07/09/2026
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Osvaldo Fresedo, the romantic side of tango
In the 1920s and up until the mid-1930s, tango was still interpreted in a more traditional rhythmic style by smaller ensembles (sextetos). Many orchestras successfully performed with singers (mostly in the role of estribilista) and were able to establish themselves … Continue reading
13/11/2025
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on OTV – The Invisible Orchestra
Imagine a football association overseeing 20 teams with varying degrees of talent, including players and coaches, and then being invited to an international championship. What do they do? They assemble a team from their best players and have them coached … Continue reading
12/11/2025
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Francisco Lomuto
As a DJ, one naturally views the orchestral diversity in tango with different eyes than when considering this issue from a music historical perspective. Nevertheless, I often listen to tango music without any specific requirement of milonga suitability, and I … Continue reading
20/03/2025
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Julio De Caro – The Guardia Nueva
Let’s take a trip back to the early days of tango. The musicians of the so-called ‘Old Guard’ (‘Guardia Vieja’) were generally not formally trained instrumentalists with conservatory education. Consequently, their compositions tended to be rather simple, or the musicians … Continue reading
17/03/2025
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on In search of the Golden Age
Everyone in the tango world talks about the Golden Age (‘Golden Age,’ ‘Epoca de Oro’). This is defined as the period when tango reached the peak of its development, roughly speaking, in the 1940s (‘Cuarentas’). For many tango dancers, this … Continue reading
02/09/2018
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Florindo Sassone
Sassone (born 1912 – died 1982) is rarely heard at milongas. Why? When colleagues are asked about it, they often say that this artist is post-EDO and doesn’t belong at milongas. Is that really true? The idea for this blog … Continue reading
04/03/2018
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Sabina Olmos – Dime mi amor
Sometimes, when you least expect it, you make special discoveries. Like yesterday, when I was thinking about a tanda to “Dime mi Amor” by Juan D’Arienzo with Hector Maure. A search in my database turned up two alternative versions: a … Continue reading
22/02/2018
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Quiero verte una vez mas
What is a perfect tango? For me, it’s a song that is musically interesting both harmonically and rhythmically, features a melodic contrecanto, has a good dose of polyphony, is well-instrumented, and comes with lyrics that have the potential for the … Continue reading
06/02/2018
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Juan D’Arienzo (The King of Rhythm)
On the one hand, the goal of this blog is to give tangueros a better understanding of music and dance; on the other hand, a blog should also offer subjective and personal information. So, here are my personal impressions. When … Continue reading
26/01/2018
by Richard Stoll
Comments Off on Modern tangos in the style of old masters of the Cuarentas
In the post-EDO era, the performance styles of tango orchestras changed significantly. The orchestras became smaller, no longer primarily focused on dancers, and expanded their capabilities to encompass a broader spectrum of dynamics and emotional expression. New composers (e.g., Piazzolla) … Continue reading