Orquesta Típica Victor
The Orquesta Típica Victor was the house band of the Victor record label. In those days, all tango musicians were contracted to one of a very small number of record labels. As time went on, the smaller ones such as Colombia, Brunswick, Pampa and Electra either went bust or were acquired by one of the big two: RCA Victor and Max Glucksmann's Odeón. Odeón never had a house band, but then they had Canaro : )
The story of the Típica Victor begins in 1925 when the pianist Adolfo Carabelli, artistic director of the Victor company in Argentina, decided to form the orchestra to plug the gap left by the defection of Osvaldo Fresedo to the Brunswick label. His first line-up included some great names including Ciríaco Ortíz and Luis Petrucelli on bandoneón, the latter being given the job of orchestra leader. The directorship passed to the bandoneonista Federico Scorticati in 1936 and then briefly to the pianist Mario Maurano in 1943, before the orchestra was disbanded in 1944.
During these years the orchestra more than 449 recordings - the exact number is hard to determine, because often they were backing a singer and appeared under that singer's name.
The Típica Victor never appeared in public, being created exclusively for recording purposes, but they had a highly danceable style which also displayed the brilliance of its soloists - something of especial significance in the early 1930s when Julio De Caro was beginning to lose his way.
Recommended CDs
We start with the most recent release from Tango Collection. Although the really splendid CDs from Euro Records (EU-17014 and EU-17021) are now out of print, some of the El Bandoneón releases can be obtained - see below.
Tango Collection - OTV
RGS 1642
A really nice OTV CD presenting a mix of old favourites and rarities, including their unique version of El amanecer - and all at a bargain price. Fabulous!
Note: tracks 13 and 14 are switched on the CD. Track 13 is actually Dominio, and Track 14 is Chorra.
Track list
- Retintín
- La cumparsita
- Viejo rincón
- La payanca
- Flor de tango
- Re fa si
- De mi barrio
- Adiós muchachos
- Tradición
- La sonámbula
- Fumando espero
- Puente Alsina
- Dominio
- Chorra
- El porteñito
- Niño bien
- Coqueta
- El choclo
- La rosarina
- El chamuyo
- Bailarías
- El amanecer
- Libertad
Orquesta Típica Victor 1926-1940
EBCD-85
Amazingly, this el bandoneón CD is still available. There is a little overlap with the RGS album, but not much. Contact us if you are interested. Lots of unique material - Negro, Pato and Viento norte (Bronca negra) are just wonderful, evoking a completely different feeling to the main bands of the period.
Track list
- Negro
- Retintín
- Pato
- Hilos de plata
- La payanca
- Puente Alsina
- Chuzazos
- Re fa si
- De mi barrio
- Fumando espero
- Julienne
- Adiós muchachos
- Carta brava
- Che papusa, oí!
- Ensueño
- Dominio
- Viento norte (Bronca negra)
- Cardos
- Como tigre cebao
- Tango milonguero
Where next...
- Back to our building a library
- Milonga home page
