Skip to content

Topic

Troilo in the 1950s

In the early 1950s, Troilo gave Astor Piazzolla greater freedom as principal arranger, moved from RCA-Victor to TK, and recorded a growing share of instrumental music. [1][2][3] His recordings of the period also included work with singers Jorge Casal and Raúl Berón and the instrumental tribute Responso. [4][5][6]

Lavocah described 1950 as a turning point for Troilo’s orchestra: audiences were dancing less, and Troilo allowed Piazzolla to change the music’s style more freely. [1] The shift appeared in Para lucirse, a Piazzolla composition and arrangement recorded on 24 November 1950, which Lavocah heard as moving away from the orchestra’s earlier dance music. [7]

Troilo’s move to the new local label TK brought recording difficulties. [2] Its first release of Che bandoneón was withdrawn because of poor sound, and early masters also suffered from the recording conditions at Emelco Movie Studios. [8] TK began using Radio Splendid’s studios in May 1952 and recorded new versions of Inspiración, La cumparsita and Responso, although Lavocah found that its records still lagged behind those of other firms in sound quality. [8]

Repertoire and arrangements

Troilo continued composing alongside Piazzolla’s contributions: among the first ten numbers recorded for TK, Lavocah identified four by Troilo—Che bandoneón, La trampera, Discepolín and Responso. [3] Instrumentals took a larger place than they had in the vocal dominated 1940s repertoire, including new versions of Quejas de bandoneón and Ojos negros. [3] Piazzolla’s Prepárense, recorded in March 1951, combined a strong rhythmic theme with a later passage scored for cello, viola and violin. [9]

Singers and stage work

Jorge Casal joined Troilo after fulfilling a carnival engagement with Florindo Sassone in 1950. [4] Raúl Berón joined on 1 February 1951 and sang Discepolín, which Troilo recorded on 29 May, weeks after its lyricist Homero Manzi died. [5][10] Berón also recorded a new arrangement of Manzi’s Malena in August 1952. [11]

Troilo appeared in the stage adaptation of El patio de la morocha, which opened on 24 April 1953; Piazzolla directed its orchestra and wrote most of its arrangements. [12] In the production, Troilo played La cachila with guitarist Roberto Grela. [13] Their performance led to the Troilo–Grela quartet, which recorded twelve numbers between 1953 and 1955. [13]

Responso and the TK recordings

Troilo composed Responso as a tribute to his friend and collaborator Manzi, who died on 3 May 1951. [6][10] Troilo recorded it on 29 May, the same day as Discepolín, and the two pieces appeared on opposite sides of one record. [10] Lavocah reported that the piece remained painful for Troilo to perform. [14]

Troilo left TK for Odeon in 1957. [8] TK went bankrupt in 1963, and later rights complications limited reissues; Lavocah reported that the original TK masters appeared to be lost. [8][15]

References

How Tangopedia works

  1. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 142 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Astor Piazzolla became the orchestra's principal arranger and this time Troilo gave him far more freedom”
  2. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 142 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Troilo left RCA-Victor, leaving a number of recordings unpublished.”
  3. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 145 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Troilo wrote four: Che bandoneón, the joyful and overlooked mi-longa La trampera, Discepolín and Responso.”
  4. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, PDF p. 149 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Casal was forced to fulfil this contract, separating from Sassone to join Troilo after carnival.”
  5. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 151 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Raúl Be-rón, who joined Troilo on 1st February 1951.”
  6. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 149 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Troilo's response to the early death of his close personal friend and long-time collaborator, the poet and lyricist Homero Manzi”
  7. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 146 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“191 Para lucirse 24.11.1950”
  8. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 143 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Things improved in May 1952 when TK switched to recording at the studios of Radio Splendid”
  9. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 147 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Piazzolla scores it as a chamber work for cello, viola and the sweet violin of David Díaz.”
  10. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 150 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“Discepolin and Responso were recorded on the same day (29th May 1951) and published on the two faces of a single record.”
  11. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 155 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“223 Malena 18.08.1952 vocals: Raúl Berón”
  12. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 148 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“The play opened on 24th April 1953”
  13. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 151 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“They recorded a dozen numbers between 1953 and 1955, and another ten in 1962.”
  14. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, p. 150 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“once he had recorded it, he preferred not to perform it.”
  15. Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo, PDF p. 149 (ISBN 978-1-9997551-5-7) · milongapress.comSource page“The old masters of TK appear to be lost.”
Data: recordings, facts and sources

No published facts yet. Facts appear here, each with its source, as they are collected.

Listen

No recordings to play yet.

Ask Tangopedia

Answers only from cited facts, each with its source.