Three old Tangos and three Milongas
for soprano or tenor recorder (flute, oboe, violin) and piano
Arranged by Manuel Molina y VediaGirolamo G 21.011, score and 1 part, € 18,00
ISMN 979-0-50084-089-3sample page melodic instrument
Preface
When the tango made its appearance in the old world in 1910, it released a dance frenzy, almost a mania, which attacked all ages and classes with the same virulence.1
When the tango from Argentina and Uruguay was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, it had already accumulated a rich and varied history:
In the late 19th century, it emerged from the blending of European and African cultures in the Río de la Plata region. The professional musicians of the day, especially the dance and instrumental teachers, typically had African roots and exerted a considerable influence on music and dance.
Widely-known today is the emotional, melancholic music from the “golden decade” of the great and famous tango orchestras of the 1940s. Similarly well-known today but less widely spread are the “old” tangos of the Guardia vieja, the “old guard” (around 1880–1920), characterised by their carefree gaiety, as are the milongas of the 1930s contained in this edition.
In the 19th century, the milonga was an improvised song form characterised by the typical Afro-American “3-3-2” metre in its instrumental accompaniment. It played a crucial role in the development of the tango, which at the same time incorporated elements of European ballroom dance as a partner dance in closed embrace, with more varied harmonies and a greater melodic development.
As early as the 1930s, the tango began to develop towards a melancholic style, which reached its peak in the 1940s. Parallel to this, a new form of the milonga emerged as a dance, characterised by a faster tempo and a life-affirming spirit.
During the 1960s, “pop music” became increasingly popular among the younger generation and the tango entered a período de letargo – a period of lethargy and decline. It was only after the end of the military dictatorship in the 1980s that the tango experienced a revival. As it did a hundred years ago, the tango still arouses unbroken enthusiasm around the world today.
The present arrangements reflect the light-hearted style of the 1920s and 1930s. The role of the flute, which was a typical melody instrument at that time before being replaced by the bandoneon, has now been assigned to the recorder. However, the melody part may also be played by a flute, oboe or violin.
Cologne, September 2024, Manuel Molina y Vedia
1 Sachs, Curt: World History of the Dance; translated by Bessie Schönberg; New York 1937, p. 446
Content:
Ángel Villoldo (1861–1919): El porteñito
Manuel Campamor (1877–1941): La cara de la luna
Agustín Bardi (1884–1941): Tinta verde
Ángel Villoldo: El esquinazo
Germán Tesseire (gest. 1944): Allá por el año veinte
Eduardo Arbol Erézcano (1887–1953): Vieja milonga
