D'Arienzo's early sextet years

D'Arienzo's early orchestra did not have a fixed lineup. ^[2] Musicians could play in one formation for silent films and another for weekend dances, and several names recur in Lavocah's account of these years. ^[2] He places the Electra recordings in this fluid period, while cautioning that the musicians assembled for a session should not be assumed to be the group heard at a live engagement. ^[3][6]

Lavocah judged the early recordings less inventive than contemporary sides by Canaro and less musically advanced than those of the De Caro brothers. ^[1] He found their closest comparison in Juan Maglio's older style, though he preferred Maglio's players and beat. ^[1] That assessment was a judgment of the records, not a description of a single stable sextet. ^[1][6]

Pianist Ángel D'Agostino was a childhood friend of D'Arienzo, and the two played with violinist Rosario Alfredo Mazzeo as early as 1919. ^[3] Mazzeo remained audible on the Electra sides. ^[3] At the Palais de Glace in 1929, Juan Polito played piano and shared the billing in the D'Arienzo–Polito orchestra. ^[4] In 1930 Luis Visca was the pianist in a formation billed as D'Arienzo–Visca–Mazzeo; the group also appeared at the Florida and Chantecler cabarets under differing names. ^[4] A publicity card from around 1930 identified Domingo Moro as first bandoneon in the D'Arienzo–Visca group. ^[5]

Electra called D'Arienzo into the studio in 1928 to accompany Carlos Dante. ^[6] For the recordings he added musicians, expanding the performing group to an octet. ^[6] Lavocah, citing Oscar Zucchi, named Mazzeo, D'Arienzo and Luis “Cuervo” Álvarez on violins; Ciriaco Ortiz, Nicolás Primiani and Florentino Ottavione on bandoneons; Vicente Gorrese on piano; and José Puglisi on bass. ^[6] Héctor Varela joined the additional bandoneon players on later sessions, though not the first ones. ^[6]

Lavocah gave the 1928–1930 total as an uncertain 44 to 46 recordings. ^[7] He counted 31 with Dante, 10 with Francisco Fiorentino and two instrumentals. ^[7][8] D'Arienzo also accompanied Raquel Notar, whose surviving recording of “La cumparsita” did not carry his name on the label. ^[8] Lavocah considered it likely, but unproven, that this was their only recording. ^[8] Electra ceased recording in 1930 amid the economic crisis. ^[8]

On the 1928 “Callejas solo!”, sung by Dante, Lavocah drew attention to Mazzeo's lower violin countermelody beneath the higher violins and heard a technique D'Arienzo would use again in 1935. ^[9] “Chirusa,” a D'Arienzo composition recorded with Dante in 1929, was the one tango from this period that Lavocah said remained in the orchestra's repertoire; D'Arienzo recorded it again in 1940. ^[10] Lavocah tentatively attributed its closing variation to session player Ortiz. ^[10]

The orchestra accompanied María Turgenova in the 1930 film “El Cantar de Mi Ciudad” and appeared briefly in the 1932 film “Tango,” where D'Arienzo led from his violin as the group played “Chirusa.” ^[11][12] Lavocah heard a strong arrastre in that film performance, though a less staccato beat than on the later records. ^[12] He wrote that D'Arienzo continued working through the years before his July 1935 recordings. ^[13]