Tango in 1912

This article collects what the available sources record about tango and related popular music in the year 1912. The material covers recording activity, the start of composing careers and the formation of small ensembles ^[5][9][4][3].

According to a foundation discography, Carlos Gardel made his recording debut in April 1912, recording criollo songs ^[9]. The same source says a series of songs was recorded that year by the Columbia Record company at a building on Avenida de Mayo 601 in Buenos Aires ^[9]. The two passages give different counts for the number of songs, as described below ^[9].

A biography of José Razzano says that his fame as a singer led to his first contract to record discs for the Victor company between 1911 and 1912 ^[6]. Biographies of Francisco Canaro place the start of his work as a composer in 1912, with the tangos "Pinta brava" and "Matasanos" ^[4][7]. Biographies of Eduardo Arolas describe a quartet formed in 1912 ^[3][8].

A recording listing dates a group of sides to 1912 ^[5]. They include tangos by Juan Félix Maglio and Vicente Greco and estilos, canciones and a vidalita by Carlos Gardel ^[5]. These dates come from recordings. In this article they indicate the earliest known recording of a title in the sources consulted. They are not composition or premiere dates ^[5].

Carlos Gardel's recording debut

The Fundación Internacional Carlos Gardel keeps a discography page for 1912 ^[9]. According to that source, Gardel made his recording debut in April 1912, recording 15 canciones criollas ^[9]. The same source describes one recording, which the available excerpt does not name, as follows. It was made upstairs in the building at Avenida de Mayo 601 in Buenos Aires. It was also the first of a series of 14 songs recorded by the Columbia Record company in 1912 ^[9]. The figures of 15 and 14 songs differ, and the source material does not reconcile them ^[9]. The general Gardel entry also lists "Sos mi tirador plateado" and "Pobre mi madre querida" with the year 1912 ^[1].

José Razzano and Victor

A biography of José Razzano states: "His fame as good singer gave origin to his first contract to record discs for the Victor company between 1911 and 1912" ^[6]. The source places this contract across the two years and does not give a specific 1912 date ^[6].

Francisco Canaro as composer

Two biographies of Francisco Canaro state that his work as a composer began in 1912 ^[4][7]. The Spanish-language entry names the first tangos as "Pinta brava" and "Matasanos" ^[4]. The English-language biography gives the same year, and its excerpt is cut off before the titles ^[7].

Eduardo Arolas and the 1912 quartet

According to biographies of Eduardo Arolas, he first played in a trio with the pianist Agustín Bardi and the violinist Tito Roccatagliata ^[3][8]. In 1912 he formed a quartet with that violinist, the flutist José Gregorio Astudillo, and Emilio Fernández on a nine-string guitar ^[3][8]. The two sources spell the violinist's surname differently, as "Roccatagliata" and "Roccatagliatta" ^[3][8]. The English-language biography also says that Arolas composed various tangos during an early period that ended in 1912 ^[8]. It names "Nariz" among them, and its excerpt is cut off before any further title ^[8].

A recording listing dates the following sides to 1912 ^[5]. The listing gives an identifier (TINT) for each side ^[5]. For the first item, "Armenonville", it also gives a duration of 03:48 ^[5].

The listing also gives a Maglio side, "Recuerdos de la pampa" (TINT T0370302183), with no genre stated ^[5]. "Viento en popa" appears twice under the same identifier, once as a tango and once with no genre stated ^[5].

Some Gardel titles appear in more than one form under a single identifier ^[5]. "Brisas de la tarde" is also listed as "Brisas | Brisas de la tarde" ^[5]. "Sos mi tirador plateado" is also listed as "Sos mi tirador plateao" ^[5]. Several Gardel entries credit the recording to "Carlos Gardel with Carlos Gardel" ^[5]. These dates show only that the titles were recorded in 1912, the earliest known recording in this listing ^[5]. They do not establish when the pieces were written or first performed ^[5].

The Edmundo Rivero entry lists a work titled "Buenos Aires, verano 1912" with the date 1966 ^[2]. The excerpt gives no further information on the nature of the work or Rivero's role in it ^[2].