Tango Masters: Carlos Di Sarli

Description

"That orchestra had something that made it different from the others. It had something that it is now hard to find which I call sacred fire". 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 exceptional style a closely guarded secret, refusing even to let other musicians watch him play. A complex personality, his sensitive, principled nature is summed up in his sobriquet El señor 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 music of the great orchestras of tango’s Golden Age in depth. 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 No, not really ......Page 72 D’Arienzo: still king of the beat ......Page 73 A Di Sarli milonga goes unpublished ......Page 74 Rufino - more star struck than ever ......Page 83 An inconvenience: Rufino is called up ......Page 97 Alberto Podestä ......Page 98 Alberto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