Monday, October 16, 2006
Ramiro Gallo Quinteto at the Biblioteca Nacional
Sunday, October 15, 2006
A violinist, composer, arranger, and educator of note, I think of Ramiro Gallo as something like the Wynton Marsalis of contemporary tango. Like Marsalis, Ramiro’s music is steeped in the tradition in which he works but has a very modern, original sound. Furthermore, while jazz and tango were once “popular” forms, both Marsalis and Gallo clearly understand and deal with them as “high art.” And while he is quite a bit younger than Marsalis, Gallo is equally professional, elegant, and charismatic. If this is the kind of musical sound, historical perspective, and institutional position that you are attracted to, Gallo, like Marsalis, is at the top of the scene. If not, again like Marsalis, you might find a lot worth complaining about regarding Ramiro’s overall artistic project.
This concert took place at the national library (which is one of the truly shocking architectural facts of Buenos Aires), and was the first in a series of concerts by the group commemorating the library’s recuperation and cataloguing of almost 300,000 pieces of sheet music, many of them old and largely forgotten tangos, that have sat for years in unorganized piles. This kind of cataloguing project, as humdrum as it may seem, cannot be applauded enough, for collections and archives of all sorts are kept in notoriously bad shape here in Argentina. As Gallo announced from the stage, these pieces represent “the sonic memory of Argentina.”
Following the performance of several original pieces featured on the group’s new recording (including a lovely series of miniatures and the haunting “mi gaucha”), the concert featured pieces Gallo had selected from the library’s newly organized collection and arranged for his ensemble. He narrowed his choices down by sticking to the lesser- or un-known work of four composers he feels particularly close to: Joaquín Mora, Francisco de Caro, Juan Carlos Cobián, and Enrique Delfino. The work of each of these composers, he said, provided both rich melodies and space for harmonic interpretation, which was key for his work as an arranger. The result was a surprising mix of the rhythmic snap of early tango with the intricate, almost crystalline density of Gallo’s compositional voice. The band approached the music with poise and vigor, creating an enthusiastic energy that at moments almost broke the scales, especially on the few pieces that featured the endlessly charming singer Ariel Ardit as invited artist.
It was refreshing to hear a group of young musicians approach this older repertoire as if it were a living part of the music being made today, rather than the dusty archival material that it in fact is. These pieces, like old photos, he said, shine a light on the moment in which they were created in unique and special ways. And judging by the group’s performance, this music can shine a light on the contemporary moment in equal measure.
Related Recording
Ramiro Gallo Quinteto, Espejada (EPSA Music) 2006.
Related Link
http://www.ramirogallo.com.ar/
A violinist, composer, arranger, and educator of note, I think of Ramiro Gallo as something like the Wynton Marsalis of contemporary tango. Like Marsalis, Ramiro’s music is steeped in the tradition in which he works but has a very modern, original sound. Furthermore, while jazz and tango were once “popular” forms, both Marsalis and Gallo clearly understand and deal with them as “high art.” And while he is quite a bit younger than Marsalis, Gallo is equally professional, elegant, and charismatic. If this is the kind of musical sound, historical perspective, and institutional position that you are attracted to, Gallo, like Marsalis, is at the top of the scene. If not, again like Marsalis, you might find a lot worth complaining about regarding Ramiro’s overall artistic project.
This concert took place at the national library (which is one of the truly shocking architectural facts of Buenos Aires), and was the first in a series of concerts by the group commemorating the library’s recuperation and cataloguing of almost 300,000 pieces of sheet music, many of them old and largely forgotten tangos, that have sat for years in unorganized piles. This kind of cataloguing project, as humdrum as it may seem, cannot be applauded enough, for collections and archives of all sorts are kept in notoriously bad shape here in Argentina. As Gallo announced from the stage, these pieces represent “the sonic memory of Argentina.”
Following the performance of several original pieces featured on the group’s new recording (including a lovely series of miniatures and the haunting “mi gaucha”), the concert featured pieces Gallo had selected from the library’s newly organized collection and arranged for his ensemble. He narrowed his choices down by sticking to the lesser- or un-known work of four composers he feels particularly close to: Joaquín Mora, Francisco de Caro, Juan Carlos Cobián, and Enrique Delfino. The work of each of these composers, he said, provided both rich melodies and space for harmonic interpretation, which was key for his work as an arranger. The result was a surprising mix of the rhythmic snap of early tango with the intricate, almost crystalline density of Gallo’s compositional voice. The band approached the music with poise and vigor, creating an enthusiastic energy that at moments almost broke the scales, especially on the few pieces that featured the endlessly charming singer Ariel Ardit as invited artist.
It was refreshing to hear a group of young musicians approach this older repertoire as if it were a living part of the music being made today, rather than the dusty archival material that it in fact is. These pieces, like old photos, he said, shine a light on the moment in which they were created in unique and special ways. And judging by the group’s performance, this music can shine a light on the contemporary moment in equal measure.
Related Recording
Ramiro Gallo Quinteto, Espejada (EPSA Music) 2006.
Related Link
http://www.ramirogallo.com.ar/
