History of the Tango dance and its music
Dublin Core
Title
History of the Tango dance and its music
Subject
Documenting the history of music through the dance of Tango
Description
The change over time in the dance of the Tango is a truly fascinating area to explore. From its origins in Argentina and Uruguay, in low social classes, to its domination in the European and American elite, its emergence caused quite a stir. While some levels of society saw the Tango as a new, exciting and difficult dance, others saw it as scandalous, too imitate, and not appropriate in public. Thus modifications took place in Europe and in America. Its popularity grew over the 1930s, where the style of music changed, to more of the passionate, aggressive style we have today.
Creator
Wikimedia Commons, IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library, The Times Digital Archive
Source
-
Publisher
Wikimedia Commons, IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library, The Times Digital Archive
Date
Late 19th and early 20th centuries
Contributor
Wikimedia Commons, IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library, The Times Digital Archive
Rights
Not certain
Relation
Wikimedia Commons, IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library, The Times Digital Archive
Format
-
Language
English
Type
Entertainment
Identifier
Not Applicable
Coverage
Related to the history of tango dance
Collection Items
El Choclo
This is one example of the type of music danced to the tango, before the dance spread to Europe and America.
Reply to "A Peeress"
![Reply to "A Peeress"](https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/25063/archive/square_thumbnails/48da3e22ad315009d647ec88c8e9b9cc.jpg?Expires=1715817600&Signature=poOgJgb6KggK5gVAlTPAFIGhrqX1I7T1Tt33x%7EC05YysBwZkgZARR4I2xBT7OkPIY62iIGE3iYzxw8msDGoLp1sgNOXkIoltOV7OUY4WcHBGN2w%7EmyFCDWbu2pwhGbItJ8yYLUXp7EK4CgGlxkTgWlXtzoZQjckVS1sxRQyyD9jMjlAl5YSJTqmFeJWvKLE7QdKNZO3y7xw35uitkEFf5QSlERMN2J5IFf85pSG-9qGJp9yUWMBPw8VwisrSOwbUs8U-ydmoj%7Ef5ubxSrYI-bTaMbuI0OH1ED%7E5l5I-8VFs3RdFVE3mxn%7EB-6Xx4ZYg6gQ96fmaunnvmt%7EFFkYTY7w__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM "Reply to "A Peeress"")
H. R. Wakefield and A. Parent respond to A Peeress's criticisms about the new dances of the rag and the tango.They refute the idea that these new dances are scandalous, and insist that either dancing get more interesting or it would in fact die out.…
The Tango: The secret of its popularity
While the tango dance originated from the low levels of society in Argentina, it became acceptable for those in elite circles to dance it, due to modern adaptations. It created an initial response similar to the dances of the polka and the waltzes,…
Sheet Music Cover
This is a cover of sheet music, with music by Harry Von Tilzer, and words by Andrew B Sterling. Two ladies from behind a curtain watch three elegant and therefore rich couples dancing the Tango. The word "hesitate" is in reference to a step in the…
Illustration from a dance manual
An illustration of a couple dancing ballroom Tango, from a 1914 dance manual. This is one example of showing society of how to dance this dance, with a respectable distance between the two partners, in keeping with past traditions. This ensured that…
Mi Noche Triste (My sad night)
This was the first tango recorded to have lyrics accompanying it, as well as the first song by Carlos Gardel. This changed the perception of tango, as the tango now became associated with tragic love and sadness, thus becoming more sentimental.
Tango Postcard
This postcard shows a couple dancing the Tango, with the words:
Come let's make a date
To Tango quite late,
And when we get tired
We'll just Hesitate."
This is making a reference to the steps in American Tango, not found in International Tango…
Come let's make a date
To Tango quite late,
And when we get tired
We'll just Hesitate."
This is making a reference to the steps in American Tango, not found in International Tango…
La Cumparsita
While this piece of music was written in 1916, it was not until 1924 when words were added that this piece of music became a hit. However, it was still popular without lyrics, as seen by this 1932 version. It has become a well known tango today.
El Choclo Sheet Music for Piano
As we have already established, El Choclo by Ángel Villoldo was an early piece of music written for the tango dance. We can therefore compare this to the later song La Cumparsita, and see the changes in the sheet music. We see that there are many…
La Cumparsita Sheet Music
This file shows us the clear differences between early Tango music and music in the 1930s. We see staccato, pizzicato by the violin, and use of accents in the piano part. We see more use of dynamics, with clear loud and soft sections. This helps to…