About the book

The Art of Tango provides systematic information on how tango is created, performed and transformed, both in traditional practice and in the pioneering oeuvre of four celebrated innovators of tango: Osvaldo Pugliese, Horacio Salgán, Astor Piazzolla and Gustavo Beytelmann. Focused on both reception and practice, The Art of Tango seeks to analyse, decode and discuss significant arrangements and compositions by these musicians in order to provide a deeper understanding of their styles as well as the artistic concepts and theoretical foundations of the genre. This is achieved by presenting readers with techniques, processes and materials that facilitate a deeper comprehension of tango’s musical language and by providing tools to develop skills in arranging, composing and performing tango, hopefully inspiring new musical output in the field. In addition, this volume offers a series of research tools that can be applied to other works by these composers as well as other composers, which allows for the continuation of a research practice that has, until recently, been neglected within the study of tango.

After introducing the main stylistic norms of tango music and providing insight into the innovative work of Julio De Caro, the direct musical predecessor of the musicians presented in the book, the main body of the book is organised into four main chapters, each devoted to one of the musicians studied and presenting: a) a brief biography, b) an analysis of a selection of pieces and c) a concise summary of the  techniques analysed within those pieces. Following this is, first, a comparative analysis of the different arrangements made for a traditional tango by three of the musicians researched here (Pugliese, Salgán and Piazzolla) and, second, the
study of three works I composed in light of the findings of this artistic research. Finally, a closing chapter is devoted to general conclusions, providing a detailed view of musical development and techniques in tango as well as the varying approaches to its constituent elements by the musicians featured in the book.