The song 'Malena' by Pascual Contursi and Homero Manzi, from the golden age of tango, is said to have defined the feminine way of singing tango, describing specific gestures and attributes.
Composition History
The foundational tango song, 'Mi noche triste,' was originally a musical piece by Samuel Castriota, but Pascual Contursi's addition of lyrics about a woman's abandonment marked the birth of tango as a popular song.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album aims to deepen the expressive richness of tango poetry, evoking depth, pain, lightness, irony, nostalgia, agitation, or nervousness, as tango is always a confession of an intimate world.
Performer Biography
Diego Vila, the pianist and arranger, is a composer and author of numerous musical theater works, including 'Manzi, la vida en orsái,' which is the most awarded musical in Argentine theater history.
Interpretation
The performers, mezzo-soprano Susanna Moncayo and pianist Diego Vila, approach these tangos with the expressive range and dynamics of chamber music, sometimes with the theatricality and drama of an opera aria.
Historical Context
Tango as a song genre was born in 1917, the same year as the Bolshevik revolution and Marcel Duchamp's artistic presentation of 'Fountain' in New York.
Performer Biography
Susanna Moncayo, a mezzo-soprano born in Buenos Aires, trained in both popular and lyrical music, performing in prestigious venues like La Scala in Milan and with the Dresden Philharmonic.
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