Duration

ca. 5.5 minutes

Premiered

February 22, 2023 — Sofia Velinzon (violin), Kyle Pinzon (violoncello), and Jasper Casamento (piano), Turner Recital Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

*Piece has been edited since original premiere.

Program Note

Falso Tango pulls several elements from Argentine tango while overtly and ironically acknowledging its separation from the broad genre. Rather than an authentic portrayal, it embraces its existence as a distorted outside interpretation. Even the title plays into this; the name would be correctly written in Spanish with the adjective following the noun: "Tango Falso." Instead, it translates literally to Fake Tango.

A core element of the piece is the incessant 5/8 meter, grouped primarily as 3+2, which is derived from the 3+3+2 rhythm common in tango and epitomized by Astor Piazzolla’s famous Libertango. This abbreviated tango pattern persists across multiple evolving sections alongside a core motif built on chromatic neighbor tones. In the climactic final section, the melodies and tango rhythm are fully realized at last.