Dance in G Minor
“Tango”
For String Quintet
About “Tango”
This piece is inspired by the wave of “tango nuevo” music pioneered by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), who melded more traditional elements of the Argentinian dance, such as its distinct syncopated rhythm, with numerous external influences, particularly classical counterpoint and extended tonality. “Tango” displays a wide variety of these styles: the main motif provides a majestic and elegant yet insistent exposition; this eventually melts away into a gooey, ethereal development teeming with thick, unusual chords, which leads back to the first motif for a final recapitulation. At various moments, a brash, even raucous, tone creeps into the piece in the form of sforzato double stops. Overall, “Tango” is meant to be a new, more modern take on “tango nuevo” with its bold colors, shocking extremes, and, above all else, an overwhelming flair for the dramatic.
