D’Arienzo – El rey del compás!

No party without this music. I’ve heard repeatedly times people saying, there cannot be too much of D’Arienzo at the milonga. So what is it that makes this music so perfect and popular for dancing? His famous beat for sure has something to do with this. D’Arienzo’s marcato in 4 is providing clear structures as well as drive as stability enjoyable for dancers of all levels.

But I’d say we do D’Arienzo injustice to reduce it to just this. For sure his music is more simple than the music of Troilo or Pugliese. But also his music has subtleties. For examples how he reduces, how he plays with pausas and although he is more known for his variaciónes at the end he’s also making use of beautiful contracanto structures.

As an introduction I recommend the very first session of Music Talk which I still did alone. The 2nd session is one his probably most famous period – the recording together with Alberto Echagüe 1938-39. There’s also one session of Music Seminar dedicated to D’Arienzo, which treats his lyric period of 42-45.

D’Arienzo instrumental 1936D’Arienzo/Echagüe 1938-39

Invited guests: Alla Drugova & David Mancini

El Tigre Millán! In this example we can find many of Juan D’Arienzo’s distinctive charactistics.

A catchy melody, dynamic phrasing, alternating articulation, that’s how we like the king of the beat. With the animated score you’ll be able to easily follow the contracanto of the violins as well as the piano bridges – and last but not least enjoy even more the bandoneon fireworks of the opening of part B. Enjoy listening & watching!

To conclude a playlist which contains all tango recordings of D’Arienzo together with Alberto Echagüe from the years of 1938 and 1939.