Like any other form of music, it exists in many different forms, both in the notes used and in the performance thereof. For a project for another class, I looked at how some of Piazzolla's music was taken and performed by others. Some of what I found captured the spirit of the tango wonderfully and some totally missed the point although even a poor performance of a good piece of music manages to convey something of what the composer wished to say.
This video is from the movie "The Tango Lesson" and captures the spirit of the tango. The music is the Libertango of Piazzolla. The sex is, well, the tango's.
From the sublime to the not-so-sublime, this is a version by the British singer Grace Jones that falls a bit short to me. Obviously somebody likes it because the video was made, but the spirit of the tango is lost.
It is amazing to me how often people take music and turn it to their own ends. While I believe that the wishes of the composer are to be taken into consideration and adhered to as much as possible, sometimes a performer can bring something to a performance that transcends the notes on the page. The tangos of Piazzolla have a uniqueness that don't fare well under the Muzak treatment. They need to remain tangos for the spirit which was written into them to be conveyed to the listener. Granted, there are those who enjoy Muzak, but they probably don't dance the tango in their spare time. Even so, the beauty of the melodic lines and the richness of the harmonies comes across.
Another version of the Libertango was performed by YoYo Ma for the soundtrack of "The Tango Lesson". This version is the truest to the recording I have of Piazzolla performing the work. Of course, the bandoneon part is pushed to the background a bit so that Ma's cello can shine, but overall, it is very close to authentic PIazzolla.
Finally, for one last version, which is definitely true to the tango, but is a little different. The tango is all about sex and this version holds true to that with a little humor added in. Plus the exquisite imagination and skill of the performers makes this version sparkle.
Music is more than music. The good stuff conveys feelings and emotions, ideas and conclusions and can catch the listener up in it. While a bad performance can hinder a listener's enjoyment of the music, a good performance makes it easier to get the point the composer was trying to make. And composers usually do have a point to be made.
Thus endeth the first blog post. Hope it made sense!
This video is from the movie "The Tango Lesson" and captures the spirit of the tango. The music is the Libertango of Piazzolla. The sex is, well, the tango's.
From the sublime to the not-so-sublime, this is a version by the British singer Grace Jones that falls a bit short to me. Obviously somebody likes it because the video was made, but the spirit of the tango is lost.
It is amazing to me how often people take music and turn it to their own ends. While I believe that the wishes of the composer are to be taken into consideration and adhered to as much as possible, sometimes a performer can bring something to a performance that transcends the notes on the page. The tangos of Piazzolla have a uniqueness that don't fare well under the Muzak treatment. They need to remain tangos for the spirit which was written into them to be conveyed to the listener. Granted, there are those who enjoy Muzak, but they probably don't dance the tango in their spare time. Even so, the beauty of the melodic lines and the richness of the harmonies comes across.
Another version of the Libertango was performed by YoYo Ma for the soundtrack of "The Tango Lesson". This version is the truest to the recording I have of Piazzolla performing the work. Of course, the bandoneon part is pushed to the background a bit so that Ma's cello can shine, but overall, it is very close to authentic PIazzolla.
Finally, for one last version, which is definitely true to the tango, but is a little different. The tango is all about sex and this version holds true to that with a little humor added in. Plus the exquisite imagination and skill of the performers makes this version sparkle.
Music is more than music. The good stuff conveys feelings and emotions, ideas and conclusions and can catch the listener up in it. While a bad performance can hinder a listener's enjoyment of the music, a good performance makes it easier to get the point the composer was trying to make. And composers usually do have a point to be made.
Thus endeth the first blog post. Hope it made sense!
Love that Anderson & Roe arrangement! Also, we need more pianists in leather pants.
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ReplyDeleteI LOVE THE TANGO!! However, I disagree that the clip from "The Tango Lesson" "captures the spirit of the tango." The woman is not very graceful, and the choreography is a lot of the same over and over. I think the tango should make you feel a little uncomfortable sometimes because of the intimacy, and I just didn't get that here. I actually found it quite boring, but maybe that's because I really like this version:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBBo81MG2k4&feature=related
BEST VERSION EVER!!!!! As one YouTuber wrote, "The feeling that these two expel here punches you in the face through the TV."
Out of all the videos posted here, I thought the last video actually "captured the spirit of the tango" best. It was great to see on the piano what we're hearing musically -- the two melodies intertwining.
Meagan, I do like your YouTube suggestion. And I'll toss another one back at you. Piazzolla collaborated with the poet Horacio Ferrer to create an "operita" Maria de Buenos Aires. It never achieved a lot of popularity, but an Argentinian production of it was taped and is available on DVD. The most convenient copy of it is at the downtown Spartanburg Library. I haven't watched the entire thing, but the parts that I have seen have some incredible dancing and really show the violence of the tango. It's a whole nother culture!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll have to check it out.
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