi L'angelo dei bimbi (2004). The English title is Father of Mercy. 127 This impressive title of this order is styled after the Knights of Malta, but actually has no connection. 128 El Tango No. 8, pl3

18 Early retirement? (1949)

The late 1940s was not the easiest time for tango. Censorship had stifled its creative impulse, and other kinds of music, especially Argentine folk music, were becoming popular. At the same time, Evita Peron leaned on the orchestras to help her with fund raising for her social programmes. Eva was Argentina’s “First Lady” and a powerful woman, with her own office in the Casa Rosada (The Rose-coloured House), Argentina’s Whitehouse. From here she ran the Eva Peron Foundation. This was a charitable foundation which controlled a massive budget supplied both by the government and the trades unions. Evita was in the habit of asking for donations and her personal power, combined with a quasireligious zeal for her work, made her a difficult person to refuse. Tango orchestras came under her eye as a source of funds. Alfredo De Angelis, for example, played many free gigs for Evita, until he finally managed to tell her in the friendliest way possible that it was too much work for him and his lads.129 Other bandleaders were less accommodating, and for more than one a request from Evita’s foundation, coming at a time when tango was in decline, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Astor Piazzolla, whose efforts at making an avant-garde orquesta tipica had not been well-received by

129 Isabel De Angelis: Alfredo De Angelis, elfenomeno social, pl82

the dancing public, simply dissolved his orchestra when the dreaded phone call arrived. It’s thought that Carlos Di Sarli was also one to come under pressure from Evita. His generosity with the tango El A n gel d e lo s N inos (L 'A ngelo D ei B im b i) suddenly thrust him into the limelight as a potential donor. If he was donating royalties to children’s charities, why not to the Eva Peron foundation as well? Verdi quits At the same time, his relationship with his musicians was deteriorating. In late 1948, his loyal first bandoneon, Felix Verdi had become fed-up with Di Sarli’s harsh treatment of his musicians, and quit after an argument. Verdi writes: The fa c t is that the maestro was very d em a n d in g a n d exacting a n d it was easy f o r him to g e t angry w hen there w ere som e mistakes. “Boys, y o u are professionals ”, h e used to say. B ut it was n ot a question o f tech n iq u e but o f in terp reta tion .^ Verdi’s replacement was a twenty one year old Leopoldo Federico. Federico loved the sound of the orchestra whilst finding it mystifying: “How it sounded so good is the greatest mystery of my life. What Di Sarli did on the piano astonished me.”111 Federico soon found, as others had done before him, that it was hard to adjust to the restrained style. As he set about showing what he could do, Di Sarli immediately reined him in: “Easy, tiger: here we play with half the power that you are using”. Verdi recalls meeting Federico in the street. Asking him how it was going, Federico130 130 Felix Verdi interviewed by Norberto Chab: http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/309/Verdi-TheDisarlian-paradigm/ 131 Jorge Dimov and Esther Echenbaum Jonisz: Leopoldo Federico - El inefable bandoneon del tango, p42

confessed that he just couldn’t get on with the style: I greatly respect y o u r maestro, bu t I think it's better that you com e back because you \re the one who understands him best. Verdi encouraged him to persist, but Federico said, no, he was going to quit that very night. Verdi didn’t pay much attention to these words, but Federico went through on his desire to leave the orchestra not long afterwards. Not long afterwards, Di Sarli’s musicians, encouraged by Peron’s reforms to the labour laws, pressed him for holiday pay and pension provision. Verdi having already gone, Scorticati was chosen to present their demands. Di Sarli was having none of it. He fulfilled his contract for the 1949 Carnival Dances at Club Huracan and then dissolved the orchestra.1’2 Oscar Serpa went to join Salgän, Podestä returned to Francini-Pontier and Scorticati easily found work with Lomuto. Of the violin section, Roberto Guisado and Claudio Gonzalez joined Florindo Sassone,132133 an orchestra much influenced by Di Sarli. Di Sarli withdrew to his house in Olivos. For the next few years he worked quietly and successfully as an estate agent, an activity he continued throughout his musical career.

132 Article on Federico Scorticati in the journal Tango y Lunfardo (17/7/92): http://nestorscalone.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/federico-scorticati.html 133 Luis Alposta on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/historias/cronica/454/Orquesta-Tipica-FlorindoSassone/

19 The comeback kid (1951)

In January 1951, the news broke that Di Sarli was going to return to the stage. In fact, the Director of Radio El Mundo, Pedro Chans Moreno, had convinced Di Sarli to make his comeback. Di Sarli re­ formed an orchestra with 5 bandoneons and 6 violins (some say 6 violins, but the sixth was added only later). The leader of the new violin section was Szymsia Bajraj, a Polish-Argentine Jew born near Warsaw. He is better known to us as Simon Bajour. His are the hands imitating the sounds of birds in Di Sarli’s immortal 1954 recording of E l a m a n e cer , the dawn. A classical virtuoso, he was a member of the recently formed Argentine National Symphony Orchestra, at that time known as the State Symphony Orchestra. He remained with Di Sarli until 1959. The bandoneons were led once more by Federico Scorticati, and it appears that all the members of the previous orchestra who re-joined got the better conditions they had asked for.MH With the presence of Angel Ramos and Felix Verdi, it’s the strongest bandoneon line-up the orchestra has ever had. Immediately there was speculation about who the singers would be, and this only intensified as the auditions got under way at Radio El Mundo. The newspaper La epoca broke a scoop on 15thJanuary when they confirmed that the new singers would be Jorge Vidal (currently with Pugliese) and Raul Beron134135. They were wrong on both counts: 134 ibid 135 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2764

the men chosen were Oscar Serpa, a member of the previous orchestra, and Mario Pomar, who joined from the outfit of Francisco Rotundo. Radio El Mundo arranged for Di Sarli to make his debut as a live broadcast from their 500 seat radio theatre. The debut was fixed for Friday 16th March 1951. The programme was titled “Bienvenida a Carlos Di Sarli” - Welcome to Carlos Di Sarli.136137This event was trailed heavily on Radio El Mundo, with Di Sarli himself appearing before the microphones on both the 2nd and the 13lh to talk about his comeback. On the night of the re-opening, one of the people listening to the broadcast was the tango DJ Felix Picherna, later famous as the resident DJ at the C onfitena Ideal, but then just a boy of 14. He vividly remembers the compere announcing Di Sarli’s first tango: Los 33 orientales, and that at these words, before the band had even struck up, he got goose bumps.1r The debut before the dancing public took place shortly afterwards at the River Plate football club. The evening was a sensation, with the floor full of dancers. Di Sarli’s appeal as a dance orchestra was undiminished. Di Sarli’s comeback came too late for the carnival season of 1951, but he was immediately signed up for the following year by Club San Lorenzo de Almagro. They didn’t even wait to hear what the band would sound like - the contract was signed in February, before the new band had played a single note in public.

136 ibid, p2765 137 Picherna interviewed by Alberto Paz & Valoire Hart in 1997: https://elfirulete.wordpress.com/1997/04/26/the-music-man/

Back in the studio - but not with RCA-Victor Tempted by the possibility of making EPs (7”, 33*/3 rpm discs with two tracks per side) and possibly even LPs on the new vinyl medium, as well as the possibility of international exposure, Di Sarli signed not to RCA-Victor but to the new label Music Hall. The masters were recorded in the studios of Argentina Sono Film and it was intended that they would be flown to the United States, where the records would be made. However the project was scaled back, and the records were pressed in Peru.138 Di Sarli continued with Music Hall until April 1934 when, for technical and commercial reasons, he switched back to RCA-Victor. For his first recordings, Di Sarli selected twenty of his greatest hits. All had been in the repertoire of the previous orchestra, and all but two (C om o lo s n a rd o s en f l o r and E l ciru ja ) had already been recorded. There is not a single new song among them - the antithesis of the output of many other artists of the time, most notably Troilo. Meanwhile, Di Sarli’s old label, RCA-Victor, started re-issuing some of his 1940s recordings in order to capitalise on his renewed popularity. These recordings contain only one vocal number: N id o g a u ch o , with the voice of Mario Pomar. The remaining nineteen songs are instrumental, whilst N ido g a u c h o comes across as the least satisfying of the new releases, the band’s strong arrastres strangely at odds with the delicate romanticism of the composition. This tells you a lot about the musical scene in Buenos Aires at the time. The recordings were released over 5 EPs (two tracks per side, remember, so four tracks per record). As far as we can tell, the recordings were held back from the public until all twenty were ready,

138 Jens-lngo Brodesser: Discomania - Carlos Di Sarli records his first longplaying'record, July 6th 2017. See: http://jens-ingo.all2all.org/archives/2776

and were released together in February 1952,iY>almost a year after Di Sarli’s return. This delay might also relate to Music Hall’s changing plans for the manufacture and marketing of the new records. Music Hall intended these new records for export - what about the domestic market? Unfortunately, not many people had the equipment to play vinyl records at the new speeds of 45rpm and 331/3rpm. Therefore, at the end of 1952, Music Hall started producing 78rpm vin yl records (also 7” in size) in parallel to the 33,/3rpm ones. These were eventually followed by the old format of shellac 78rpm records as well: a tacit admission of defeat on the part of Music Hall. As well as singles, they also produced shellac EPs with two tracks per side - four different formats in all. Around the same time, the “old firm” of RCA and Odeon began producing vinyl EPs but in parallel with shellac issues. They would not eliminate shellac until the public had had time to buy new record players. What about the sound quality? Jens-Ingo Brodesser has researched the Music Hall releases in detail, and he tells us that the quality of the initial 7” vinyls is excellent: “When you listen to a well-preserved copy, you get indeed the impression that the maestro himself is descending from the heavens”.U() What is so good about them? Vinyl has less surface noise than shellac, resulting in a wide dynamic range - in other words, a very detailed sound. However, Music Hall’s own later reissues on 10” vinyl (4 tracks per side) and 12” vinyl (6 tracks per side - a true LP format) sometimes didn’t have as good a sound as the originals.13940

139 Akihito Baba has 1951 dates for each EP, but couldn't tell me where he got them from. 140 Jens-Ingo Brodesser, op. cit.

19

The com eback kid

Bad news for imitators Whilst most were delighted with the return of El Senor d e l tango, not everyone was pleased. For the bandleader Ricardo Pedevilla, Di Sarli’s return was a double whammy. Pedevilla, like Dante Puricelli, had moved into the gap left by Di Sarli’s withdrawal from the musical scene, playing a repertoire largely drawn from Di Sarli and in a similar style (but with less subtlety in the bandoneons). Now he lost not only his vocalist, Oscar Serpa, but a part of his appeal as well. Di Sarli’s return scotched Pedevilla’s chance of performing on Radio El Mundo, although he continued to perform, and to record on the Pampa label (a division of Odeon). Tango for export? Although Music Hall were not able to fulfil their plan of marketing these recordings throughout the Americas, the records were licensed in Brazil and more importantly to Japan, where at least some of them were printed by Mercury Records. We are not sure, but it’s even possible that all the recordings were released in Japan, as soon as possible after their release in Argentina.14'14

141 Could this explain why no-one can verify Baba-San's dates for the Di Sarli releases which are printed on the relevant CTA CDs? Jens-lngo Brodesser has shown that some of these dates are incorrect. Could they actually be the dates that the records were released in Japan?

The 1950s sound: a new balance Di Sarli’s early 1950s recordings are the least well known because Sicamericana (the holding company behind Music Hall) later went bust, whereupon their recordings entered a legal labyrinth which prevented them from being officially reprinted on CD .142 This is a real pity, because from the point of view of the dancer, these early 50s recordings are the best - even better for dancing then the late 50s recordings on RCA-Victor, which benefit from higher sound fidelity. Now why would I make this claim? It’s simple: the walking beat on these early 1950s recordings is stronger than that on the later ones the strongest beat Di Sarli ever had. This was a time when tango was trying to reinvigorate itself. Di Sarli picks up on this mood, but for him this does not mean that he should accelerate the tempo of his performances, as it does for D’Arienzo. On the contrary, he slows down, but with no loss of energy or intensity. Music Hall’s vinyl technology captures a broader frequency range than the 1940’s shellacs on RCA-Victor. In particular, we can hear the bass notes of Di Sarli’s piano much more clearly than before, and they impart a tremendous drive, especially combined with the violins, which sound more muscular than they will be in the late 1950s. On top of this, Di Sarli uses the bass register of the keyboard more than he did in the 1940s: just compare the piano run at the opening of M ilo n g u ero v ie jo , played in an upper register in the 1944 recording,

142 In 2016, the Argentine government rescued the entire catalogues of Music Hall and TK from oblivion when it bought all the rights to the Sicamericana catalogue for $2.75 million dollars. This ought to have been great news for fans of Di Sarli and Troilo (who recorded on TK in the 1950s). However, the beneficiaries of this largesse have been Argentine rock stars such as Leon Gieco and Charly Garcia. At the time of writing, not a single tango record has been re­ issued. In any case, it seems that the archives no longer hold the original masters of the recordings made by Troilo and Di Sarli, only some tapes made later when the labels prepared LP reissues. See: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1873467-recuperan-los-discos-historico-delcatalogo-del-sello-music-hall

and in a lower one in the new recording. Of all his orchestras, the 1951 line-up has the best balance between rhythm and melody. The balance between the different sections of the orchestra has also changed. Di Sarli had three violins in the 1938 orchestra, increasing to four in 1940, but this 1951 line-up has no less than six. For the first time there are more violins than bandoneons. The large number of violins is especially significant in the staccato playing, where they impart a stronger walking drive than ever before. I like it. For me, this 1951 orchestra is just perfectly balanced. Sound fidelity: a familiar story Di Sarli’s 1951 orchestra has a claim to be the one musically, but what about the recordings? We think that Music Hall used tape masters, but these went missing when it went bust, and the transfers are made from the vinyls. Now, whilst vinyl recordings preserve the higher frequencies much better than shellac, any distortion at all is going to make those violins sound a little sharp. These records did not sit on shelves gathering dust: people played them. Be prepared to turn down the treble when playing them back. The CD releases of Di Sarli’s later recordings on RCA-Victor (19541958) were prepared from original tape masters: they sound as though they were recorded yesterday. Surely the improved fidelity of tape means they are to be preferred to these Music Hall recordings? Well, the late RCA-Victor recordings also have their drawbacks: RCA-Victor added a bit of reverberation to their masters. Music Hall never did this. At the milonga you may not notice (depending on the room), but it can make the late vocals a little tiring to the ear after a time. Musically speaking there are differences too: we’ll talk about those later.

Sparse and spacious The slower pace of the Music Hall recordings makes them more spacious. We might expect Di Sarli to fill in these spaces with more decorations, but he does the opposite, removing things we are expecting in the music from his earlier recordings. This is Di Sarli at his most minimal: we won’t find this trend in his later recordings on RCA-Victor or Philips. The early 1950s was a time when tango reinvigorated itself after the years of censorship at the end of the 1940s, and in many orchestras - D’Arienzo’s, for example - one can hear this reflected in more up-tempo performances. Di Sarli’s music is more intense now than in the 1940s, the most intense music he ever recorded, but he achieves this not by accelerating his pace, but by holding the orchestra back - increasing the feeling of restrained power. The instrumental is king These early 1950s recordings on Music Hall are great dance music, and there are a lot of tracks: 84 numbers in just three years. Look just a little more closely, and another surprise emerges: more than half are instrumental. In the early 1940s the can tor d e orquesta was king, idolised by the public and essential for an orchestra’s success, but clearly, times have changed. This is the same change we observed with Troilo, who also changed record label at this time. For me, these 1950s recordings reveal the beauty and power of many instrumentals which had not appealed to me in their 1940s incarnations - tangos such as C h a m p a gn e ta n g o , El d is tin g u id o ciu d a d a n o . La v ir u ta and El op to , to name just a few. There are also a few instrumentals which Di Sarli records only in this period. This is not because they are new repertoire - Di Sarli completely ignores, for example, the new production of Piazzolla, which is embraced by Troilo and even Fresedo. No, it is simply that

a working tango orchestra had a very large repertoire, and because instrumentals were now more popular than the vocals, more of them were recorded. Think for example of Q u eja s d e b a n d o n e o n , a tango normally associated with Troilo. On the other hand, there are no '50s versions of some of Di Sarli’s earliest recordings with his orchestra such as C a ta m a rca and R a cin g C lub. This is a pity because those 1940 recordings are too fast to use much in the milonga. I suppose it simply wasn’t possible to re-record everything. A stable vocal partnership With Pomar and Serpa, Di Sarli once again had a singing partnership of the very highest quality, and this time it was a stable one - they remain his singers until the orchestra deserts him in 1956. Pomar has already been singing professionally for more than ten years, even making recordings under his real name of Mario Corrales, but it is with Di Sarli that he produces his best work. Photographs show a man standing proudly at the microphone, ramrod straight, which somehow fits the spirit of the orchestra, elegant and perfectionist. Oscar Serpa was a highly contrasting singer with a unique and distinctive voice, something quite different to the other cantores d e orquesta (orchestra singers). Interestingly, like both Podestä and Duran before him, he is a cuyano - someone from the mountainous north west of Argentina. Serpa had been a member of the Di Sarli line-up at the end of the 1940s, producing only one recording, the beautiful La n o v ia d e l m ar. In this new period on Music Hall he will record twenty more numbers, fulfilling all the promise of that first outing. Serpa was better known, having had a long stint with Fresedo in the mid 1940s, splitting to join Di Sarli at the end of 1947. When Di Sarli dissolved his orchestra in 1949, Serpa joined the line-up of

Horacio Salgän, passing in m id-1950 to the new group of Ricardo Pedevilla, an orchestra performing somewhat in the Di Sarli style. Here he cut only three sides, but they make interesting listening because it sounds as though he has more freedom of expression than he does with Di Sarli, whom Podestä described as tempista a m uerte, strict tempo to the death! Finding the music We explained above that Music Hall’s holding company went bankrupt, making it difficult for other companies to reissue their recordings on CD. Most of what we hear nowadays are CD transfers of compilation LPs of his greatest hits made by Music Hall in the late 1950s. Sadly, the fidelity of these was sometimes not as good as the originals.143 Right through the LP and CD era, there was no complete re-issue of Di Sarli’s Music Hall recordings, except in Japan, and even that had errors.144 Finally, in 2016, TangoTunes released all 84 tunes as digital downloads, making them widely available for the first time in over fifty years.

143 Jens-lngo Brodesser: Discomania - Carlos Di Sarli records the first tango 'long-playing' vinyl record. See: http://jens-ingo.all2all.org/archives/tag/carlosdi-sarli 144 I am referring to the re-issues of the great Akihito Baba on his CTA label. There are pitch errors, and the transfers of Como los nardos en flor and Dinero, dinero have a phrase missing, indicating that at least some of the transfers are taken from LP re-issues, and not from the original releases.

227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271

1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953

Rodriguez Pefta Nueve puntos Un momento [v] Domani Cuatro vidas Sueno de juventud [v] La cachila Los 33 orientales 5iete palabras Por el camino El ingeniero Portena y nada mas [m] Barba de chodo A la luz del candil Asi era mi novia Cara sucia Mi refugio Champagne tango Pimienta Bar Exposicion Marianito La viruta El distinguido ciudadano Don Jose Maria No me pregunten por que Con alma y vida [m] Se muere de amor Siempre mas Tangueando te quiero De vuelta [v] Quien te iguala Viento verde Clavel del aire La capilla blanca Tu palida voz [v] Un lamento Re Fa Si Dinero, dinero Dejame hablar El jagiiel Quejas de bandoneon Caminito Porteno y bailarin Tierra negra AI compäs del corazdn

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

272

1953

Duelo criollo

Mario Pomar

273

1953

La novia del mar

Oscar Serpa

274

1953

Fulgor

Oscar Serpa

275

1953

La canciön mäs triste

Oscar Serpa

276

1953

Royal Pigall

277

1953

Cuidado con los 50

278

1953

La misma tarde

Oscar Serpa

279

1954

Patotero sentimental

Mario Pomar

280

1954

El cachafaz

281

1954

Tinta verde

282

1954

Verdemar

Oscar Serpa

283

1954

Tengo un amigo

Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa

284

1954

Poema triste [v]

285

1954

Chimentos

Mario Pomar

286

1954

Por que le llaman amor

Oscar Serpa

287

1954

El choclo

288

1954

Una fija

289

1954

Buenos Aires, yo te canto

Oscar Serpa

290

1954

Del barrio de las latas

Mario Pomar

Table 9: Di Sarli recordings on Music Hall (1951-1954)

207

El opto (Opium)

1952

music: Francisco Canaro For his first recording, Di Sarli chose this relatively little known gu a rd ia vieja tango that he had put on disc back in 1940. That performance sounded forced and rushed, but here the slower pace of the orchestra allows the potential of the piece to be fully displayed. Curiously, this version is much closer to Canaro’s charming 1931 performance, which must have been what inspired it, than it is to Canaro’s 1952 version - that’s taken at a tremendous lick, much too fast, just like Di Sarli’s 1940 version. The arrastre of the expanded string section is tremendously powerful, generating a powerful walk for the dancer, and there are flourishes everywhere: not just in the piano (the rising glissando at 0’25”), but even in the bandoneons at the end of the A section (0’30” and again Γ35” and 2’40”). This is a joyful and exuberant performance. The piece is played with a lot of volume dynamic; take the B section, which begins with a sudden crescendo (0’33”), but ends its first set of phrases in a similar fashion on an off-beat (0’42”) which is then momentarily suspended, before being allowed to fall into the next phrase. Biagi is not the only one to play with off-beats: here Di Sarli does it too, but in a magisterial fashion. If we had a better transfer of this tango it would be played at every milonga. About the title: drugs were by no means a forbidden subject in tango. Just think of Cobian’s Los mareados, which was Los dopados ( The dopeys) before Cadicamo supplied it with an updated lyric.

209

A la g r a n m u n eca (T o th e b ig d o ll)

1952

music: Jesus Ventura This was one of Di Sarli’s most popular numbers, and one of the tangos for which RCA-Victor re-issued Di Sarli’s 1940s recording on a new disc in order to compete with the new version on Music Hall. However, the 1950s style suits this tango better; of the three versions, it’s my favourite. The slower pace lets it breathe more, making it feel more melodic, at the same time that it has more forward drive. Listen to the short violin solo, which occurs twice in the piece (1’05’\ 2’ 17”). Felix Verdi tells us that this is the work not of Roberto Guisado, but of Claudio Gonzalez. At the end of the solo, Gonzalez stretches out the penultimate note, creating a delicious effect of suspension. Now listen to this solo in the 1954 version, which is taken at the same pace but is smoother, with less power in its walking beat. You’ll easily notice that it’s quite difficult to hear the solo properly because of the reverberation applied by RCA-Victor to the master tape. The violin sounds distant, as though we are hearing it from down a long corridor. At a milonga with a poor acoustic and sound system you may not notice the difference, but under better conditions the difference is clear.

210

Germaine

1952

music: Alberto Lopez Buchardo It’s ten years since Di Sarli had recorded Germaine - how does this second recording sound compared to the first one? The answer is, quite a bit different. As always with Di Sarli, the skeleton of the arrangement is the same in all the versions, but this 1951 recording on Music Hall has more punch than the more up-tempo 1941 recording, which is more playful. As an example, listen just to the first seconds of the two versions. After the three big opening chords which announce the piece, the melody descends (on the bandoneons). In the 1941 version, what we next notice is some pizzicato in the violins. Listen a few times, and you’ll notice that the music appears to be bouncing playfully between violin pizzicato and some low notes on the piano. The first time we listen to the opening of the 1951 version, it sounds as though the first pizzicato chord has gone, but listen again - it’s still there, but buried by Di Sarli’s piano, which plays a powerful chord incorporating the very lowest and the very highest note it can manage. M y favourite moment of this recording however comes in Di Sarli’s piano work at the end of the piece. When we reach the descending piano run that links to the final verse (2’22’’), Di Sarli permits himself just the tiniest bit of flexibility in his timing, producing a cascade of notes of perfect liquid beauty. 223

D on J u a n

1952

music: Ernesto Ponzio It’s been said that the piano is the spine of an orquesta tipica. In the case of Di Sarli, it’s the whole skeleton! In the words of Julian Plaza, E lpropio Di Sarli era la base d e todo\ “Di Sarli himself was the base of everything”. If you want to get a feel for how Di Sarli does this, this tango is a very good place to start.

D on J u a n is one of the oldest known tangos, dating (just) to the 19th century: it was a big hit in 1900 at the cafe-restaurant Lo de Hansen,l4S one of the most important venues for tango in those days. A plain gu ardia vieja tango, it is not an obvious candidate for fame: a simple melody, no trio section, a forgotten lyric. However, the tune is punchy and memorable, and the tango’s very simplicity allows an orchestra a lot of freedom in arrangement and interpretation. Di Sarli’s 1952 recording is largely the same as his 1941 one, but played at a slower pace, giving it a different feeling. D on J u a n s composer Ernesto Ponzio, a pizzicato specialist, wrote pizzicato into this tango: the sheet music says: tango con letra (lyrics) y pizzicato. The pizzicato is still here in this 1951 version, starting as early as (0 Ί 6 ”), but in the 1955 recording, it will be gone. As you listen to it, listen also to what the piano is doing underneath. It remains in control as we enter the verse, with simple but stately bass chords (0’32”) giving way to Di Sarli’s cam panitas - and so it goes on, with the piano controlling everything. This 1952 D on J u a n is a real evolution of the earlier recording. The section to listen to closely is the repeat of the chorus (Γ37 ”). In 1941, Di Sarli had played some jazzy syncopations, but this time the slower pace changes the feeling completely. Then the texture opens out, allowing Di Sarli’s delicate cam panitas to float out onto the dance floor like paper boats. Halfway through this chorus, the increased spaciousness allows us to hear the double bass accompanying the bandoneons, as the piano and the violins briefly fall silent (Γ 48”). Notice as well how Di Sarli often enters half a beat early, on the off-beat, for example at the opening of the final verse (2’07”). A piano masterclass.

145 Robeto Seiles on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/215/Don-Juan-Story-ofthe-tango-Don-Juan/

230

D om ani (T o m o rro w )

1952

vocals: Mario Pomar music: Carlos Vivan lyrics: Cätulo Castillo D o m a n i - which you may have noticed, is not Spanish but Italian - tells the familiar tale of the struggling Italian immigrant, Don Giovanni, who is discovering that life in America is not quite as rosy as it appeared from the other side of the Atlantic. The lyrics are written by Catulo Castillo, Troilo’s favourite lyricist of the 1950s: surely Troilo performed this. We can get an idea what it might have sounded like from a recording made by Alberto Marino with his backing orchestra (led by Hugo Baralis). Whilst Di Sarli’s work is characteristically “strict tempo”, Marino’s version has a much more flexible and dynamic timing. The work was registered at SADAIC in May 1951, when Troilo’s vocalists were Raul Beron and Jorge Casal. 233

L a c a ch ila T he p i p i t

1952

music: Eduardo Arolas Di Sarli’s 1952 reworking of this Arolas classic brings a majestic touch that we don’t Find in his earlier and more up-tempo 1941 recording.146 The piano is entirely dominant, assuming control before ten seconds of the piece have elapsed with growling bass runs. When Di Sarli takes the solo (0’43” and again at 2 00”) the piece has the magnificence of a Beethoven piano concerto.

146 See above pp78-99 (#73)

242

C ara s u cia (D ir ty fa ce )

music: “El Negro” Casimiro Alcorta This tango is credited to Francisco Canaro, who first recorded it in 1917, but he only arranged an earlier tango, C on ch a su cia - Dirty cu n t, a tango whose pornographic title and lyrics are taken directly from life in the brothels. Alcorta, an early tango violinist and dancer, is thought to have written this in 1884, making it one of the very earliest tangos, and the catchy tune made it immediately popular.147 After his death in 1913, Angel Villoldo recorded it as an instrumental, but with the sanitised title. Canaro, with his good business sense, then published the work under his own name, and one of his regular collaborators, Juan Andres Caruso, later provided the lyric. But we digress: the miracle of this performance is how Di Sarli elevates a tango drawn from life in the brothels to the level of high art, something Canaro could never do. This 1952 recording on Music Hall is less well known that the 1957 one on RCA-Victor, but this is the stronger and more powerful interpretation. The arrastre of the violins verges on the aggressive: Di Sarli is truly the king of staccato playing on the strings. Listen closely, and you can even hear the bow of the double bass biting in to the strings - the fidelity on these vinyl releases from Music Hall can be truly excellent. I also like the way that Di Sarli does not cover the jazzy syncopations in the left hand of his piano (0’45” - 0 51” and again Γ52” - Γ58”) with a countermelody, as he does in the later version. This 1952 version is sparse and sexy.

147 Juan Carlos Serqueiros on the blog Esa Vieja Cultura Frita: https://esaviejaculturafrita.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/c-ara-sucia.html

244

C h a m p a gn e ta n g o

1952

music: Manuel Aroztegui Manuel Aroztegui left very few tangos, but amongst them are some enduring works. Di Sarli’s recording of C h a m p a gn e ta n g o has a very similar arrangement to his earlier one (from 1944), but the slower pace transforms the feeling of the piece, whilst the improved recording technology enables us to appreciate the music more easily than before. When the trio appears (Γ 05”), we expect Di Sarli to break into the polyrhythm we know from his other recordings of this tango - but it’s not there. There’s just some simple syncopation and a lot of space, whilst Di Sarli reinforces the walking beat with powerful, deep notes in the piano accompaniment. This combination of melody, power, and slow pace is irresistible. Di Sarli allegedly made seven takes of this tango148 - something almost unheard of - choosing not the one which was the most technically perfect, but the one which he felt had the strongest tango feeling. 245

P im ie n ta (P ep p er)

1952

music: Osvaldo Fresedo Fresedo’s 1939 instrumental P im ie n ta follows in the tradition and spirit of his 1913 tango, El e sp ia n te : tango that is playful but still strongly melodic. Di Sarli keeps Fresedo’s effects, although transposing them to the piano and changing the mood, which is not playful here. The opening is stunning: a huge triple piano glissando (twice up the keyboard, and once down) which culminates

148 Jose Maria Otero on his blog Tangos al bardo: http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/champagne-tango.html

in a crashing, rumbling bass chord, the piece then opening into a vast space in which the double bass marks the time as we wait for the next phrase. This extreme alternation of dense and sparse textures is typically and uniquely Di Sarlian. The best is yet to come. In the B section (0’40” - Γ13”), Di Sarli slowly builds tension as the melody alternates between sections of the orchestra, the piano making an unusual combination with the bandoneons (e.g. 0’49” - TOO”). The orchestra build in volume towards an irresistible crescendo - the same triple glissando with which the piece opens. It's masterful. P im ien ta inspired a variety of other orchestras such as Calo, Maffia, D’Arienzo and even, Francisco Canaro, who completely misses the point by emphasising the rhythm as though this were a gu ardia vieja tango from the 1910s. For deep tango feeling, Di Sarli’s recording has no peer. Even so, I would have loved to have heard Troilo’s 1940 interpretation, which was Argentino Galvan’s first arrangement for the Troilo orchestra. 253

S e m tier e d e a m o r (D yin g o f lo v e )

1952

vocals: Mario Pomar music: Pedro Maffia lyrics: Catulo Castillo Maffia and Castillo wrote this in 1941, but the work was not a hit and was not recorded by any of the main orchestras at that time. He must have been pleased by this interpretation from Carlos Di Sarli, which preserves the smooth, legato expression that Maffia valued so much. The melody feels tailor-made for Di Sarli: the short, descending phrases remind us of the weeping violins that Di Sarli knows how to deploy so well. This feeling is at its most intense in the chorus (Γ40” - 2 1 9 ”), in which Pomar switches to a mezze

voice, accompanied in his descent by shimmering violins. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. This performance is very short, only 2’ 19”, because it has only four sections: there’s no instrumental break or final chorus. Instead, Di Sarli leaves us with the lyric: The dark n igh t o f this dream which, upon a guitar, is dyin g o f love. 2 54

Siempremds (Always more)

1952

vocals: Oscar Serpa music: Emilio Brameri lyrics: Julio Buron This tango is very much the companion piece of the previous one, although even more intense. Serpa’s rich voice is perfectly balanced with the violins, with whom he conducts an intimate dialogue. The tango’s composer Emilio Brameri is Di Sarli’s arranger, and here he produces a piece tailor made for the Di Sarli orchestra. The violin countermelodies are exquisite, the most beautiful Di Sarli has ever recorded.

20

El Sefior del Tango (The Gentleman of Tango)

In 1953, Antonio Canto became the orchestra’s announcer. Travelling to his very first gig in the car of the composer Arturo Gallucci, the latter suggested that Canto find a new sobriquet for Don Carlos Di Sarli. They spend the rest of the journey discussing the matter, and the name they came up with “Un Senor del Tango”. Canto announced Di Sarli under this rubric that very night, altering it a few months later to the more definitive “£/ Senor del Tango” The Gentleman of Tango. Today this is the term by which Di Sarli is always known, but like many similar titles (such as Troilo’s UE1 bandoneon mayor de Buenos Aires”) it came relatively late in his career. Music Hall immediately started using it as the title of the compilation LPs they were now releasing.

music: Graciano De Leone lyrics: Pedro Numa Cordoba We reviewed the 1944 recording of this tango back on pp 125-6. This later version is even more special. In the first chorus (0’33”) Di Sarli dispenses with the violin countermelody, creating a sparse, spacious atmosphere. When it finally comes (2’ 16”), Music Hall’s superior recording technology really lets us hear what all the members of the section are doing, and it tears at the heart.149 272

D u elo c r io llo (K n ife fi g h t )

1953

vocals: Mario Pomar music: Juan Rezzano lyrics: Lito Bayardo The genius of Di Sarli’s second recording of D u elo cr io llo is what he doesn’t do. In the dramatic opening section, we expect the rising piano run which so affects us in his 1946 recording with Jorge Duran (pp 135-6), but when the moment comes - nothing happens! This added space just increases the dramatic tension of this tango: the tense staccato in the strings creates a feeling that something bad is going to happen. This is a great interpretation, even more dramatic than the earlier one, if that were possible; what a pity that Di Sarli didn’t record it again when Duran returned in 1956.

149 It's not easy to find a good transfer of this track. The best version is the one made in Japan on CTA-518. For those without this CD, the best place to listen to it at the time of writing is on youtube.

music: Manuel Aröztegui Έ1 cachafaz’ was the nickname of Jose ‘Benito’ Banquiet, one of the most famous tango dancers of all time. As a dancer he was known for his creativity, and for combining fast footwork with an elegant, upright manner. Around 1911, he famously defeated Έ1 Pardo’ Santillän in a dancing duel at Hansen’s Cafe, dancing around a knife embedded in the floor.1™ As a young man, Banquiet always took liberties with the girls and when one father complained to his father, the latter exclaimed: “Mi hijo es una cachafaz!” - M y son is a scoundrel!1S1 Although Aroztegui dedicated the tango to an actor, there’s no doubt that Banquiet was its inspiration. Di Sarli takes the piece at a very slow pace, and the bandoneons are a little more in evidence than normal, taking the opening chords. The highlight comes in the trio section (1 ’45”). This opens spaciously with the violins playing the melody in their trademark sharp staccato, creating a tense atmosphere, like a gathering storm. Halfway through the section (2Ό3”), Di Sarli’s piano suddenly bursts in underneath, like the first thunderclap when that storm breaks: shocking, but also welcome, because it relieves the tension. Compare this performance to the 1951 of Di Sarli’s imitator, Ricardo Pedevilla, and Di Sarli easily wins the duel.150

150 Francisco Garcia Jimenez: Asi nacieron los tangos, pp61-64 151 Jose Gobello, quoted by Nestor Pnson on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/175/EI-Cachafaz/

D i S a rli a t a g a la n ig h t a t th e M arabu, in 1954.

21

The submerged cathedral (1954) The new technology offered by Music Hall had lured Di Sarli into their fold, but there were problems. With the discs being pressed outside the country, it was not easy to respond to the market - if for example a new record was more successful than anticipated. More importantly, many people in Argentina did not have had record players that could play the new format and this impeded sales. To overcome this problem, Music Hall began releasing their records on 78rpm shellac discs, in parallel with vinyl, but their quality was not as good as the competition. When RCA-Victor introduced tape masters in 1954, Di Sarli signed back with them. As so often, this change of record label coincides with a change of style. Now the music becomes much smoother. Just listen to the two versions of El choclo\ the first recorded in (we think) April 1954 on Music Hall, the second recorded in June 1954 on Victor, just months later. The first is spacious, staccato and dramatic - all the qualities we associate with Di Sarli’s Music Hall recordings. The second - made by the same band, so with the same number of violins, and performed at the same tempo, lacks the sparse feeling of its predecessor. The staccato playing of the violins is still there, but it does not call the attention as it had before. What is happening? Di Sarli is placing even more emphasis on the melody. In my first book, Tango Stories: M usical Secrets, I shared with you how the final development of Di Sarli’s music reminded me of Debussy’s piano prelude, La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Submerged Cathedral). In this prelude, the cathedral is submerged by the watery tide: a perfect metaphor for what happens

to Di Sarli’s music. The staccato structure of tango, a musical incarnation of the cathedral’s high towers, is slowly submerged by a great melodic wash.1S2153 I was reminded of this last week when BBC Radio 3 reviewed the various recordings of these preludes in their programme “Building a Library ”. The challenge for the pianist, said the reviewer, was to “convey the spiritual, but also the sense of the marine”. He was talking about Debussy, but couldn’t these words apply equally well to Di Sarli?1S3 The late 1950s repertoire In the 1930s the pendulum swung away from the instrumental tango, back towards the vocals. In Di Sarli’s case, just 23 of the Pinal 94 recordings are instrumental. They are classics of the genre, and being overplayed has not worn out their welcome. However, let’s remind ourselves that Di Sarli would still have been performing a number of instrumentals that had been in his repertoire for decades, without being able to record new versions. Let’s try to imagine, for example, his late 30s performance of La c a c h ila , or R o y a l P iga ll.

152 Michael Lavocah, Tango Stories, Musical Secrets, p35, pl85 153 lain Burnside on Record Review, Book 1 of Debussy's Piano Preludes, BBC Radio 3, Saturday 24th March 2018.

291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335

30.06.54 30.06.54 30.06.54 30.06.54 31.06.54 31.08.54 31.08.54 31.08.54 31.08.54 08.09.54 08.09.54 08.09.54 14.09.54 14.09.54 14.09.54 28.09.54 28.09.54 16.11.54 16.11.54 07.12.54 07.12.54 21.01.55 21.01.55 31.01.55 31.01.55 02.02.55 02.02.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 15.07.55 15.07.55 15.07.55 15.07.55 28.07.55 28.07.55 16.09.55 16.09.55 03.02.56 03.02.56 23.02.56 23.02.56 29.02.56 29.02.56

No me pregunten por ςυέ El choclo Por que le llaman amor A la gran muneca Sueno de juventud [v] Un desolado corazon Organito de la tarde Bien frappe El amanecer Tormenta Don Jose Maria Pobre buzon Tus palabras y la noche Cuidado con los 50 Tinta verde La morocha Sin ti Bar Exposicion El once Castanuelas No mataras Noche de locura Juan Portefio El ingeniero Don Juan Corazon Sin ella Tenia que suceder Mi madre tierra La cumparsita Milonguero viejo [4° version] Bailemos Flor de amigo Comme il faut Germaine Pato alegre Los 33 orientales Nido gaucho Verdemar Fumando espero Noche de locura Rodriguez Pena El jagiiel Mala yerba [v] De que podemos hablar

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

Mario Pomar Mario Pomar

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Argentino Ledesma Rodolfo Gale

Rodolfo Gale Argentino Ledesma

336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369

07.03.56 07.03.56 18.04.56 18.04.56 26.04.56 26.04.56 27.09.56 27.09.56 19.10.56 19.10.56 02.11.56 02.11.56 12.12.56 12.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 25.04.57 25.04.57 25.04.57 25.04.57 12.07.57 12.07.57 30.09.57 30.09.57 04.10.57 04.10.57 21.11.57 21.11.57 16.01.58 16.01.58 16.07.58 28.08.58

Novia provinciana Nueve puntos Fumando espero Fogön de huella Por que regresas tü Buenos Aires No me pregunten por que A la luz del candil Derrotado (Tenes razon) Sonatina Y todavia te quiero Cuando muere una esperanza Cantemos corazon Muriendome de amor Pobre buzon Quien sino tu Viviani Duele mas Calla Lo que me hablaron de vos Sonemos De que podemos hablar Nuestra noche Destino de flor Cara sucia No me hablan de ella Cuanta angustia Whisky Por un te quiero Serenata mia Bahia Blanca Buenas noches Buenos Aires Adios corazon No la maldigas por Dios Donde estäs?

Argentino Ledesma Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Durän/Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Durän/Florio Jorge Durän Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Jorge Durän

Table 10: Di Sarli late recordings on RCA-Victor (1954-1958)

295

Sueno d e ju v en tu d [v] (Dream o f you th)

31.08.1954

vocals: Oscar Serpa words and music: Enrique Santos Discepolo Although Di Sarli’s recorded oeuvre contains many danceable, up­ tempo valses, it also evinces a strong affection for valses with a much slower tempo. Such is the case with Sueno de juventud, a Discepolo number from his show Caramelos surtidos, which opened in July 1931. This vals was a massive hit, with tw elve different versions being recorded by orchestras and soloists. How Di Sarli would have loved to record this bittersweet vals of his friend Discepolo. Unfortunately, it came too late for him, because in August Di Sarli lost his recording contract in the cull brought on by the Great Depression. Instead, he had to play it as a backing track for the soloist Mercedes Carne, whilst nearly all of his contemporaries committed fine versions to disc. Once Di Sarli had his own group again he recorded Sueno de juventud three times. The three versions are almost identical, but I’ve selected the third and final recording for two reasons. First of all, Serpa’s voice is more romantic than the dark and dramatic baritone of Jorge Duran (who sang this vals with Di Sarli in his first recording in 1945). I feel it’s a better fit to the music. Secondly, I love the short but very charming introduction that we don’t get in Di Sarli’s other versions. In these slow valses, which aren’t meant for dancing, Di Sarli dispenses with an indispensable ingredient of his tangos: the staccato playing of the violins. They play almost entirely legato, fitting the smooth flow of a vals, except when extra delicacy is required: then they play pizzicato.

The lyric presents a bittersweet memory of a lost and distant first love. As ever, Discepolo’s lyric pierces the heart with its truthful observations. Far from blaming the woman, it praises her. D ream o f you th, w h ich dies w ith y o u r goodbye. S eein g that they take y o u aw ay fr o m m e m y p o o r h eart only knows h ow to cry. 297

O rga n ito d e la ta r d e (E ven in g b a r r e l o r g a n )

31.08.1934

music: Jose Gonzalez Castillo words: Cätulo Castillo Historically speaking, if you know only one Di Sarli tango, it should be this one. Returning to RCA-Victor, Di Sarli recorded a new version of his fan’s favourite piece which sold an astonishing two million copies, winning Di Sarli a gold disc. This is one of the few Di Sarli tangos in which I prefer the late recording to an earlier one on Music Hall. These late recordings have less power, but in this case delicacy is exactly what is called for, because the gentle opening notes of this tango imitate the sound of a barrel organ, bringing to mind the often lonely figure of the organ player, one of those nostalgic figures populating the past of Buenos Aires. Di Sarli has pitched the tune up one tone compared to the previous versions, which also creates a lighter feeling. As the introduction ends, listen to the way that Di Sarli walks down the bass of the piano to set the piece into motion, continuing down even as the band strikes up. As ever, the piece ends with a magnificent and satisfying crescendo.

300

T orm en ta (T orm en t)

08.09.1954

vocals: Mario Pomar words and music: Enrique Santos Discepolo This is one of Discepolo’s greatest tangos, a musical depiction of the dark night of the soul, full of existential dread. In his darkest hour, a man cries out to God in anguish: (Lo que apren di d e tu m ano no sirve para vivir? Is w hat I learnt fr o m y o u r h a n d no use f o r life? When Discepolo wrote this tango at the end of 1938, the only orchestras to record it were those of Lomuto and Canaro - fine bands, but not ones known for the depth of feeling in their interpretations. What happened? It was a question of timing: Troilo and Di Sarli weren’t recording at that time. This interpretation had already been a hit for half a year when Di Sarli recorded it in September 1954: Pomar had sung it every night at the Carnival dances at Club Huracan early in March.1^ For whatever reason, Di Sarli chose not to record it at either of the two remaining sessions on Music Hall. We can be grateful, because this means it was recorded in shining fidelity after Di Sarli’s return to RCA-Victor. Today, I’d number myself amongst those who consider it Pomar’s finest interpretation with Di Sarli. The way the violins build underneath Pomar’s voice is just sensational. Sometimes, a song has to wait many years before it receives an interpretation equal to the lyric.154

154 Jo s e M a ria O te ro o n ta n g o s a lb a rd o : http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/di-sarli-y-sus-orquestas.html

310

Castanuelas (Castanets)

07.12.1934

vocals: Mario Pomar music: Arturo Gallucci/Alberto Castillo words: Raul Hormaza In 1934, the American musical The Pyjama Game opened on Broadway to a resounding success. The most successful song in the show was the “tango” Hernando's Hideaway. It became one of the only foreign tangos to achieve success in Argentina. Alfredo De Angelis’s interpretation, El escondite de Hernando (recorded on the 7th September) was so successful that the song’s authors, Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, sent De Angelis a congratulatory telegram.1^ Hernando's Hideaway irritated large sectors of the tango community beyond measure. Particularly irksome was the fact that the song used castanets; they are even in the lyric. Tango, flamenco: same thing, right? Tango took its revenge with this work, the tango Castanuelas (Castanets), given its debut by Alberto Castillo, whose arrangement incorporates a musical quote from Hernando's Hideaway. Castillo, who styled himself as a “typical” porteno, was an obvious fit for the tango and scored a hit with his interpretation, but who would have thought that Di Sarli would pick it up? As ever, he transforms it into a work of magnificence, following in the lineage of the 1947 tango Bolero, which also complained about imported music. This is a strong performance, but a weak lyric.15

155 Humberto Barella, El tango despuäs de Garde11935/1955, p385

314

E lin g e n ie r o (T h e e n g in e e r )

31.01.1933

music: Alejandro Junnissi Alejandro Junnissi, one of three bandoneon playing brothers, composed only a few pieces, but just look at the titles: El r e c o d o , performed by just about everybody, and E l p u n ta z o , a real demonstration piece for the D’Arienzo bandoneons in the early 50s. E l in g e n ie r o was written in 1930 for a student ball - not that of the medical students this time, but of the engineers. Di Sarli’s interpretation is full of space, drama and tension. The staccato playing of the strings, less obvious in these late 1950s versions, really stands out. Two dance performances, available on youtube, explore different aspects of the piece. Gavito’s 2003 performance in London is full of his trademark pauses, alternating with sudden explosions of movement, revealing the tension of the violins. By contrast, a rare video of the great milonguero Gerardo Portalea shows him concentrating on the melody, and the ebb-and-flow of the music. After listening to this stellar performance we expect to find versions by many other orchestras, but amazingly there are no other versions on disc. It turns out that, three decades previously, Junissi was on tour with his orchestra in Bahia Blanca when his pianist was taken ill. A young local pianist stood in, and Junissi was so impressed that he encouraged him to come to Buenos Aires. You’ll have guessed that the pianist in question was Carlos Di Sarli, and that it was in gratitude for this that Di Sarli incorporated works such as El in g e n ie r o , neglected by other orchestras, into his repertoire.156

156 Alcides Ferrari, El tango hace escribir... parte 15: https://milongueroybailarin.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/el-tango-hizoescribir-parte-15-tango-arg-autor-alcides-ferrari-2/

The piece is structured a bit unusually. The first two lines of the verse feel like an introduction, at least the way Di Sarli plays them. Only on the third line does the walking beat get going. At the end of the verse (0’30”), a sudden crescendo on the offbeat announces the arrival of the chorus. The verse begins fortissim o but, just two beats in, a second crescendo explodes into nothingness like a supernova; all we are left with is the tense staccato playing of the violins. Half way through the verse, the same trick again: an off­ beat crescendo, two beats fortissimo, but no second crescendo - the violins play legato whilst the bandoneons hold the beat. These are unusual phrases which don’t break neatly into blocks of four beats - any dancer who relies on counting beats is not going to make it through this tango. The tango concludes with a repetition of the verse, and the last twenty seconds are really special. As the violins weep towards their ending, the bandoneons can be heard underneath, marking the beats. Their low moaning adds greatly to the emotion of the piece. Once you get really familiar with this performance, go back and listen to the 1943 one, which is more subtle. 322

B a ilem o s (L et’s d a n ce)

15.07.1933

vocals: Mario Pomar music: Pascual “Cholo” Mamone words: Reinaldo Yiso Reinaldo Yiso was at a milonga one evening when he saw a couple dancing with great emotion, tears in their eyes. At the end of the dance, as they separated, Yiso realised that the couple were breaking-up: this was a farewell dance.1S157 157 Manuel Adet: Reynaldo Yiso in the newspaper El Litoral, 08-03-2014: http://www.ellitoral.com/index.php/diarios/2014/03/08/escenariosysociedad/ SOCI-03.html

On the way home in the small hours, waiting for his tram at Plaza Once, he bumped into Pascual Mamone. As they rode back to the barrio of Liniers, Yiso recounted the story to Mamone. That's a tango!> exclaimed Mamone, and he wrote the music in a matter of days, so that Yiso could add a lyric whilst the experience was still fresh in his mind. The finished tango was presented to Alberto Moran, now separated from Osvaldo Pugliese and working as a soloist, who had a huge hit with the piece: girls cried when they heard this tango at the milonga. This success inspired many dance orchestras; Di Sarli was first into the studio, and his style is a great match for the lyric. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, whilst the greatest lyricists were true poets, with all the mastery of craft this implies, Yiso simply and humbly wrote about his feelings. Bailemos, which describes “the anguish felt by a couple before the irreversible fact of breaking-up” is perhaps his very best work, and it’s genius resides in the fact that Yiso doesn’t say anything about what has happened to bring them to this moment.158 The couple separate without blame or recriminations, wishing one another well, even as they know that this separation is going to hurt like hell. Compared to competing versions by Basso and Francini, Di Sarli’s presentation is unadorned - exactly the qualities of the work itself. Whilst greater voices performed the work (Floreal Ruiz with Basso, Alberto Podestä with Francini), this version of Pomar with Di Sarli feels like the one which expresses the lyric most naturally. What a tango!

158 Jose Pedro Aresi on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/779/Reinaldo-Yiso/

327

Los 33 orientales (The 33 easterners)

28.07.1955

music: Jose Felipetti / Rosario Mazzeo This was one of Di Sarli’s favourite songs: he recorded it three times. This is normally the point where I tell you I prefer one of the earlier versions, but not this time, because in the repeat of the verse (Γ 45” - 2 0 1 ”) we get a rare treat: a brief violin solo. Di Sarli then Finishes the piece in his typical way, building to a crescendo with a countermelody in the violins. Although performed instrumentally, this is a tango song with only two sections of music (verse and chorus, or A and B) with some unusual features: the chorus (B) is only half as long as the verse (A), two lines of music instead of four, and there is a short instrumental bridge between every section (just one line of music), a violin crescendo which we hear four times (first time is at 0’30”). Who were the 33 easterners? The name makes us think of Uruguay, whose official name is “La Republica Oriental del Uruguay”. In this case, it’s a reference to the early 19th century when Uruguay did not yet exist. Brazil had just achieved independence from Portugal. One of its provinces, called Oriental, incorporated all of what is now Uruguay. These people now rose up, and it’s said that the leaders of the armed insurrection of 1825 were thirty three in number. After a war lasting three years, Uruguay achieved its independence. Di Sarli had a connection to Uruguay: his mother was Uruguayan, and it was the only foreign country he ever toured to. This may explain we he made three recordings of a tango which wasn’t recorded by any other artist in the Golden Age. I couldn’t even find out when it was written.

22 Los Senores del Tango (The Lords of Tango) (1956) In the first days of 1956, Di Sarli’s orchestra quit almost to the man. The simple fact was that Di Sarli was ever the demanding task master, and the band had had enough. Before we go on, let s not think that this was a uniquely Di Sarlian problem: D’Arienzo’s entire orchestra had quit in 1939 over money, as had Fresedo’s at the end of 1941. The old band, now with 4 violins and 4 bandoneons, styled itself Los Senores del Tango - The Lords of Tango, in an ironic reference to their former employer. They made their debut on Radio Belgrano on Friday February 3rd 1956,lv) and played at the Confiteria Richmond. The man with the unenviable task of playing piano in something approaching the Di Sarli style was Salvador Nicosia - listen to the records, and decide for yourself how close an approximation he made. Well, you don’t need me to tell you that no-one ever played piano quite like Di Sarli, except possibly Ricardo Cannataro, of whom we have no recordings. Di Sarli meanwhile was booked to play the carnival dances at Club San Lorenzo de Almagro. In fact, there was only one week to go before the opening. You and I might think that not having an orchestra was a drawback, but Di Sarli was not worried: asked on the159 159 Jose Maria Otero on todotango: http://www.todotango.com/english/history/chronicle/587/Orchestra-LosSenores-del-Tango/

radio what was going to happen in the future, he quipped: “There’s no problem: we’ve still got the pianist!”100 In fact, Di Sarli was prepared. Receiving the telegrams giving the requisite one month’s notice in early January, he immediately set about recruiting replacements. Two men remained of the previous orchestra: first violin Simon Bajour160161162, and the double bass player Alfredo Sciarretta (who had replaced Hamlet Greco a year earlier). These men helped to select and to train the new musicians. Simon Bajour had just returned from a three month absence whilst he toured South America with another musical group with which he was involved, a quintet called “Los Principes del Violin” - The Princes of the Violin. This was not a tango group, but a showcase for violin playing of the highest level - four violins with a piano accompaniment, as the four violinists involved, including Bajour, were all members of the National Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional).102 Whether it was Di Sarli’s idea or Bajour’s is not clear, but Los Principes del Violin formed the heart of the new violin section, to which was added Elvino Vardaro - one of the greatest names in tango violin - and Antonio Rossi. The new violin section was a luxurious affair, and with six players, was as large as any Di Sarli had yet assembled. There were so many good players that Di Sarli removed as many of the violin solos as possible, in order to avoid professional

160 A contribution on the todotango message boards: http://www.todotango.com/comunidad/mesa/mensaje.aspx?id=550774 161 As a composer, Bajour wrote under the pseudonym Tito Simon. 162 Julio Nudler, Tango judio, pl50. According to Nudler, the names of the other three were Carlos Americo Sampedro, Saul Michelson & Elias Sion. These last two were Jewish, like Bajour, and played under stage names: an RCA disc of that time gives the names Roberto Ellion (perhaps Elias Sion?), Charles Varay, and Rudy Mitchell.

jealousies; the famous violin solo in A la g r a n m u n eca , for example, was thereafter played soli by the whole section. The bandorieon section consisted of a young Jose Libertella (later co­ leader of the Sexteto Mayor), Julian Plaza (who would later join Pugliese), Alfredo Marcucci (nephew of the great Carlos Marcucci) and Domingo Sanchez.1M Both Rossi and Sanchez were veterans of the 1939 orchestra, but despite their help, it was difficult for the new men to grasp the Di Sarli style. In the rehearsals Di Sarli either said nothing or told jokes; when they finally asked, “Maestro, could you at least give some indications about the style?”, Di Sarli snapped back: “Just play what’s written: / do the style here”. Faced with this intransigence, the new band sheepishly made their way to the Confiteria Richmond in order to listen to the old one. This visit must have answered their questions, because the two orchestras sound identical. Somehow, through sheer force of will, Di Sarli achieved the impossible. The singers in the new group were Rodolfo Gale and Argentino Ledesma, whom Di Sarli poached from Hector Varela. Both of these men were relatively unknown. Gale was not particularly well received by the public. Listen to the records and it’s easy to hear why. Gale is a baritone - the material that will suit him is the old repertoire of Jorge Duran. However, for his first recording, Di Sarli chose for him the tango N och e d e lo c u r a , sung so magnificently by Serpa the year previously. Presumably, this tango was still a hit and Di Sarli felt the need to offer a new interpretation - perhaps to compete with what would now be a hit163 163 Hugo Aranguiz tells an unconfirmed story. With the money they made playing for Di Sarli, Marcucci and Libertella opened a pizzeria at the corner of the Obelisco. However, Di Sarli's enduring reputation of mufa, bad luck, meant that many people wouldn't eat there, and the venture failed. See: https://groups.yahoo.eom/neo/groups/bandoneon/conversations/messages/6 504

for Serpa with Los Senores del Tango. However whilst the tango was perfect for Serpa’s voice, it just doesn’t suit Gale. It’s a poor choice for his first record, and can’t have done anything to have helped his popularity. Perhaps he would have done better with different material, but his voice is not the equal of Duran’s either, and he was let go after less than two months. Ledesma’s stay was also a brief one. With Varela, he had had a few modest hits, but no huge successes. Di Sarli now made new arrangements of songs that Ledesma had recorded with Varela: Novia provinciana, but more importantly Fumando espero, which they recorded on the 3rd February (the very day that Los Senores d el Tango made their debut) in anticipation of the carnival dances the following week. This interpretation was a sensational hit. Seeing this success, Varela’s record company, Columbia, made Ledesma an improved offer to return to Hector Varela. With Di Sarli’s approval, Ledesma accepted and returned to his former employer, now truly a star in his own right. Ledesma’s short stay with Di Sarli ended up being a good thing for Varela, because it catapulted his vocalist to stardom and thus increased the prestige of the orchestra. Ledesma re-joined Varela at the beginning of May and one of their acts together, rather cheekily, was to record a new version of Fumando espero. The Di Sarli recording had sold out and Columbia put the new disc on the market at 14 pesos, when the cost of the Di Sarli version RCA-Victor had been only 11. Nervous about legal problems, RCA-Victor did not reprint the disc; instead, Di Sarli recorded a backup vocal with Roberto Florio. In the event, this was never issued. It appeared in public for the first time in 2001, when RCA Victor included it by mistake on the Di Sarli CD in the series RCA Victor 100 Anos, although without joining it to the instrumental introduction.

Di Sarli now replaced both his vocalists, and this time he established a successful team. Gale was replaced by Roberto Florio. He made his debut on P‘ April 1956 in Olivos (a town just outside Buenos Aires where Di Sarli had made his home). Florio sang three tangos that night: Fogon de huella, Buenos Aires and La capilla blanca.XMHe was able to record the first two of these, but not the third, which Di Sarli had already recorded in different periods with both Podesta and Pomar. Florio was an emotional and dramatic singer, and the sincerity of his interpretations more than made up for some technical imperfections in his voice, which loses power and tone in its lower register. Of all Di Sarli’s later singers, he comes closest to filling the void left by Rufino. To cover Ledesma s departure Di Sarli turned to Jorge Duran, who was more than happy to return to the orchestra where he had made his reputation. Florio and Duran now formed a successful vocal partnership, remaining with the orchestra almost until the end. They are the true replacements for Serpa and Pomar. However, we can see that Di Sarli is struggling to find new repertoire. Duran’s first two recordings in this stint, No mepregunten por que and A la luz del candil, are both reprises of tangos which Di Sarli recorded by Pomar in the early 1950s on Music Hall. Clearly these songs were still very popular. RCA-Victor didn’t have the Di Sarli versions in their catalogue, and so needed these new recordings. In the recordings we find a string of magnificent performances, but some modern listeners will have reservations about the vocals. Following the pattern of the time, the vocalists are now singing both verses of the song. The instrumental introductions are often shorter than before - only half a minute, rather than the one minute introduction we got in the 1940s. For some this will be too much singing, but the music is very strong. Florio in particular doesn’t have164

164 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15 p2776

a single weak interpretation. Derrotado ( “D efeated') is a magnificent performance that gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. It’s not all broken hearts and disappointments. Cantemos corazon {"Sing heart') gives voice to the heart’s joy at the return of a lover. It also soothed the heart of Juan D’Arienzo, who had been complaining that Di Sarli never recorded any of his hits. There are also a couple of duets, a format to which Di Sarli had previously been opposed: Quien sino tu and Serenata mia. El Tango Nacio Varon - The tango was born male In November 1956, Radio El Mundo decided to try programming a tango show on a Sunday lunchtime - a family time, when one was likely to hear a comedy show on the radio, not popular music. It was an inauspicious slot for a tango programme and had not been tried before. The idea was for an hour long show with several groups playing. Di Sarli was offered top billing, and accepted, with a contract for a year. Against the odds, the show was a great success. Its title was El Tango N acio Varon - The Tango was b om male. In October 1957, with the show’s birthday just one week away, Radio El Mundo suddenly cancelled the show, so that the anniversary never took place. No reason was ever given for this graceless decision, whilst the show which replaced it was a disaster to which no-one listened. Di Sarli was soon back on Radio El Mundo, courtesy of Cinzano, who sponsored a radio programme there. The company, which was founded in 1757, was celebrating its bicentenary. As part of this, they organised a tango contest of their own. The winning entry was the cleverly titled Buenos noches Buenos Aires, a sentimental tango celebrating Buenos Aires as a great cosmopolis and praising its nightlife. Di Sarli recorded this in January 1958 and was presented with a trophy by Cinzano. They now asked him to appear on their radio programme, which up till then had featured lyric singers, handing him a five month contract, with two shows a week.

Two months later came a much more significant celebration of Di Sarli’s life and work. The readers of Cantando magazine had voted him the orchestra of the year for 1957, and an award show was organised at the Apolo theatre for 10th March 1958. This was a grand affair, a four hour show with guest artists of the stature of Edmundo Rivero, and was broadcast live on LS10 Radio Libertad. RCA-Victor made use of the occasion to formally present him his with his gold disc for Organito de la tarde which, in the three years since its recording, had sold more than two million copies. 351

Q uU nsinotu (Who b u t yo u )

19.12.1956

vocals: duo Jorge Duran/Roberto Florio words and music: Edmundo Rivero This beautiful duet works so well that one immediately wonders why Di Sarli hadn’t recorded one before, but there’s another point to ponder first: the author. Edmundo Rivero had sung with Troilo in the years 1947-1950 before going solo. He was known as a specialist in lunfardo songs. This is something quite different: an intimate love poem set to music. It sounds for all the world like a love letter that Rivero has written to his wife. Rivero had published this song three years previously, recording it in 1955 with an orchestral backing. Years later he would commit a second version to disc, accompanying himself on guitar.li,s This latter recording is an astonishingly beautiful performance but, like its predecessor, it’s not a tango. No, it was Di Sarli’s idea to arrange and perform this song as a tango, and it’s thanks to him that we can dance to it today, because there are no other versions - not even from Troilo, a great personal friend of Rivero.165

165 on the 1964 Philips LP "Rivero en la Intimidad" 82542 PL.

Although this is now a tango, the song still projects a special atmosphere: the record label declares the genre as Canciön Tango (Song Tango). It’s not a normal tango, and that’s why it works so well as a duet. Di Sarli would record only one other, Serenata mia, which appeared in 1957 as the B side of Bahia Blanca. 35 2

V iviani

19.12.1956

music: Roberto Firpo This is one of Di Sarli’s greatest and best known instrumentals, and it had been in his repertoire from the beginning. This is the only recorded version we have by him apart from an up-tempo one from 1940. The arrangements are very similar, but the feeling quite different: this later version transmits the spaciousness and elegance typical of Di Sarli’s final years. Apart from Di Sarli’s two recordings, the only other one by a dance orchestra is Firpo’s own from 1920: it would seem that the work did not have a very broad appeal. Comparing Di Sarli’s 1956 recording to Firpo’s original, the magnitude of the transformation becomes apparent. It is not simply a change of instrumental forces or arranging style, but of mood. In Firpo’s own hands, the melody often feels melancholic. Di Sarli does not turn the piece into something extrovert or exuberant; it remains introverted, but delivered with power. This unusual combination lies at the heart of Di Sarli’s music, lending it an air of nobility.

360

Cara sucia (D irtyface)

12.07.1937

music: Casimiro Alcorta This old tango is one of the surprises of the Di Sarli repertoire, and a curious choice for one of Di Sarli’s last recordings on RCAVictor. Now, when I say old, I mean really old: the composer, the violinist Casimiro Alcorta (El “Negro” Casimiro”), is thought to have given the piece its debut in 1884 (see the discussion of the 1952 recording on p i69). Di Sarli refused to perform popular works if he felt they lacked the right qualities for his orchestra. The first of these qualities must surely have been the requirement for a beautiful melody something which C ara s u cia lacks. In my opinion, the phrases lack the expression and the line that Di Sarli manages with La m o ro ch a , another old tango with a simple melody, whilst the piece lacks the forward drive of his earlier version. I might as well say what I think: I don’t really like this final recoding of C ara s u c ia : it lacks the majesty we associate with his late work. 366

B a h ia B la n ca

21.11.1957

music: Carlos Di Sarli Carlos Di Sarli had left his native Bahia Blanca for the bright lights of Buenos Aires in 1923, at the age of 20. He retained an affection for his hometown his whole life long, and in the middle of 1957 he premiered a piece which encapsulates all his feelings for the town, and the ocean it faces: B a h ia B la n ca . (Bahia Blanca means “white bay” and is named for the colour of the salt which covers the soil behind its shores). The sheet music contains the dedication: A la ciu d a d q u e m e vio nacer. to the city that gave birth to me. Some say that he had been working on this composition for twenty years.

Di Sarli immediately received many requests from lyricists to supply a lyric to his beautiful melody, but he turned them all down. This did not prevent several of them writing their own lyrics after his death. These vary in quality, but even when the lyric is a genuine homage, one can’t help but feel the wisdom of Di Sarli’s decision. Bahia Blanca does not need a lyric. This tango depicts not just Di Sarli’s feelings about his hometown, but the very ocean waves themselves. They wash in, slow but mighty, irresistible. To feel this is to be begin to feel what it means to dance the caden cia , the wave like way of dancing a phrase so beloved by the milongueros of Villa Urquiza, where Di Sarli’s music reigns supreme.

23 Last recordings (1938)

In the second half of the 1930s, tango was in a general decline, with fewer dancers and fewer venues. This was a time when tango was in decline, but the orchestra was still active, albeit sometimes in reduced circumstances. They played on Radio El Mundo, and also in a confiteria on the corner of Suipacha and Tucuman called “Mi Club”,166 a venue not hitherto known as a tango venue. In April 1958, Roberto Florio left Di Sarli to join the orchestra of Alfredo De Angelis. In fact, he had received a lucrative offer from Hector Varela, and had handed in the requisite month s notice to Di Sarli on 1st March. But Varela, who had already shown himself to be a sharp operator when he snatched Argentino Ledesma back from Di Sarli two years previously, wanted a vocalist who could start immediately. Varela decided not to wait, and Pilled the vacancy with Carlos Yanel. Florio decided to leave anyway, but with a change of destination. Florio’s replacement was Horacio Casares, who joined from the Orquesta Simbolo Osmar Maderna (the former orchestra of Osmar Maderna, who had died in 1951 when the plane he was piloting crashed). He made his debut on Is' July at the Confiteria “Mi Club ”.

166 Amazingly, this is still there, although it's now a disco and has changed its name from "Mi Club" to the more fashionable "Your Club".

He was only able to record four numbers with Di Sarli, of which H asta s ie m p r e a m o r is considered the best. Towards the end of the year, Di Sarli fell out with his record company RCA-Victor. They created a new post, “Head of Recordings”, whose job it was to decide whether or not a recording was good enough to proceed to release - a decision that had previously been the preserve of the artist. One day, this official listened to the playback and, discovering a small fault in one section, asked Di Sarli to record it again. Di Sarli was furious: “Who are you to correct me?!” After a heated confrontation, Di Sarli turned to his musicians and declared: “Come on lads: this guy doesn’t like tango”. And he left the building, never to return.16 RCA-Victor did not want to dispense with Di Sarli, but there were those in the company who breathed a sigh of relief at the departure of such a demanding man. One story tells that one of the RCA-Victor executives shouted “Good riddance!” as Di Sarli disappeared down the stairs. Di Sarli moved to Philips who had only recently begun operations in Buenos Aires. In November 1938, he recorded with them fourteen numbers: new recordings of B a h ia B la n ca and a couple of Duran’s vocal numbers, and eleven new tracks. These were released as seven 78 rpm shellacs, and also as a single 33 1/3 rpm LP entitled “Nubes de Humo”. Listening to this album, the sound is subtly but noticeably different; the music sounds harder, more forced. At first, I wondered whether Di Sarli - already touched by the illness which would take his life little more than a year later - was beginning to lose his touch, but the difference is probably down to different recording techniques - specifically, the type, number and position of the microphones, and also the room. The recordings were made in a theatre belonging to a school in the barrio of Belgrano, in which the Dutch recording167 167 Juan Carlos romero on Terapia Tanguera: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Cartas%20y%20respuestas/mensajes_200 2.htm#anecdota

technician hoped to achieve a warmer sound than was possible in a recording studio.168169 Philips recorded the vocal tracks separately to the instrumental backing. After Di Sarli’s death this enabled them to release some new versions of the tracks recorded by Duran, with the latter’s voice replaced by that of Edmundo Rivero. Of the four tracks, one - Donde estds? - was withdrawn from sale after Duran objected.164 Whatever the qualities of Rivero’s voice, the tango community at large has found it hard to warm to these recordings, considering them a commercial venture. The reverberation applied to Rivero’s voice by Philips did nothing to enhance their appeal. What about the music? Has Di Sarli said everything he has to say with Bahia Blancae? Not at all: my feeling is that he is still developing. The instrumentals are very special: Una fija and Indio manso are masterpieces. Also highly worthy of mention is the less spectacular El abrojo, an old tango of Agustin Bardi. This work was not new - Bardi had died in 1941 - but there are no other Argentine versions of this beautiful tango. The fifth and final instrumental, Champagne tango, makes interesting listening because it’s much easier to hear the polyrhythm in the trio section (Γ 03” - Γ36”) then it is in the 1944 recording. As ever, it’s Di Sarli himself on the piano who is allowed this rhythmic play. Whilst these instrumentals are the pearls of this album, the vocals are not to be neglected. Casares’s recordings of Hasta siempre amor and No me supiste am ar are very fine indeed - the four tracks he recorded 168 Juan Carlos Romero on the page of Conrado De Lucia, Terapia tanguera: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Cartas%20y%20respuestas/mensajes_200 2.htm#anecdota 169 http://www.semanariodejunin.com.ar/single-post/2017/04/10/Di-Sarli-else%C3%Blor-del-tango

with Di Sarli make a fine tanda. D u ertn e m i a m o r is actually a tango version of D ors m o n a m o u r , the French winner of 1938 s Eurovision song contest. 370 01.11.58 371

01.11.58

372 01.11.58 373

01.11.58

374 01.11.58 375

01.11.58

Una fija Hasta siempre amor Llämame amor mio

Horacio Casares

Nubes de humo (Fume compadre)

Jorge Durän

Indio manso

376 01.11.58

Duerme mi amor

377

El abrojo

01.11.58

378 01.11.58 379

01.11.58

Horacio Casares

Champagne tango

No la maldigas por Dios

Horacio Casares Jorge Durän

Bahia Blanca

380 01.11.58

Si no nos queremos todavia

Jorge Duran

381

Donde estäs?

Jorge Duran

01.11.58

382 01.11.58

No me supiste amar

Horacio Casares

383

Por quererla asi

Jorge Duran

01.11.58

Table 11: Di Sarli recordings on Philips (1958)

375

I n d io m a n so (P e a ce fu l I n d ia n )

Nov 1958

music: Hector Quesada This magnificent tango was the favourite of the milonguero Gerardo Portalea, the greatest ever interpreter of Di Sarli’s music. There is no better way of understanding this music than to watch his performance, although you may find his timing a bit mysterious.10 This is also a work conjuring up the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, but this time, instead of the slow and peaceful waves we could hear in B a h ia B la n ca , we are presented by waves that are faster and more vigorous. The interpretation really takes ofi in the trio section (Γ 40” 2 Ί 4 ”), which opens with a great crescendo on the violins, which then cascade gently downwards. The second line of the trio (1 49”) repeats the first, but very softly: Di Sarli take this on the piano and covers it with a beautiful violin counter melody, so strong that we mistake it for the main theme. Surprisingly, its composer Hector Quesada has a very low profile in the tango community and it turns out that the work itself was not in the repertoire of any other orchestra. In 1919, Quesada and Francisco Lomuto had formed a piano duo to play at parties,1 1and in 1922 the Odeon label recorded eight of these, including I n d io m a n so. After this, the two men took different paths and the work falls into oblivion. Whilst Lomuto went on to be as an orchestra170

170 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pORg6wxeV6Q, or google "Indio manso Portalea" 171 Pablo Taboada, Historia Artistica de Francisco Lomuto, primera parte: http://www.investigaciontango.com/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&vi ew=article&id=152

director, Quesada made his living by teaching piano and working as a musicians’ representative. The first image conjured for me by the title was that of a native of the Argentine plains, sitting calmly under the starry sky of the pampas, but the cover of the sheet music showed me my mistake: the title was inspired by an elegant playboy with native blood. Is this a work that Di Sarli remembered from the 1920s, and had been performing? No. Jose Maria Otero tells us that Quesada first met Di Sarli in Bahia Blanca when both were young men. Many many years later, in 1938, Quesada went to visit Di Sarli at the confiteria M i Club and presented a couple of his tangos to him. One of these was Indio manso, which Di Sarli worked up for performance. The work was premiered on Radio El Mundo and, meeting with success, was one of the 14 works included on his final LP.r2172

172 http://tangosalbardo.blogspot.co.uk/2015/ll/indio-manso.html

24 He took his secret to the grave (1960) In January 1959, suffering from the advancing cancer that would eventually kill him, Di Sarli was forced to plan his retirement from musical activity. Nevertheless, ever the professional, he resolved to fulfil his contract to play at the carnival dances at Club Comunicaciones in early February. In the interval, telling everyone he was traveling to Uruguay to take some rest, he retired with his family to their country house which was a couple of hours from the capital. Di Sarli appeared at the opening night of the Carnival Dances (February 7,h) looking rested and refreshed. However, on the second night one could already see signs of his illness which was causing him a great deal of pain, and these increased nightly. Professional to the end, Di Sarli was determined to fulfil all his contracts, playing two gigs on the weekend of 7th- 8th March 1959. His brother Roque begged him to cancel these shows but Di Sarli was determined, not just as a matter of keeping his word, but thinking also of the financial loss that the clubs would suffer.1 *The second of these performances, on Sunday March 8th at the Club Podesta de Lanus, would be his last. During the performance he was in a great deal of pain and occasionally was seen to lift his right hand from the173

173 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15 p2788

keyboard and clutch himself in pain, whilst continuing to play the rhythm with his left hand. For family and friends these final shows were difficult to watch. Carlos Di Sarli passed away at his home in Olivos on 12th January, 1960. In Argentina there is a certain taboo about discussing such matters, but the death certificate gives the cause of death as cancer of the bladder.1 * He spent his last hours listening to tango music on the radio, and by a quirk of fate the show playing on the morning of his final day was that of his announcer Antonio Canto. When word reached him that Di Sarli was in extremis, Canto put on the recording of C o m etin with the voice of Roberto Rufino. Not long after this, Di Sarli slipped away peacefully. Hearing of his death, Troilo remarked: “El ciego se llevo el secreto a la tumba”: the blind guy took his secret to the grave.174

174 Luis Nazzi on the todotango forums: http://www.todotango.com/Comunidad/Mesa/mensaje.aspx?id=550766

Like other tango greats, Di Sarli is buried in the “Rincon de los Notables” (Corner of the Famous) in the Chacarita cemetery in Buenos Aires. In his home city of Bahia Blanca, a bronze statue was finally erected in 1980. Felix Verdi played B a h ia B la n ca at the opening ceremony which was attended by a large delegation from Japan.

25 Di Sarli in ten tangos

1. Soy un arlequtn (1929) - the arrastre led walking beat is complete, a decade before Pugliese extends this idea to create his famous yum ba. 2. Milonguero viejo (1940, 1944, 1951, 1954): Di Sarli’s tribute to Fresedo, the man who gave him his first big break and the only other tango musician whose music inspired him. 3. Corazon (1939): one of the greatest tangos of the Golden Decade, and a stunning display from singer Roberto Rufino. 4. Anselmo Acuna, el resero (1943) - Di Sarli’s subtle polyrhythms bring a new complexity to tango music 5. Todo (1943): one of the most beautiful countermelodies ever committed to disc. Listen, and weep. 6. Duelo criollo (1946, 1953) 7. La cachila (1952). The piano is dominant: this is Beethoven! 8. Tormenta (1954). Sometimes a song has to wait many years before it is given an interpretation worthy of its composition. Such is the case with this Discepolo classic. 9. Bahia Blanca (1957). Di Sarli’s final composition is at once a homage to the town of his birth and a hymn to the ocean. Feel the waves, dance the cadencia. 10. Indio manso (1958). This is Di Sarli’s Emancipation, a transformation of an old and forgotten tango that transforms the original beyond the conception of its composer.

Di Sarli in ten tangos Di Sarli’s pianism in five tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Elcalabozo (1929). Jazzy touches hint at polyrhythm Catamarca (1940) Milonga delsentimiento (1940) Cometin (1943) Lacachila (1941, 1952)

The walking beat: 1. Soy un arlequin (1929) 2. Flor marchita (1929) 3. Corazon (1939) - listen underneath Rufino’s voice when he first enters 4. Elcielo en tus ojos (1940) 5. Un lamento (1944) 6. Los 33 orientales (1955 version) - listen underneath the violin solo at 1’45” Di Sarli’s polyrhythm: 1. El calabozo (1929) 2. Catamarca (1940) 3. Cometin (1943) 4. Anselmo AcunOy el resero (1943) 5. Champagne tango (1944 and 1958, but not the 1952 version) 6. Don Juan (1941, 1952, 1955) and the closely related 3-3-2 syncopation: El estagiario (1941) 8 . La torcacita (1941) 9. Zorroplateado (1943) 10. BoedoySan Juan (1943)

7.

11. A mime llaman Juan Tango (1943) (a more complex syncopation) Di Sarli numbers which really feature the bandoneons (excluding the sextet recordings): 1. 2. 3. 4.

Elam anecer (1942, 1952, 1954) La cumparsita (1942, 1952, 1955) Lloran las campanas (1944) M i refugio (1952)

5. Elchoclo (1953, 1954) Di Sarli’s greatest countermelodies: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Todo (1943) Tus labios me dirdn (1945) Soy aquel viajero (1947) La novia del mar {1948,1953) El once (1951, 1954 - the 1946 version is rather simpler) Siempre mas (1952) Un lamento (1953 - much more impressive than the 1944 recording)

Part 3 The man

& the myth

★

★

26 Early Years

Carlos Di Sarli was born Cayetano Di Sarli in Bahia Blanca on 7lh January 1903. He was one of nine children. His father, Miguel Di Sarli, was Italian. When his first wife died, he emigrated to Uruguay with his three children, Ana, Maria and Antonio. Here he remarried. In Uruguay they had four children, all boys: Jose, Miguel, Nicolas and Domingo. In Uruguay, Don Miguel got involved in the on-going political struggle between the Blancos (Whites) - the conservatives (also known as the Nationalists) - and the Colorados (Reds) - the liberals. These two had fought a civil war in the mid-19lK Century. Don Miguel supported the B lancos, who now began a rebellion against the ruling Colorados. When this failed, Don Miguel left the country, moving his family south into Argentina: not to Buenos Aires, but 600km further south, to Bahia Blanca. This migration ever further southwards in search for a new and freer life was called by one researcher The constant search f o r the Southern Cross.]C>This constellation, unknown to us in the northern hemisphere, is one of the brightest and most easily recognised in the Southern sky, where it is used for navigation by sailors and gauchos alike. In Bahia Blanca, two more sons were175

175 Tino Diez, Carlos Di Sarli: http://www.terapiatanguera.com.ar/Notas%20y%20articulos/di_sarli.htm

born: the youngest, Roque, and his older brother Cayetano, known to us as Carlos Di Sarli. It was a musical family. Di Sarli’s mother, Serafina, was a pianist, and the sister of the then well-known tenor Tito Russomano. Both Cayetano and his younger brother Roque learnt piano, whilst their older brother Domingo became a teacher in the local conservatoire. Cayetano had his first music lessons from his parish priest, followed by his brother Domingo and then, as he showed promise, the local music professor, Enrique Guzman. Soon he was helping out with music lessons at school with his harmonium - an activity which helped him to escape school punishments. Like many other pianists, Di Sarli received a full classical formation, playing Chopin, Lizst, Beethoven, and Bach. However, from an early age he showed himself willing to play other music. In 1916, following his life-changing eye injury, he ran off to join a touring zarzuela troupe.1 6 He returned after a few months, having earnt nothing, but with a great adventure under his belt. Later came a much more significant opportunity. A friend of his father’s, Mario Manara, had opened a cafe in Santa Rosa, the provincial capital of the province of La Pampa. Here he needed a pianist to accompany silent movies and to entertain the public. At the cafe, the main entertainment was provided by a huge Popper orchestrion. These were mechanical pianos that had been extended to play additional instruments which were built into the casing. Manara’s instrument stood 2.8m tall and had percussion, flutes, and even a mandolin and a saxophone. They had forty piano rolls which included two tangos, one of which was U nion C ivica. After the orchestrion had exhausted his repertoire, Di Sarli would come on and176

176 zarzuela is a Spanish form of musical play or comedy

play tangos late into the night on a conventional piano. Di Sarli is thought to have stayed here for about two years. Back in Bahia Blanca, in 1919, Di Sarli found work first down at the port district, Ingeniero White. This was a large and busy commercial port, with vast grain silos. The port was the lifeblood of the city. Many people worked there, and the economy of the city was built around it. Later the same year he started his own group, playing now in town at the Cafe Express. As the cafe didn’t have its own piano, Di Sarli brought his own from home! He remained here until 1921 when he moved to the Cafe Moka on Calle O’Higgins. To our ears, this is an unlikely name for a street, but this was the centre of the city’s downtown district, the closest it had to offer to Buenos Aires’s quasimythical Calle Corrientes. Tango Bahia Blanca was in the province of Buenos Aires but it was some 400 miles (650km) to the capital by train. Di Sarli’s main exposure to tango music in the early days was listening to the records of Arolas and Firpo. In 1921, Di Sarli had the chance to hear two of the biggest stars of the tango universe at that time when a concert was organised at the luxurious Teatro Municipal featuring Carlos Gardel and Roberto Firpo. Di Sarli went every night, never having to pay the modest 40 centavo entrance fee because his next door neighbour worked at the theatre as a stage hand, and got him in for free. Bahia Blanca was proud of its architecture and its broad avenues, but it was a small town. One has to be h ave liv ed in the provin ces to have a real idea o f the p u ll o f Buenos Aires, Di Sarli said. One has to h ave a craving, som ething that's bu rn ing y ou up, that y ou can satisfy in the big

city}71 Finally, in 1923, accompanied by his brother Nicolas, Carlos Di Sarli took the train to Buenos Aires, in search of success, fame and glory.17

177 "Se necesita vivir en provincia, para tener nocion real de lo que atrae Buenos Aires. Se necesita tener una inquietud, para anhelar febrilmente, calmarla en la gran ciudad." Interview in Radiolandio magazine.

27 Di Sarli on tango

On tango El tango es du lce p o r excelencia. No creo que sea una cronica p olicia l sino una novela d e am or Tango is sweetness p a r excellence. I believe it’s not a police drama, but a love story.' s

La caracteristica d e m i orquesta es entregar la version ritm ica y sentim ental d e lo que e l au tor fijo en elpen tagram a. Cuando una obra no tien e Los valores que considero indispensables, prefiero no ejecutarla antes de retocar con arreglos lo que no tien e arreglo. The defining characteristic of my orchestra is to deliver the rhythmic interpretation of what the composer wrote on the musical stave. When a work doesn’t have the values that I consider indispensable, I prefer not to perform it, rather than to retouch with arrangements something which can’t be fixed.1 91789

178 Horacio Ferrer, El libro del tango 179 ibid

Q ue es e l tango? No es una sinfonia ni es una rapsodia. Pero si es el sen tir popular. Es nuestra mds pu ra em ocion sensiblem , lim pia en todas sus releva cion esy pu ra en Lo mds hondo d e nuestros sentim ientos argentinos. What is tango? It’s not a symphony, nor a rhapsody. It is rather the feeling of the people. It is our pure sentimental feeling, clear in its expression, and pure in the depths of our Argentine feelings.180

What others said: iQ ue orquesta! Con olor a querosen What an orchestra! With an aroma of kerosene.181 Anibal Troilo

Di Sarli fi le un fen om en o. Tocando file e l tango mismo. No hubo mejor. Fue una m aravilla. Los ritmos, el m anejo d e Los bajos, las milongas. Ju n to a G on iy Francisco De Caro fu er o n Los m ejores pianistas.182 Di Sarli was a phenomenon. Playing, he was tango itself. There was no one better. He was a marvel. Rhythmical patterns, his way of handling the bass lines, the danceable beat. He, Goni and Francisco De Caro were the best pianists. Reynaldo Nichele (violinist with Troilo and with the argentine National Symphony)

180 Di Sarli's words to the public on the night of his Homenaje at the Apolo Theatre, 10th March 1958. 181 This is a reference to the time of kerosene lamps - in other words, the very earliest days of tango - and hence an appeal to tango's most authentic roots and values. 182 http://www.todotango.com/historias/cronica/144/Nichele-Confesionesdel-violinista-/

No m e llam aba la atencion la orquesta de Carlos Di Sarli. No le daba ningun valor. M e parecia d e una ejecucion m uy sim p ley yo, hincha de Troib, sentia com o verdad todo lo nuevo, y a m e gustaba Piazzolla, p o r ejem p b . Di Sarli tenia una parte d e pian o a b que le sacaba una efecto m uy espedal. Eso era lo que pensaba com o oyente. Cuando en 1956 m e con verti en un interprete d e su orquesta, m e d i cuenta d e que lo que m e pa recia sencillo, era d ificil d e interpretar. Elped ia un matiz que de tan sim ple resultaba com plicado, I hadn't paid any attention to Carlos Di Sarli's orchestra. I didn't think it was worth much. It seemed to me very simply done and I, a Troilo fan, felt all the new things as if they were the truth, I already liked Piazzolla, for example. Di Sarli produced a very special effect on the piano. That's what I thought as a listener. When in 1956 1 became a member of his orchestra, 1 realized that what seemed simple to me was difficult to interpret. He asked for a nuance that sounded simple but turned out to be complicated.

Hoy m e asom bra que con recursos tan sim ples le haya arrancado a su orquesta un sonido tan Undo. Today it astonishes me that with such simple resources he got such a lovely sound from his orchestra. Julian Plaza, bandoneonista in the orchestra

Appendices

A Di Sarli on disc

CDs - a curated selection:18' Sextet recordings (1928-1931) • •

RGS 1633 - Tango Collection - Carlos Di Sarli Instrumental 1928-1931 * EU 17022 - Carlos Di Sarli 1928/1931 *

•

CTA-501 - Carlos Di Sarli Vol. 1 (1928-1929)

•

CTA-502 - Carlos Di Sarli Vol.2 (1929-1930)

•

CTA-503 - Carlos Di Sarli Vol.3 (1930-1931)

RCA-Victor orchestra recordings (1939-1948) •

BMG 41297 - Instrumental

•

BMG 41298 - Sus primeros exitos vol.l (RuPino)

•

BMG 41299 - Sus primeros exitos vol.2 (Podesta)

• •

BMG 63345 - Instrumental vol.2 BMG 63346 - Sus primeros exitos vol.3 (RuPino y Podesta)

•

BMG 63347 - Porteno y bailarin (canta: Jorge Duran)

•

EU 17016 - Carlos Di Sarli 1940/1943 *

•

EU 17017 - Carlos Di Sarli 1943/1948 *

•

EU 17036 - Carlos Di Sarli 1940/1947 *

Early 1950s recordings on Music Hall (1951-1954):183

183 see: www.milonga.co.uk/tango/disarli.shtml

• •

DyD 15230 - Carlos Di Sarli: Cantan Oscar Serpa y Mario Pomar * CTA-516 - Carlos Di Sarli vol.16 (1951)

• •

CTA-517 - Carlos Di Sarli vol.17 (1952) CTA-518 - Carlos Di Sarli vol.18 (1952-53)

•

CTA-519 - Carlos Di Sarli vol.19 (1953-1954)

late recordings on RCA-Victor (1954-1958): •

BMG 87490 - RCA Victor 100 Anos

•

EU 16010 - Carlos Di Sarli y Sus Cantores 1954-1958

•

EU 16023 - Carlos Di Sarli con Roberto Florio y Jorge Duran

•

EU 16028 - Carlos Di Sarli 1954/1955

•

EU 16019 - Para Bailar: Dos miisicos, dos estilos, Carlos Di Sarli y Juan D' Arienzo

final recordings on Philips (1958): •

Polygram 533401 - El Senor Del Tango.

All the albums marked with an asterisk (*) are also now available as digital downloads. Some of the Euro albums are only available with different titles (Archivo RCA) - you’ll have to check the track listings. Digital downloads - from Tangotunes: •

El jaguar (1939-1940)

•

Marejada (1941)

•

El amanecer (1942)

• •

Marejada (1943) Champagne tango (1944)

• •

Ojos negros (1945) Carlos Di Sarli, Music Hall, all 84 recordings.

Digital downloads - from RGS • • •

RGS: Carlos Di Sarli (1928-1929) vol. 1 RGS: Carlos Di Sarli (1929-1930) vol.2 RGS: Carlos Di Sarli (1930-1931) vol.3

These albums appear to be digital versions of the corresponding CTA CDs listed above, but with some filtering (“HQG sound”). The CTA CDs are therefore to be preferred, but they are simply unobtainable. You’ll also find a number of digital albums from ‘Edizione Jazz’ (with a flamenco dancer on the cover), ‘Tango Heritage’, and ‘Recuerdos Latinos’ (the albums from these last two are identical except for the covers). These all appear to be pirate versions of the deleted BMG catalogue of 1940s tracks. As such, they have nothing to recommend them - get TangoTunes instead, although they have yet to release the recordings from 1946-48.

Β Discography

Sextet recordings on RCA-Victor (1928-1931) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9/1 10 10/1 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

26.11.1928 26.11.1928 08.01.1929 08.01.1929 01.03.1929 01.03.1929 27.03.1929 27.03.1929 11.07.1929 11.07.1929 11.07.1929 11.07.1929 14.08.1929 14.08.1929 09.10.1929 09.10.1929 09.10.1929 09.10.1929 28.10.1929 16.11.1929 16.11.1929 16.11.1929 31.12.1929 31.12.1929 31.12.1929 31.12.1929 24.01.1930 24.01.1930 17.03.1930 17.03.1930 08.05.1930 08.05.1930 03.06.1930 03.06.1930

T.B.C. La guitarrita Ufa!... que secante! Arlequin Soy un arlequin Cuando bronca el temporal Camaval de antano Un lamento Sos una fiera Sos una fiera El paladin El paladin Flor marchita Mi pibe (La chance) Belen Pobre yo Barrilete El calabozo Che, bacana!... Sos una maquieta Colibriyo Cortate el pelo Que reo sos Campaneando Quien te ve No te aguanto mas Cicatrices Algo bueno El cantar de aquel malevo Rosamel Säbado Criollo viejo No cantas Victoria Racing Club

Roberto Dierene

Santiago Santiago Santiago Santiago Santiago Santiago

Devincenzi Devincenzi Devincenzi Devincenzi Devincenzi Devincenzi

Santiago Devincenzi Santiago Devincenzi Santiago Devincenzi

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

16.06.1930 18.06.1930 03.09.1930 03.09.1930 04.11.1930 04.11.1930 04.11.1930 04.11.1930 10.01.1931 10.01.1931 03.06.1931 03.06.1931 23.06.1931 23.06.1931 14.08.1931 14.08.1931

Palito Don Jose Maria Chau pinela Por la pinta Que torcido andas Julian La estancia Flora Anorandote Que Dios la perdone Cachivache Sobre el pucho Si yo sonara La baguala La ofrenda Una noche de garufa Maldita

Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Fernando Diaz Fernando Diaz Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama Ernesto Fama

Even at this early stage, Di Sarli was a perfectionist: The Victor recording registers shows that Di Sarli frequently took as many as five takes to get the result he wanted. In some cases, more than one take was issued, the best known example being #10 El p a la d in . An unusual case is #9, S os u n a f i e r a , in which one of the takes has an estribillo, and one not. Both were issued at different times on the same record (Victor 47138-A). CTA released both versions on their CD CTA-501: Carlos Di Sarli Vol.l (1928-1929) (copied by RGS on their digital album with the same title). According to the DHAR (Discography of Historical American Recordings), there were also two issued takes of #3, S oy u n a rleq u in , both instrumental.184 As discussed earlier, all the released takes appear to be Take 4, although it’s also possible that Take 1 is essentially identical, and that we cannot hear the difference.

i8 4 S e e .

http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/5413/Orquesta_Tipica_Car los_Di_Sarli_Musical_group

Recordings backing Mercedes Carne on Brunswick (1931-1932) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22)

1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 1932 1932 1932 1932

Tango mio Confesion La curiosa Rinconcito de alegria Maldita Ay Jacobo Vos queres que yo sea buena Sueno de juventud Perdonalo senor El tamalero Volve Raul Bigotito Carbonada Mentira Lupe Rebelde El mal de ausencia Me estäs enloqueciendo Clyde Soy tu esclavo Que lo larguen

tango tango ranchera tango tango shotis tango vals tango rumba tango foxtrot foxtrot ranchera tango vals tango ranchera foxtrot vals pasodoble pasodoble

2200-A 2200-B 2201-A 2201-B 2202-A 2202-B 2203-A 2203-B 2204-A 2204-B 2205-A 2205-B 2206-A 2206-B 2207-A 2207-B 2208-A 2208-B 2209-A 2209-B 2210-A 2210-B

In these recordings, the orchestra does not play in the Di Sarli style. They can’t really be considered part of his oeuvre as an artist and are therefore not numbered as part of his discography. R in co n cito d e a le g r ta is Di Sarli’s own composition, and was part of the repertoire of his sextet. ‘Shotis’, ‘schotis’ or ‘chotis’ are Argentine transliterations of schottische, a partner dance from Bohemia. The dance was brought to the north east of Argentina by German and Polish immigrants and is thought to be one of the roots of the chamame.

Orchestra recordings on RCA-Victor (1939-1948) 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91

11.12.39 11.12.39 09.02.40 09.02.40 15.02.40 15.02.40 17.04.40 17.04.40 19.06.40 19.06.40 04.07.40 04.07.40 05.08.40 05.08.40 23.09.40 23.09.40 08.10.40 08.10.40 23.11.40 23.11.40 11.12.40 11.12.40 18.02.41 18.02.41 06.03.41 06.03.41 18.04.41 18.04.41 20.05.41 20.05.41 06.06.41 06.06.41 21.06.41 21.06.41 16.07.41 16.07.41 02.08.41 02.08.41 03.10.41 03.10.41 21.11.41 20.11.41 03.12.41

Corazon El retirao Milonga del sentimiento [m] Catamarca Alma mia [v] La trilla El opio Milonga del centenario [m] Cosas olvidadas El incendio Racing club Milonguero viejo Ausencia [v] El jaguar En un beso... la vida El polio Ricardo Shusheta (El aristocrata) Volver a sonar Nobleza de arrabal Lo pasado, paso Viviani Rosamel [v] Charlemos Pena mulata [m] La cachila Cortando camino [v] El estagiario Mi refugio Bien frappe Marianito Cascabelito Patotero La torcacita Griseta Marejada Germaine Cuando el amor muere Sentimiento criollo Don Juan El cielo en tus ojos La mulateada [m] La morocha Zonal [m]

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

Rodriguez Lesende Roberto Rufino

Agustin Volpe Roberto Rufino

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

Carlos Acuna

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

D iscography

Β 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110

111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136

03.12.41 11.12.41 11.12.41 26.12.41 03.01.42 30.03.42 30.03.42 09.04.42 09.04.42 26.05.42 26.05.42 23.06.42 23.06.42 23.06.42 29.07.42 29.07.42 12.08.42 12.08.42 12.08.42 09.09.42 09.09.42 12.11.42 12.11.42 30.11.42 30.11.42 21.12.42 21.12.42 05.03.43 05.03.43 05.03.43 17.03.43 17.03.43 17.03.43 05.05.43 05.05.43 05.05.43 14.05.43 28.05.43 14.06.43 05.08.43 05.08.43 07.09.43 07.09.43 07.10.43 07.10.43

El recodo El paladin Y hasta el cardo tiene flor Lo mismo que antes Noches de carnaval (otra vez carnaval) Entre pitada y pitada [m] No estä Alzame en tus brazos [v] Al compas del corazon Sombras del puerto Rosa morena [m] Junto a tu corazon El amanecer Cuidado con los cincuenta Necesito olvidar Cuando un viejo se enamora [m] Decime que paso Tarareando Manana zarpa un barco Rosas de otofio [v] Me llaman Julian Centeya [m] La cumparsita Va a cantar un ruisenor Nido gaucho Organito de la tarde Volver a vernos Estampa federal [v] Cornetin Un dia Negara [v] Como se hace un tango Pa' los muchachos Adi os te vas... ! Canta, pajarito Nueve puntos Si tu quisieras Bar Exposicion Don Jose Maria Anselmo Acuna el resero Zorro plateado La viruta Navegante (Vito Dumas) Tristeza marina Ensuenos Verdemar Yo soy de San Telmo [m]

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Roberto Rufino Alberto Podestä

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Alberto Podestä Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino

137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181

04.11.43 04.11.43 04.11.43 04.11.43 17.12.43 17.12.43 17.12.43 17.12.43 13.04.44 13.04.44 13.04.44 13.04.44 24.05.44 24.05.44 11.07.44 11.07.44 20.07.44 20.07.44 20.09.44 08.11.44 08.11.44 08.11.44 03.01.45 03.01.45 20.02.45 20.02.45 08.03.45 08.03.45 23.04.45 23.04.45 04.06.45 04.06.45 05.07.45 05.07.45 05.07.45 31.07.45 29.08.45 29.08.45 29.08.45 29.08.45 30.10.45 30.10.45 31.01.46 31.01.46 29.03.46

Los munequitos A mi me llaman Juan Tango Todo El jagiiel Maldonado [m] Tierra negra Esta noche de luna Boedo y San Juan Otra noche Nada Cero al es Que solo estoy Llueve otra vez Vamos La capilla blanca Milonguero viejo [2° version] Motivo sentimental Champagne tango Lloran las campanas Royal Pigall Tu... el cielo y tu Un lamento Que no sepan las estrellas Rodriguez Pena Porteno y bailarin El ingeniero Solamente ella Tus labios me dirän Soy el cantor de la orquesfa Vea, vea Vieja luna Barba de choclo Con alma y vida [m] Un tango... y nada mas Ojos negros Hoy al recordarla Yo Siete palabras Sueho de juventud [v] A la gran muneca Tu intimo secreto Tinta verde Cosas de tango Asi era mi novia Duelo criollo

Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Roberto Rufino Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Alberto Podesta Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Jorge Duran

D iscography

Β 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206

29.03.46 03.05.46 09.05.46 06.06.46 06.06.46 01.08.46 01.08.46 29.08.46 29.08.46 05.12.46 05.12.46 14.01.47 14.01.47 14.01.47 14.04.47 24.04.47 24.04.47 08.05.47 08.05.47 28.05.47 28.05.47 26.09.47 26.09.47 22.06.48 22.06.48

El polio Ricardo Para que te quiero tanto Jorge Durän El distinguido ciudadano Manana no estaräs Jorge Duran Clavel del aire Jorge Duran No esperaba verte mäs Jorge Duran El cabure Gracias Jorge Duran Acuerdate de mi [v] Jorge Duran La vida me engano Jorge Duran El once Noches de carnaval (otra vez carnaval) Jorge Durän Comme il faut Pueblera [m] Jorge Duran Didi El poilito Por el camino Alberto Podestä Dejame Alberto Podestä La racha La cancion mäs triste Alberto Podestä Soy aquel viajero Alberto Podestä Dinero dinero Alberto Podestä De vuelta [v] Alberto Podestä La novia del mar Oscar Serpa Los 33 orientales

Recordings on M usic H all, 1951-1954 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223

1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952

El opio El incendio A la gran muneca Germaine La cumparsita El polio Ricardo Nido gaucho Como los nardos en flor El amanecer Milonguero viejo [3° version] La morocha Comme il faut Organito de la tarde Didi El once El recodo Don Juan

Mario Pomar

224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268

1952 1952. 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1953 1953 1952 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953

El cabure El pollito El ciruja Rodriguez Pena Nueve puntos Un momento [v] Domani Cuatro vidas Suerio de juventud [v] La cachila Los 33 orientales Siete palabras Por el camino El ingeniero Portena y nada mas [m] Barba de choclo A la luz del candil Asi era mi novia Cara sucia Mi refugio Champagne tango Pimienta Bar Exposicion Marianito La viruta El distinguido ciudadano Don Jose Maria No me pregunten por que Con alma y vida [m] Se muere de amor Siempre mas Tangueando te quiero De vuelta [v] Quien te iguala Viento verde Clavel del aire La capilla blanca Tu pälida voz [v] Un lamento Re fa si Dinero, dinero Dejame hablar El jagüel Quejas de bandoneön Caminito

Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar

Oscar Serpa

269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290

1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1953 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954 1954

Portefto y bailarin Tierra negra AI compäs del corazon Duelo criollo La novia del mar Fulgor La cancion mäs triste Royal Pigall Cuidado con los 50 La misma tarde Patotero sentimental El cachafaz Tinta verde Verdemar Tengo un amigo Poema triste [v] Chimentos Por que le llaman amor El choclo Una fija Buenos Aires, yo te canto Del barrio de las latas

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar

Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar

The dates of the Music Hall recordings are uncertain. Akihito Baba published exact dates for these recordings on the CDs on his CTA label, but we do not know where they come from, and they conflict with the data in the Boletin Oficial.185 Recordings on RCA-Victor (1954-1958) 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298

30.06.54 30.06.54 30.06.54 30.06.54 31.08.54 31.08.54 31.08.54 31.08.54

No me preguntan por que El choclo Por que le llaman amor A la gran rnuheca Suefio de juventud [v] Un desolado corazon Organito de la tarde Bien frappe

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar

185 The Boletin Oficial de la Repüblica Argentina contains, amongst other announcements, the mandatory legal deposit of every domestic publication. Original research by Jens-lngo Brodesser. See: http://jensingo.all2all.org/archives/2776

299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343

31.08.54 08.09.54 08.09.54 08.09.54 14.09.54 14.09.54 14.09.54 28.09.54 28.09.54 16.11.54 16.11.54 07.12.54 07.12.54 21.01.55 21.01.55 31.01.55 31.01.55 02.02.55 02.02.55 15.07.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 20.06.55 15.07.55 15.07.55 15.07.55 28.07.55 28.07.55 16.09.55 16.09.55 03.02.56 03.02.56 23.02.56 23.02.56 29.02.56 29.02.56 07.03.56 07.03.56 18.04.56 18.04.56 26.04.56 26.04.56 27.09.56

El amanecer Tormenta Don Jose Maria Pobre buzon Tus palabras y la noche Cuidado con los 50 Tinta verde La morocha Sin ti Bar Exposicion El once Castanuelas No mataras Noche de locura Juan Portefio El ingeniero Don Juan Corazon Sin ella Bailemos Tenia que suceder Mi madre tierra La cumparsita Milonguero viejo [4° version] Flor de amigo Comme il faut Germaine Pato alegre Los 33 orientales Nido gaucho Verdemar Fumando espero Noche de locura Rodriguez Pena El jagiiel Mala yerba [v] De que podemos hablar Noche provinciana Nueve puntos Fumando espero Fogön de huella Por que regresas tu Buenos Aires No me preguntan por que A la luz del candil

Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

Oscar Serpa

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar

Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa

Mario Pomar

Oscar Serpa Mario Pomar Oscar Serpa Argentino Ledesma Rodolfo Gale

Rodolfo Gale Argentino Ledesma Argentino Ledesma Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Jorge Duran

D iscography

B 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368

27.09.56 19.10.56 19.10.56 02.11.56 02.11.56 12.12.56 12.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 19.12.56 25.04.57 25.04.57 25.04.57 25.04.57 12.07.57 12.07.57 30.09.57 30.09.57 04.10.57 04.10.57 21.11.57 21.11.57 16.01.58 16.01.58 16.07.58 369 28.08.58

Derrotado (Tenes razon) Sonatina Y todavia te quiero Cuando muere una esperanza Cantemos corazon Muriendome de amor Pobre buzon Quien sino tü Viviani Duele mas Calla Lo que me hablaron de vos Sonemos De que podemos hablar Nuestra noche Destino de flor Cara sucia No me hablan de ella Cuänta angustia Whisky Por un te quiero Serenata mia Bahia Blanca Buenas noches Buenos Aires Adios corazon No la maldigas por Dios Donde estäs?

Roberto Florio Jorge Durän Jorge Duran Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Duran - Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Duran - Florio Jorge Duran Roberto Florio Jorge Duran Jorge Duran

The supposed RCA-Victor recording of No la m a ld ig a s p o r D ios was never published and may not exist. When Carlos Puente was preparing the Di Sarli albums on Euro Records he had access to the archives, but could not find this recording there. Recordings on Philips (1958) 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377

01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58 01.11.58

Bahia Blanca Donde estäs? Hasta siempre amor Champagne tango Si no nos queremos todavia Llamame amor mio Una fija Nubes de humo (Fume compadre)

Jorge Duran Horacio Casares Jorge Durän Horacio Casares Jorge Duran

378 01.11.58

€1 abrojo

379 01.11.58

No me supiste amar

Horacio Casares

380 01.11.58

No la maldlgas por Dios

Jorge Durän

381 01.11.58

Indio manso

382 01.11.58

Duerme mi amor

Horacio Casares

383 01.11.58

Por quererla asi

Jorge Duran

c Orchestra formations

1938 piano\ Carlos Di Sarli violins: Roberto Guisado, Angel Goicoechea & Adolfo Perez; bandoneons\ Roberto Gianitelli, Domingo Sanchez & Roberto Mititieri; dou ble bass\ Domingo Capurro singer. Ignacio Murillo 1939 Murillo replaced by Roberto Rufino. 1940 Antonio Rossi joins the violins, making them four players; Felix Verdi returns to lead the bandoneons, and Luis Porcell (Luis Porcellana) is added too, making a line of five bandoneons - larger than the violin section. 1942 Claudio Gonzalez is added to the violin section, increasing it to five players. On vocals, Rufino is replaced for the year by Podesta.

1943 Rufino returns and Podestä quits. When Rufino leaves again at the end of the year, the violinist Claudio Gonzalez goes with him, reducing the violin section to four men. 1944 The great Federico Scorticati (leader of the O.T.V. from 19351941) joins the bandoneon section, expanding it (we think) to six players.186 Scorticati stays with Di Sarli until 1956. 1945 Podestä quits and Duran replaces him as vocalist. Hamlet Greco replaces Domingo Capurro on double bass. 1948 Verdi is replaced by Leopoldo Federico in the bandoneon section. Federico cannot adapt to the style and quits after a short time. The band breaks up in 1949. 1951 Di Sarli returns with a new orchestra with six violins and five bandoneons: piano\ Di Sarli violins (6): Roberto Guisado, Bernardo Weber, Angel Goicoechea, Simon Bajour, Claudio Gonzalez and Alfredo Perez bandoneons (5): Felix Verdi, Federico Scorticati, Angel Ramos, Luis Masturini and Juan Carlos Matino double bass'. Alfredo Sciarretta vocals: Oscar Serpa and Mario Pomar (Corrales).

186 Antonio Canto, Carlos Di Sarli in La Historia del Tango 15, p2760

One of the bandoneons (Matino) quits and is not replaced, reducing the section to four men. 1956 The whole orchestra, excepting only Simon Bajour and the bass player Alfredo Sciarretta, quits to form Los Senores d el Tango. Di Sarli forms a new orchestra which is if anything even better than the old one. violins: Simon Bajour, Elvino Vardaro, Elias Sion, Alfredo Rouco and Antonio Rossi bandoneons: Jose Libertella, Julian Plaza, Alfredo Marcucci and Domingo Sanchez Initially, the vocalists are Rodolfo Gale and Argentino Ledesma but neither man lasts long. Eventually Di Sarli forms a new vocal partnership with Roberto Florio and Jorge Duran. 1958 (the last orchestra) Some of the players of Los Senores d el Tango return, leading to the most luxurious Di Sarli line-up ever, with eight (eight!) violins. p ia n o: Carlos Di Sarli violins'. Roberto Guisado, Elvino Vardaro, Alfredo Rouco, Simon Bajour, Carlos Arnaiz, Claudio Gonzalez, Antonio Rossi and Juan Schiaffino. bandoneons: Felix Verdi, Jose Libertella, Julian Plaza, Alfredo Marcucci and Domingo Sanchez dou b le bass: Alfredo Sciarretta vocals: Horacio Casares and Jorge Duran

D Carnival appearances 1936:

Club Lanus (with a jazz orchestra led by his brother Roque Di Sarli)

1940: 1941: 1942: 1943: 1944: 1945: 1946: 1947: 1948: 1949:

Racing Club (Avellaneda) Club Atlanta Club San Lorenzo de Almagro Club San Lorenzo de Almagro18 Club Independiente (with D Agostino) Club San Lorenzo de Almagro188 Club Independiente18'' Teatro Solis, Montevideo18’ ? Club Huracan

1952: 1953: 1954: 1955: 1956: 1957: 1958: 1959:

Club Club Club Club Club Club Club Club

San Lorenzo de Almagro Atletico River Plate Huracan San Lorenzo de Almagro San Lorenzo de Almagro Comunicaciones Comunicaciones Comunicaciones

187 Newspaper advert, coutesy Michael Krugman 188 www.nuestrobarrioweb.com.ar/02-2012-carnavalpasado.html 189 Newspaper advert, coutesy Michael Krugman 190 Revista El Tango Ne 8 (Carlos Di Sarli)

Bibliography • Humberto Barrella, El tango despues d e G ardel 1935-1959, Corregidor 1999, 544pp. ISBN: 950-05-1219-X • Isabel De Angelis: Alfredo De Angelist elfen o m en o social, Corregidor 2004, 400pp ISBN: 950-05-545-8 • Jorge Dimov / Esther Echenbaum Jonisz: Leopoldo F edenco - El in efable bandoneon d el tango, Gourmet Musical 2009, 267pp. ISBN: 978-987-22664-5-5 • Jorge Finkielman: The Film Industry in A rgentina: An Illustrated C ultural H istory, McFarland & Co., 2003, 278pp. ISBN: 978-07864-1628-8 (paperback) / 978-0-7864-8344-0 (ebook) • Francisco Garcia Jimenez, Asi nacieron los tangos, Corregidor 2011, 272pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1055-4 • Eduardo Giorlandini, Gabriela Biondo & Jose Valle: E lSenor con Alma d e N ino, En un Feca 2012, 146pp. ISBN: 978-987-283120-2 • Horacio Ferrer, El libro d el Tango, Ediciones Ossorio, 1971 • Carlos Groppa, The Tango in the U nited States: A H istory, McFarland 2003, 239pp. ISBN 978-0786446810. • La H istoria d el Tango, Volumen 15: La epoca D ecareana, Corregidor 1994, 252pp. ISBN: 950-05-1138-X. • Michael Lavocah: Tango Stories: M usical Secrets (2 nd edition )> milonga press 2012, 256pp. ISBN: 978-0-9573276-4-1. • Michael Lavocah: Tango M asters, A nibal Troilo, milonga press 2014, 212pp. ISBN: 978-0-9573276-5-8. • Michael Lavocah: Tango M asters, Osvaldo Pugliese, milonga press 2016, 296pp. ISBN: 978-0-9573276-7-2. • Nicolas Lefcovich, Estudio d e la discografia d e Carlos Di Sarli, 1994. • Ben Molar, Final: cuentos, El Fez del Fez, 1994, 93pp. ISBN: 987-996-3334

Bibliography • Jose Maria Otero, ABC D el Tango, Corregidor 2011, 400pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1936-6 • Oscar del Priore, Los cantores d e l tango, Losada 2010, 304pp. ISBN: 978-950-03-9698-1 • Oscar del Priore & Irene Amuchästegui, Cien Tangos fa n d a m en tales, 2nd ed., Aguilar 2008, 288pp. ISBN: 978-98704-1123-9 • Revista del Buenos Aires Tango Club, Ano 5, Numero 10, Abril 2001.

• Perla Lorenzo de Rufino & Pedro Alberto Colombo, Roberto Rufino, Corregidor 2010, 320pp. ISBN: 978-950-05-1860-4 • Arcangel Vardaro, El Tango en la decada d el 50, 2011, 192pp. ISBN: 978-1-257-12058-1 Paperback: lulu.com / eBook: Windmills Edition (same ISBN) • Gabriel Valiente, Encyclopedia of Tango, 2014, 812pp. ISBN: 978-1-4960-8317-3 • Oscar Zucchi, El tango, e l bandoneon y sus interpretes, Tomo II: G eneracion 1920 (Secunda Parte), Corregidor 2001 816pp. ISBN 950-05-1381-1. • Oscar Zucchi, El tango, e l bandoneon y sus interpretes, Tomo IV, Corregidor 2008, 272pp. ISBN 978-950-05-1786-8.

Documentary: • Carlos Di Sarli: El Senor del Tango - Alberto Freinquel, 2013, 63minutes.

Glossary arrastre (music): originally a bandoneon effect, keying the note before you start to open the bellows, accelerating towards the beat and stopping suddenly. With Di Sarli, only the violins make the arrastre. bandoneon: the dark-toned bisonic button accordion originating in Germany that gives tango music its characteristic sonority. bandoneonista: a player of the bandoneon. bordoneo: arpeggios on the bass strings of the guitar, or the same effect copied on the piano, often in 3-3-2 rhythm. cadencia: swing or cadence - not simply a musical term in tango. cam pana / cam panita (music): “(little) bell” - a high bell like note in the right hand of the piano. 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 estribillista. He (and it’s always a man) is very much identified with the 1940s. chicharra (m usic): playing on the string wrappers on the violin to make a percussive, scratching sound. Also called lija (sandpaper). compas (m usic): the musical beat or pulse. Not the same thing as rhythm, which may be more complex. contracanto (“singing against”): counterpoint, i.e. a second or counter 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. forte (music): loud. Written in music as f fortissimo (music): as loudly as possible! Written in music

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. glissando {music): “slide”: a slide upwards or downwards between two notes. guardia vieja: the old guard - the musicians from the generation before the guardia nueva (new guard) led by De Caro, i.e. before around 1922. latigo {music) - “whip”: a rapidly rising glissando on the violin. legato (music): smooth, with the adjacent notes linked together. Tango musicians tend to say ligado: linked. The opposite of staccato. letra: the lyrics lunfardo: the porteno {q.v.) argot with many words from European dialects. marcato {music) - “marked”: the way of accenting and marking out the beats - for instance, in 2 {marcato en dos), in 4 {marcato en cuatro). melodia cantando {music): playing the melody in a smooth {ligado) way, as if singing. m elodia ritm ica {music): playing the melody in a rhythmic, staccato way. milonga: originally: the m ilonga cam pera (q.v.) and also a place where you went to dance; only later did it come to mean a separate dance style. m ilonga campera: a folk music from Argentina with a rhythm closely related to the Cuban habanera. The m ilonga cam pera was never danced, but was an important ingredient in the early tango. Also called m ilonga surena, milonga of the south.

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 simple counter melody that is so essential to the music that one is obliged to play it. pizzicato {music): plucking the strings. polyrhythm {music): two or more rhythms present at once. An example is being able to count the beats both in three and in four, as for instance in N egrach a. portamento {music): sliding in pitch from one note to another porteno: literally an inhabitant of the port, so a resident of Buenos Aires. Feminine form: portena. sincopa {music): syncopation. In tango, this is often a shorthand for sincopa a tierra {q. v.) sincopa a tierra {music): The behind-the-beat syncopation, in one, e.g. L a p a y a n ca . Typically, of energy which is discharged by

classic syncopation of tango, the which the strong beat falls on beat an arrastre is used to create a charge the syncopation.

sincopa sucesiva {music): the sincopa a tierra is usually a double syncopation: a behind-the-beat syncopation followed by an answering before-the-beat syncopation. However, the initial syncopation can be repeated before the arrival of the completing before-the-beat syncopation. This is called sincopa sucesiva (successive syncopation) or sincopa cadenada (chained syncopation). soli {music): the plural of solo - two or more instruments from the same section (i.e. violins or bandoneons) playing the same solo together. staccato (music): choppy, made from short notes that have a space in between. The opposite of legato.

s tra p p a ta {music): “torn” - different generations use this word in different ways. Today it’s the name of a double bass y eite that one first hears in La y u m b a and which became more widespread in tango around 1950: rapidly bouncing the bow across the strings and then damping them with the free hand (e.g. in the finale of FranciniPontier’si4 lo s a m igos). However, I believe that stra p p a ta used to be used by tango musicians to describe the violent closing of the bandoneons, to produce the maximum volume possible. ta m b o r {music) (“drum”): this violiny eite creates a snare-drum effect. The violinist places his finger between the third and fourth strings, so that neither can sound properly, and then strums these strings. Example: Di Sarli uses tambor in the tango S os u n a fie r a .

the adjective of tango. A person who is tanguero is not necessarily a dancer. Feminine form: tanguera.

tan g u ero :

{music): the name given to the third (C) section in a piece of music. Normally only instrumentals have a trio, and even then mostly only older works; sung tangos are structured like a song with verse (A) and chorus (B). trio

tu tti

{music): all the instruments playing the same thing together.

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.

vals:

{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, usually the bandoneon.

v a ria tio n

{music): a trick, a special technique of tango music, such as tambor, Idtigo, etc.

yeite

yu m

{music): the sound of the a rr a stre (q.v): zbum\

yum ba

{music): Pugliese’s signature marcato.

Terminology & Structure Verse (A), C horus (B) an d T rio (C)

By the 1940s almost all tangos were songs with a verse and a chorus. In other words, there were two melodies, and this is true even in the instrumental introduction to the piece, which typically played through the verse (or ‘A’ section) and the chorus (‘B’) before the singer entered. Each section of music lasts around half a minute, so the introduction (two sections) takes a minute, and the singer’s intervention takes a further minute. Now we come back to the verse. Although later in the 40s the singer would sometimes sing the second verse, generally it’s played instrumentally, frequently with a solo, followed by some kind of finishing touch - either the singer re-enters, or there is some kind of instrumental climax, perhaps a variacion. Six sections of music taking roughly thirty seconds each, and that’s your love story in three minutes. An example from Di Sarli: Corazon (A B A B A B, where the bold sections are the ones sung). Di Sarli frequently uses fewer sections because he doesn’t like solos, for example in Cosas olvidadas (A B A B B). He even has recordings with just four sections ( A B A B), e.g. Tus labios me dirdn. A song can also be performed as an instrumental, in which case the words ‘verse’ and ‘chorus’ seem less natural, but are still used. A classic example with Di Sarli: La morocha ( A B A B A ) . In the early days of tango, instrumentals often had a third melody (‘C ’), referred to as the trio. Mostly the sections would be arranged A B A C A , but there are other possibilities. Di Sarli’s own Milonguero viejo for example runs A B C A, whilst Elpolio Ricardo runs A B C BA.

Index of Tides A la gran muneca: 54, 134 , 165 , 191 A las siete en el cafe: 103 A mi me llaman Juan Tango: 11 4 -

Corazon: 50, 52, 54, 58 - 60 , 108, 124, 208, 209 Cornetin: 23, 99, 100, 104-5, 206, 209

5 , 210 A1 compas del corazon: 90

Cosas olvidadas: 68, 90

Alma de bohemio: 48, 49. 56, 102,

Dejame: 139

139 Anselmo Acuna el resero: 99, 105,

Derrotado: 194

107 - 8 , 208, 209

Cuando el amor muere: 74

Didi: 55 Dinero, dinero: 143 , 161

Ausencia (v): 63

Domani: 168

Bahia Blanca: 5, 10 i, 196, 197 - 8 ,

Don Jose Maria: 107

200, 2 01, 203, 208 Bailemos: 186-7

Don Juan: 166 - 7 , 209 Donde estäs: 201

Bajo un cielo de estrellas [v]: 88

Dos fracasos: 88

Boedo y San Juan: 99, 119 , 209

Duelo criollo: 7, 145 - 6 , 174

Buenos Aires: 57, 90, 193

El amanecer: 55, 96 - 7 , 152, 2 10

Buenos noches, Buenos Aires: 194

El Angel de los Ninos (L'Angelo

Cambalache: 57, 183

Dei Bimbi): 147-8

Campaneando: 27-8

El bazar de los juguetes: 56

Cancion de ausencia: 41

El cabure: 46

Cantemos corazon: 194

El cachafaz: 175

Cara sucia: 169 , 197

El calabozo: 27, 209

Cascabelito: 80

El choclo: 54, 177, 2 10

Castanuelas: 184

El cielo en tus ojos: 209

Catamarca: 54, 63, 65-6 , 160, 209

El ciruja: 57, 154

Cero al as: 119

El distinguido ciudadano: 159

Champagne tango: 124 , 159, 170 , 201, 209

El entrerriano: 83 El espiante: 170

Chau pinela: 30, 32

El estagiario: 55, 79 , 82, 209

Cicatrices: 2 1,31

El ingeniero: 55, 185-6

Claveles blancos: 53 Colibriyo: 21

El jagiiel: 61

Como los nardos en flor: 154 Como se hace un tango: 99, 100,

105-6

El once: 2 10 El opio: 63, 159 , 164 El polio Ricardo: 5, 55, 63, 70-1, 79, 248

EI portenito: 86

Margarita Gauthier: 145

El retirao: 6 1 , 65

Mi refugio: 54, 79, 2 10

En un beso la vida: 60

Mi tango es triste: 120

Ensuenos: 111-2

Milonga del centenario [m]: 63

Esta noche al pasar: 120, 121

Milonga del sentimiento [m]: 66,

Flor marchita: 26 , 209 Fogon de huella: 193 Fumando espero: 192

84, 209 Milonguero viejo: 14, 30, 46, 48, 57, 69 - 70 , 1 57, 208, 248

Germaine: 54, 55, 82 - 3 , 166

Motivo sentimental: 122

Indio manso: 203 -4 , 208

Navegante (Vito Dumas): 101

La cachila: 54, 55, 77 - 8 , 168 , 178,

Negracha: 99

208, 209 La cancion mas triste: 139 La capilla blanca: 97, 101, 120,

123 - 4 , 193, 209 La cumparsita: 54, 110, 120, 2 10 La guitarrita: 22, 2 3, 24

Nido gaucho: 9 7-8 , 101, 124, 129, 154 No esta: 9 4 -5 Nobleza de arrabal: 63 Noche de carnaval (Otra vez carnaval): 87

La morocha: 85 , 197, 248

No me pregunten por que: 57, 193

La mulateada [m]: 84 - 5 , 148

Novia provinciana: 192

La novia del mar: 10 1, 144 , 160, 210 La racha: 82, 139 La torcacita: 82 , 209 La vida me engano: 137 La viruta: 23, 109 - 110 , 159 Lloran las campanas: 125 , 2 10

Organito de la tarde: 182 , 195 Otra noche: 119 Otra vez carnaval: see Noche de carnaval Patotero (Patotero sentimental):

80-81 Pedacito de cielo [v]: 92

Llueve otra vez: 109, 119, 123

Peinate con gomina: 15

Loco lindo: 41

Percal: 100

Los 33 orientales: 153, 188 , 209

Pimienta: 23, 170-1

Los mareados: 164

Pobre yo: 26-7

Los munequitos (San Fernando): 113-4

Por la pinta: 30 Que Dios la perdone: 33, 34

Madre: 46

Quejas de bandoneon: 160

Maldita: 31, 34

Que solo estoy: 119

Malena: 90

Quien sino tu: 194, 195

Malucha: 15

Quien te ve: 21, 28-9

Mano a mano: 120

Racing Club: 160

Marejada: 46, 55, 101

Rinconcito de alegria: 228

Rodriguez Pena: 1 3 1 -2

Tinta verde: 54

Rosamel [vj: 41 Rosas de otono [v]: 90

Todo: 11 5 -6 , 132, 208, 2 10 Tormenta: 183, 208

San Fernando: see Los munequitos

Tristeza marina: 101

Serenata mia: 194, 196

Tus labios me diran: 132, 210, 248 Una fija: 55, 201

Shusheta: 63, 7 1 -2 Siempre mas: 17 2 , 2 10

Un lamento: 12 5 -6 , 174, 209, 2 10

Siete palabras: 13 3

Verdemar: 10 1, 11 2 -3 , 129

Si tu quisieras: 100

Viviani: 55, 19 6

Soy aquel viajero: 14 2 , 2 10

Y hasta el cardo tiene flor: 133 Yo soy el tango: 88

Soy un arlequin: 2 4-6, 208, 209, 227 T.B.C.: 2 1-2 , 24

Page numbers in

Zorro plateado: 10 8 -9 , 209

bold refer to listening notes for the song itself.

Acknowledgements C o v e r p h o to

Sivul Wilenski (1897 - 1952) was born in Warsaw. He came to Argentina in the 1920s, as a member of the theatre company of Ivan Totsoff. He opened his photo studio on Calle Florida in 1930. The photographer Annemarie Heinrich was one of his students. Wilenski took all the portrait shots for the popular magazine Sintonia. In addition to tango stars, he took photographs of high society, including the artists performing at the Teatro Colon. F o r th e ir h e lp

Many people assisted with the preparation of this book. I’d especially like to thank Jose Valle of the editorial Una Feca. Thanks also to the investigators Carlos Puente and Tino Diaz for their work; to JensIngo Brodesser for explaining the vinyl releases of Music Hall in the 1950s; to Fabio Daniel Cernuda, Royce Chau, Dora D’Istria, Michael Krugman, Jose Luis Zucchetti, Christian Xell, and others who helped me with research materials.

T a n g o S t o r ie s : M u s ic a l S e c re ts

The guide to tango dance music In this unique book, Michael Lavocah takes you on a compelling journev through tango music. He introduces the key individuals who shaped tango historv and explains how rhev influenced the evolution of this music, telling their stories in a series of lively vignettes. Engaging, entertaining and passionate, this is the definitive guide to tango dance music. Available in four languages, T ango S to rie s: M u s ic a l Secrets is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand tango better. 2nd edition ISBN: 9“78-0-95'732“76-4-1 (19. 12. 2014) 256pp Also available in German, Spanish, and french: Deutsch:

T a n g o -G e sc h ic h te n : W as d ie M u s ik e rz ä h lt.

2. Auflage

ISBN: 978-09573276-3-4. (08. 02. 2015) Espanol:

H isto ria s d e ta n g o - L a m iisica nos //era

• Argentine edition: ISBN: 9“78-98~-286(P-4-5 (12.04. 2015) •

International edition: ISBN: 9‘“8-095”32“’6-6-5 (01.04.2016)

Fran^ais:

H istotres d e ta n g o : secrets d u n e m u siq u e

ISBN: 9'78-09 5“’3276-8-9

(0 1.02.201 6)

Anibal Troilo (1914-1975) played the bandonecSn with such feeling that he became revered as the most expressive player of the instrument. In 1937 he formed his own orchestra, rapidly establishing it as one of the greatest in the golden age of tango. The hallmarks of this orchestra were its vibrant sound, its ability to deliver a lyric, and the colour and shading in its music, something which Troilo and his musicians explored more and more throughout the 1940s. In this book, the first in the T ango M a s te rs series, Michael Lavocah explains I roilo's music to the modern dancing public. He introduces the musicians in the orchestra, helping you to hear them within the music, and then takes you through the dance recordings, paying special attention to the relationship between the music and the lyrics - a ke\ factor in understanding this orchestra. Incorporating an imaluable discography and listening notes for seventy of Troilo's most important songs. T ango M a s te rs: A ) ü b a l T ro ilo allows the reader to follow I roilo's journey as his music grows in sophistication, learning how to listen, and thus to feel, with more understanding and depth. ISBN 9^8-0-95“’32'76-5-8 212pp

Released: 1 ΠΓ.2014

Osvaldo Pugliese (1905-1995) created a new style 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 musicians and his devoted fans alike to a triumphant night at one of the world's grandest opera house. T ango M a s te rs: O sv a ld o P u gliese takes the reader on a journey through Puglieses life and music that is intimately bound tip with the social and political history of Argentina. Listening 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 of the series Tango Masters, which explores the music of the great orchestras of tango’s Golden Age in depth. ISBN: 9^8-0-9573276-7-2 296pp Released: 09.09.2016 Also available in German as

T ango M e is te r: O sv a ld o Pugliese.

photo: Richard Johnstone-Brydei Michael Lavocah was absorbed by tango music from his First encounter with it. More than twenty years study of the subject, as a dancer, teacher, DJ and collector has provided him with an in-depth knowledge of this unique musical heritage. A natural raconteur, Michael is always sharing his knowledge of the music with anyone who will listen. This led to his popular talks on tango music and then in 2012 to his first book Tango Stories, M usical Secrets, which immediately established itself as the book for tango dancers wanting a general guide to tango music. Now also available in German, Spanish and French, it has been published in Buenos Aires. His current project is Tango Masters, a series of books exploring the great dance orchestras of tango’s Golden Age from the perspective of the dancer. He lives in England. You can see his touring schedule on his personal website: www.tangomusicsecrets.com

Ta n g o M a s t e r s : C a r l o s D i S a r l i

Carlos Di Sarli (1903-1960) created the most elegant tango music ever known. Uniquely amongst the great orchestras, his final recordings are loved as much or even more than his early ones. Great waves of melody create a majestic feeling, although the music remains at heart quite simple, a combination which makes it a favourite of those who love to dance. The orchestra’s powerful walking beat is conveyed by a unique way of combining the bandoneons with the strings, and by Di Sarli’s own magisterial touch on the piano. Di Sarli was the only irreplaceable musician in the line-up and he kept his unique style a closely guarded secret, refusing to let other musicians even watch him play. A complex personality, his sensitive, principled nature is summed up in his sobriquet El senor del tango - the gentleman of tango. Michael Lavocah is the author of Tango Stories, Musical Secrets, the guide to tango dance music. This is the third volume of the series Tango Masters, which explores the great orchestras of tango’s Golden Age in depth.

milonga press www.milongapress.com