The presentation of the theme in a rhythmic figuration, generally in
sixteenth notes, which appears in the final section of many instrumental
tangos is called variación.
The present example is a fragment of
the variación. of the tango RESPONSO by Aníbal Troilo
(figure 1).
In the example
one can hear the timbre of the right keyboard
of the
bandoneon almost in its entire register since the variación.
reaches to the upper limit of the right hand opening and a fourth above the
lowest limit.
The recording of this example was made incorporating an effect of reverb, because the dry sound, especially in the very high tones does not come off as natural.
The SUITE TROILEANA of Astor Piazolla (figure 2) begins with a
free
cadenza (written without bar lines in the original) for left hand
alone.
Besides the particular sound characteristic of the left keyboard of the bandoneon, in this example one can appreciate two interesting properties of the instrument: on one hand the capacity to produce chords consisting of widely separated notes. The last chord, for example, is composed of three notes in the upper limit of the high register sounding simultaneously with a note almost in the lower limit of the left hand. On the other hand, one can also note the vibrato effect which is achieved by vibrating the bellows of the instrument.
This example (figure 4) is a fragment of an excellent arrangement for unaccompanied bandoneon made by Rodolfo Medeos on the tango OJOS NEGROS by Vincente Greco.
The example is divided in three parts. (acoustic example)
In bars 9, 10, and 11 are shown open (widely distributed) chords but with a
legato touch, which contour a sustained harmony very full, despite
being comprised of only three notes.
In bars 13, 14 and 15 a percussive effect is produced using harmonic intervals of seconds alternating in syncopation between the medium and low registers of the left hand.
Note: As you would be able to appreciate in the examples of tango, the notation does not correspond exactly with the execution. This occurs because one of the key elements in the interpretation of tango is what is called phrasing, which is a particular way of speaking the melodies, perhaps linked possibly to the inflections of daily speech. It is a very wide theme which merits a separate detailed study.
Such complexity- aside from discouraging a number of students - has given rise to opinions of all kinds. It is quite common to hear, (even from the lips of oustanding bandoneonists !) that the arrangement of the keyboard of the bandoneon is the work of some crazy. Nothing is further from the truth. The keys of the bandoneon allow all the notes to be within the reach of the hand of the instrumentalist, a fact that makes it possible to play in all of the major or minor0 keys more or less with the same degree of difficulty. Actually, except for the question of familiarity, playing a C major scale presents the same degree of difficulty as executing a scale in Dmajor ♭. And almost just as surely anything that can not be done with the opening keyboard can be done with the closing one.
This proximity of the notes permits, aside from the distribution of very open chords that we have already studied, the possibility of playing melodies with very widely spread intervals at a good speed, something that would be impossible on other instruments. As proof of this, try playing the third measure of (example 5) on the piano. Can it be done?
Certainly taking up the bandoneon initially is not simple. Instruments like piano or guitar allow a more rapid initial gratification. But we should consider that, with the objective of constructing an instrument that could be played in all keys, that would have touches like a guitar, that could join sounds continuously like an organ, that would have a range (register) equal to that of a harpsichord, would have the possibility of varying intensities of sustained sounds like a violin, that would have different distinct attacks like brass instruments and that would have a sonorous volume similar to that of a piano - among other things - and above all that would be portable and easily transportable, what the designers and builders of the bandoneon have accomplished is almost miraculous and amply justifies the effort which the study of the instrument entails.
Example 5 is a fragment of the tango EL MARNE, by Eduardo Arolas sound excerpt
(... theses tangos of Arolas and of Greco that I have seen danced on the sidewalk said Borges in his peom El Tango), arranged as a bandoneon solo by Leoploldo Federico and Felix Lipesker. In my opinion it is is one of the best solos for bandoeon that has ever been written. The resources of the bandoneon are taken advantage of to the maximum, above all in the bandoneon's use as a tango instrument. The sound quality is attacked, an effect which is only possible using the opening bellows, which takes advantage of the weight of the instrument for producing accents and syncopes characteristic of the style. For the same reason, it is necessary to create some breaths (closing the bellows rapidly by means of the escape valve in order to return to the bellows-opening attack) like the one you hear clearly in measure 7, breaths that are, without exaggeration, part of the style.
According to the publishing house Julio Korn, the original is written in 4/8 time. I thought that writing it in 4/4 would make more easily readable without changing its interpretation.
This page has been created due to questions presented by composers willing to write for the bandoneon. Prof. Ricardo Fiorio has expressed his disposition to contiue this collection of examples as those interested express their doubts. Therefore it is required to colaborate each one by expressing the questions directly to by e-mail.
