Tango Etude No. 3
Astor PiazzolaPiece Duration: 03:45
About this Piece
Articulation / Accent / Etude: Piazzola gives the instruction "Molto marcato e energico." This is italian for "Very marked and energetic," and the performer needs to play in this dramatic style for most of the piece, without getting tired!
Counterpoint/Disjunct Motion: Using large, abrupt leaps from the higher register to lower register, Piazzola creates two-voice counterpoint on one instrument! The higher register becomes the melody, and the lower register becomes the bass line. (See Notable Passages below)
Ternary Form:
A Section: 0:04
B Section: 1:34
A Section: 2:44
Sheet Music: PDF Pgs. 5-6 https://canalparaviolinistas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Piazzolla-Tango-Etudes.pdf
Notable Passages
Description:
Towards the end of the A Section, Piazzola quotes the famous revolutionary song "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" (El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido)!
- Listen to the B Section of "El Pueblo Unido..." at this link!
- Listen to this Notable Passage and try to find the same melody. Piazzola's version is full of musical ornaments!
Click here to see a sheet music comparison (PDF Pgs. 114-116, Example 4.21)
Keywords: Melodic Ornamentation
Description:
B Section: Part 1
Listen for the two musical voices here! The melody is in the upper register, and the bass line notes gradually descend.
Keywords: Counterpoint - Misc.
Description:
B Section: Part 2
The two voices continue here with melody in the upper register, and the bass line notes ascending! At the end of the passage the bass line notes return to the descending contour.
Keywords: Counterpoint - Misc.