Tango in 1915

The available sources on 1915 cover two subjects: events in the life of Carlos Gardel, and recordings dated to that year. ^{[1] [2]} One biographical account describes 1915 as a complex year for Gardel, "en el que las dificultades del pasado y los éxitos del futuro parecieron confundirse": a year in which past difficulties and future successes seemed to merge. ^[1]

According to the same account, the year brought Gardel an engagement in Montevideo, a debut at the Teatro Royal before a full house, new friendships, a chance meeting with the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, and a gunshot wound in December. ^[1] Separately, a discography lists recordings dated 1915. Most are credited to Francisco Canaro, one to Roberto Firpo, and one to a performer the listing does not clearly identify. ^[2] A third source quotes a publication dated 29 October 1915. ^[3]

By mid-1915, according to a biographical account, Gardel and his partner or partners were approached by the Uruguayan impresario Manuel Barca. ^[1] Barca had travelled to Buenos Aires to hire them to perform in Montevideo. ^[1] The source uses the plural here, but the dossier does not name Gardel's fellow performers. ^[1]

The same account states that they debuted at the Teatro Royal on 18 June 1915 to a full house. ^[1] It reports that this was the first time an audience asked them to repeat their numbers, calling out "tocate otra, Carlitos". ^[1]

The account also records that Gardel was shot before the end of the year, on the night of 10–11 December 1915, in what it calls a confusing episode. ^[1] The dossier gives no further details about the circumstances or the outcome. ^[1]

According to the biographical account, the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso came to Argentina in 1915 to sing at the Teatro Colón. ^[1] When Caruso returned by ship to Brazil, Gardel happened to be on board the same vessel. ^[1] The source adds that Gardel was a friend of many of the musicians ("profesores") of the Orquesta Estable. ^[1]

The same source names Edmundo Guibourg among Gardel's close friends. ^[1] The two had known each other since childhood, but their friendship began in 1915. ^[1] In the same passage the source mentions the jockey Irineo Leguizamo. Gardel would later dedicate to him the tango «Leguisamo solo», composed by Modesto Papavero. ^[1] The dossier gives no date for that dedication or composition. ^[1]

A discography lists the following recordings with the year 1915, which can be treated as the earliest known recording dates for these performances in that listing. ^[2] The dossier does not say whether any of these pieces premiered or were first performed in 1915. ^[2]

Recordings credited to Francisco Canaro: ^[2] - 'Atamisqueña' (chacarera), 1915, TINT T0370002042 ^[2] - 'Canaro' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370005074 ^[2] - 'Centenario' (vals), 1915, TINT T0370137588 ^[2] - 'Charamusca' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370007718 ^[2] - 'Didí' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370082419 ^[2] - 'El opio' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370021945 ^[2] - 'La yerra' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370045003 ^[2] - 'Vibraciones del alma' (vals), 1915, TINT T0370029665 ^[2]

Other recordings dated 1915: ^[2] - 'Homero' (tango), recorded by Roberto Firpo, 1915, TINT T0370014951 ^[2] - 'La guitarrita' (tango), 1915, TINT T0370014337, duration 03:10; the performer field in the dossier is garbled and does not clearly name an artist ^[2]

The Canaro entries include tangos, two valses ('Centenario' and 'Vibraciones del alma') and a chacarera ('Atamisqueña'). ^[2]

A Todo Tango biographical page on Vicente Greco quotes a publication dated 29 October 1915, issue number 183: «Tenía 17 años y tocaba la guitarra por sport.» ("He was 17 and played the guitar for sport"). ^[3] The dossier does not name the publication or identify the person described. ^[3]