Tango Concert in Stuart House 18th July. 2010.
Noelle Boucherat, piano; Joe Monks, accordion; Jonathan Stromberg, violin;
Judy Whitlock, double bass; Angela Wunnam, classical guitar.
An extremely large and very appreciative audience was delighted with a performance of Argentinean tango music at Stuart House on Sunday 18th July, 2010.
Tango Sonoro was the brainchild of violinist Jonathan Stromberg and his passionate love of Tango dance and music. After a “Tango Holiday” in Buenos Aires earlier this year he returned with rare sheet music and original recordings. These he painstakingly transcribed and arranged for the Tango ensemble.
After the first few bars of “Café Domingo” the listeners were transported into the smoky bars and brothels of Buenos Aires, where the tango was originally danced by male partners to attract the ladies.
A cry from the soul was heard in the tango waltz, “Desde el Alma”. This haunting piece was composed a hundred years ago and is known widely and much loved throughout Argentina today.
The ensemble performed the sad and evocative “Milonga del Angel”. It was written by Ástor Piazzolla ( 1921 – 1992), who was a famous Argentine tango composer and bandoneónplayer. This piece demonstrated how his type of composition revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed tango nuevo incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. Throughout this composition the insistent rhythmic bass line of Judy Whitlock supported the wistful guitar motifs played by Angela Wunnam and the long nostalgic melodies of the accordion and violin (Joe Monks and Jonathan Stromberg) leading to the rousing piano chords and arpeggios of pianist Noelle Boucherat, only to end in a long poignant cry of distress at the end of the piece.
The group’s love and appreciation of tango music was evident in every piece that they performed. They are unique in their focus on technique from both the percussion of the piano and guitar, the pizzicato of the bass and the long, sustained lines of melody from the violin and the accordion. The individual attention and ability to listen to each other meant that each instrument had its opportunity to lead.
They played with elegance, precision and a natural chemistry. The performance was a living demonstration of their passion for tango and for each other.
They provided the audience with introductions and explanations which helped them to understand the style and genre of Argentinean tango music.
In the middle of the performance Jonathan Stromberg put down his violin and joined Dolly Knight to demonstrate how the Argentinean tango is danced. There was very little room for them, so large was the audience, but with consummate floor-craft they danced exquisitely on little more than one metre by two metres, skilfully showing the emotional, sensuous and passionate nature of the dance.
Stuart House looks forward to a future concert in 2011.
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