Tongos

SSC1314 2012-06-19

Track List

Tongo 2 - 4:27
Liquido 3 - 4:43
Canción 4 - 4:49
Tongo 4 - 3:35
Liquido 5 - 4:38
Tongo 6 - 6:12
Canción 1 - 3:01
Intro Liquido 2 - 1:10
Liquido 2 - 2:51
Tongo 1 - 4:26
Canción 2 - 2:43

Musicians

Diego Schissi - piano
Santiago Segret - violin
Ismael Grossman - guitar
Juan Pablo Navarro - acoustic bass
Guillermo Rubino - violin

"While there is little jazz influence in the music of the Schissi Quinteto, the subtle hints of jazz set the work apart from other tango experiments. The differences are mainly in inflection and in how the musicians communicate in performance, not necessarily in improvisation, there being very little here. There is also a mindset among the performers aligned with that of a jazz musician: a raw drive to play the music, not just receive a paycheck.

Schissi’s music is a shift away from the form of tango. He chooses to “keep the energy rather than the gesture.” In doing so, Schissi intentionally keeps the traditional instruments associated with tango: bandoneón, violin, piano, guitar and bass. He does change other aspects, even if subtly. He ironically christens his music tongo and, as there are three forms of tango, there are three forms of tongo. The tango is mirrored by the tongo while the lyrical ¾ vals is countered by the canción and the cut time milonga by the liquido.

The music takes many of the elements that Piazzolla established and embellishes them with the compositional concepts that were originated by 20th century classical composers like Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky. All these influences combine to create a sound that is “not tango, but close.”

The Quinteto was premiered at the Festival Internacional Buenos Aires Jazz 2009 with the program “Tongos, canciones y líquidos” along with dances by choreographers Ana Garat and Pilar Beamonte. This performance was essentially a dress rehearsal for the recording of Tongos and the ensemble’s subsequent tour throughout Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. Schissi’s achievement was recognized by the Secretary of Culture with a mention at the Argentinean National Music Awards.

Schissi’s young ensemble continues to stretch the boundaries of tango tradition that has continued to be very conservative. The work of the Quinteto has steadily become more and more popular with dancers and listeners over the past few years as many become enchanted by the beautiful and intriguing new sounds of Tongos.
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