371  La Guardia Vieja

Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 21:41:55 -0800
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: La Guardia Vieja

The beginning of the dichotomy in tango music into music for dancing and
music for listening started around the end of the period know as La Guardia
Vieja (The Old Guard).
La Guardia Vieja - 1900 - 1920

During the Gestational Period most musicians played 'by ear' improvising
without reading music. Now tango started to be written and published.
From this period are tangos written in 2/4 the same notation as the milonga,
this is the reason they are known as
tango-milongas.
Some of them that we still dance such as El Porten~ito, El Esquinazo, El
Entrerriano, El Choclo almost sound like milongas.

Rosendo Mendizabal. (1868-1913) El Entreriano.
Eduardo Arolas (1890-1924) El Marne - La Cachila - Una Noche de Garufa -
Comm'il faut, etc.
Roberto Firpo (1880) ...and many others belongued to this period.

El Bandoneon probably invented in Germany in 1830 by Heinrich Bandt was
introduced in Argentina during the last decades of the 19th. century. This
unusual instrument became one of the main characteristics of our tango. Its
melancholic sound is essential to tango music.

Tango Cancion appears with Carlos Gardel and other famous singers around
1917-1920.
This tango is not intended for dancing as the main protagonist is the singer
and the music is used as an accompaniment.

La Orquesta Tipica

The original musical groups were formed by violin, Guitar and flute.
Bandoneon displaced the flute and piano the guitar. The orchestra was then
formed by piano, violin and bandoneon.
Recording tangos became a big industry. Vicente Greco decided to
differentiate the Orchestra that only played tangos, milongas and valses
from the other that also interpreted other musical genres with the name of
Orquesta Tipica Criolla.
In time the name was shortened to Orquesta Tipica which is still in use
today.
The Sexteto tipico had two bandoneones, two violins, piano and base
(contrabajo).
By the end of 'The Old Guard" the new orchestras demanded new, more
complex compositions. This originated the first differences in Style within
the Tango.

Two styles are originated here, styles whose differences were deepened and
developed as time went by.

On one side a music devoted to the dance with a definite rhythm. On the
other a modality with higher elaboration as to melody and harmony destined
to satisfy the ear of the listener but not necessarily created for the
dancer.

The first group was called 'Traditionalist' meaning a closeness to the
original tangos that were created to be danced. Francisco Canaro.
The second one was called 'Evolutionist' a type of music more elaborated not
necessarily at the service of the dancer that implied an evolution. Roberto
Firpo.

bibliography : Historia Orientativa Del Tango by Jorge Strada.