Juan D'Arienzo
In my point of view, tango is, above all, rhythm, nerve, strength and character. I tried to rescue for tango its masculine strength, and today tango has been re-established, our tango, with the vitality of its best times. My major pride is to have contributed to that renaissance of our popular music.
The revolutionary Juan D'Arienzo, "El Rey del Compás" - The king of the beat, single handedly swept tango from middle class drawing rooms back to its real home, the dance hall, propelling an entire generation to its feet with his irresistible and joyful beat. No collection of tango music is worthy of the name without at least some recordings of his legendary and seminal band.
D'Arienzo has been well represented in the re-issues of the past decade and you should have no trouble picking up some really cracking discs.
Be careful though - as we move towards the end of his long career, the D'Arienzo style veers towards the camp,
most notably in the vocal numbers.
D'Arienzo's fortunes exploded with the incorporation of pianist Rodolfo Biagi in 1935 and he maintained his band right through to his death in 1976. The band carried on without him under the name "Las Solistas de D'Arienzo" - be careful.
One way to track the evolution of the band is to look at the recordings of La Cumparsita.
1928/9
: D'Arienzo recorded two versions of La Cumparsita in the pre-Biagi era. These guardia vieja versions lack the charm of early Canaro or Fresedo and the whole thing just fails to ignite.1937
: Now this is much better, Biagi on piano, and the band is on fire.1943
: Fascinating - D'Arienzo has added the piano variation, taking the piece out to 4'00", that will make the 1951 version such a sensation. An interesting transitional version - very hard to obtain.1951
: This is it: the seminal recording. The arrangement is the same as the 1943 version, but the band lets rip with utter assurance and the faster pace brings it home some fifteen seconds quicker. Tremendously exciting.1963
: I just can't get excited about this stereo version recorded for the album D'Arienzo for Export. The pace is slow (back at 4 minutes) and the performance lacks the electricity of the 1951 version.1971
: D'Arienzo's swan song? It's back to the pace of the 1951 version, but there's an innovation: before the classic one string violin solo, there's an additional violin section whose restraint and lightness of touch has me thinking of, well, anyone but D'Arienzo. A great version.
What sort of buyer are you?
- I'm on a budget- I only want one album of D'Arienzo
- I want a little more
- I'm a DJ or collector - I want lots more
- I want everything
I'm on a budget - I only want I only want one album of D'Arienzo
You have to really be on a budget to want only one D'Arienzo CD - this is a tough assignment.
Until 2009 we recommended the reprint of the
old FM Tango disc on Solo Tango - naturally this was eventually deleted, despite selling really well.
Now we recommend De Pura Cepa (1935-1936), the first volume in BMG's 15 disc Homenage en RCA Victor series released by BMG in 2005 (more about this series below). It contains a lot of great valses and milongas as well as tangos which mean it's not really suitable for absolute beginners.
On the other hand, if you a beginner, or looking for a teaching cd, it would be better to get the solid beats of Sus priméros éxitos vol.1
on Tango Argentino, which sticks largely to his tangos from the 1930s.
This is in our pack of cds for absolute beginners and you can see see track list there.
Later on you can get volume 2.
I want more
The new choice for those looking to collect D'Arienzo is the splendid 15 disc series released by BMG in 2005. Start with the first disc with it's plethora of waltzes. The first five or so discs are a must. DJs will stop after seven discs, and of course collectors will get all 15!
Bizarrely, D'Arienzo's early sides with his best singer Alberto Echagüe have never been reprinted by EMI. Here we have to rely on this wonderful release from the small Argentine label Magenta. Simply magnificent, some great milongas, and only £9. This was the recommended cd in our tango club in May 2008.
To get his best stereo versions from the 60s and 70s: get the cd "El Rey del Compás" on BMG (ECD1100) which includes
the tango milonga Papas calientes
and the wonderful Este es el rey.
Ignore the fact that the cover photo is printed back to front, this is a marvellous cd.
Released as an lp in 1982 and then on cd in 1993, it's been in print ever since.
I'm a DJ or collector - I need all the good stuff
For more of his thirties/fourties material:
- volume 2 of Sus priméros éxitos if you only have volume 1
- To hear more of the milongas: Milongueando con Juan D'Arienzo on EURO records.
- A cd of D'Arienzo with singer Héctor Maure - the old FM Tango cd is still available on El Bandoneón (EBCD-99).
For more of his great 50s instrumentals: the album on Euro Records shared with Di Sarli, Dos músicos, dos estilos (EU16019). The quality is fabulous - you must get this CD.
For more of the stereo recordings you can buy the cd reissues of the D'Arienzo for Export lps. The four lps were re-issued over three 3 cds. They still make excellent listening. Or you could get the RCA Victor 100 Años disc - but not before you get the El Rey del Compás cd recommended above.
I want everything
If you must hear D'Arienzo's 1950s vocal interpretations, don't let me stop you. D'Arienzo's 50s sides with his most popular singer Alberto Echagüe are available on the cd Sus Grandes Exitos which is really quite good in places, with more available on Tango Argentino on the cd Joyas del lunfardo. That label is also the place to hear his sides with Mario Bustos (Tangos Orilleros) & Jorge Valdéz (Sentimental vol.1 and 2). You can hear more of Bustos on the BMG album Bueno, Derecho y Varón (ECD1101), the sister cd to ECD1100. Plus there's a cd covering the years 1954-1957 (EU16009) on Euro Records. There's more on Tango Argentino (11 cds in all) but it's too boring to list them all here - ask me if you're really interested.
You can hear the 1928 orchestra on El Bandoneón (EBCD-133). Carlos Dante and Francisco Fiorentino are the estrebillistas.
Where next...
- Back to building a library
- Milonga home page
