As central as the tango has been to Argentinean music since the turn of the 20th century, there have been other musical developments as well, and while this compilation naturally focuses primarily on tango and tango-derived innovations, you'll hear other elements too -- notably a rather German-sounding waltz titled "Romance de Barrio" by the
Cuarteto San Telmo and an intensely hushed, rather overwrought performance by
Virginia Luque that sounds as if it owes as much to Portugal's fado tradition or Mexican boleros as it does to the tango. But the tango-based tracks provide both a thread of consistency and a surprising variety of styles and textures.
Baffa Berlingieri & His Orquestra Tipica deliver a lovely orchestral tango titled "La Guiñada";
Alfredo Gobbi & His Orquestra Tipica do the same (on the evidence of this album, it seems that every third person in Argentina has an Orquestra Tipica); while the
Trio Federico-Berlingieri offers a more subdued, decorous chamber-tango with "Sentimiento Tanguero." The program ends with its pièce de résistance, a spectacular tango composition by the great
Astor Piazzolla, a piece titled "Tanguisimo" that combines sophisticated compositional structure with a deep respect for the music's rhythmic verities. There is much more to explore in Argentina's various musical traditions, but this collection offers an excellent introduction.