Tango Suite - Astor Piazzolla arr. Masayuki Katoh // Not A Clarinet Choir

Not A Clarinet Choir Presents "Musings 2"
17 December 2023
Tango Suite - Astor Piazzolla Arr. Masayuki Katoh
Tango Suite, written in 1984 for the Assad brothers, was the second guitar work by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. During a stay in Paris he attended a concert by the Assad duo. From this fortuitous meeting arrived 3
tangos: the Tango Suite.
Tango no. 1 (the first movement) displays fervent drumming effects complimenting an angular melody. This vivacious opening section gives way to a seductive, melancholic passage before eventually returning to the opening theme. This interplay of roles between both players gives the impression of a rhythm section backing a soloist in a jazz combo. The slow second movement (Tango no. 2) shows Piazzolla at his most pensive. The poignant melody is supported by hazy chords reminiscent of the nightclub jazz that featured so prominently in the shaping of his musical style. Tango no. 3 returns to the zesty tempo of the opening movement, this time punctuated by staccato chords, rasgueado (strummed) passages, and exhilarating scale runs. Born in Argentina in 1921, Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla revolutionized the tango. He incorporated jazz and classical styles into his own unique vision of the style. Having spent much of his youth in New York City, he would later study composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger who encouraged him to embrace the bandoneon (a type of concertina or accordion) upon which he was an expert performer. The result was an eventual surge in popularity that would make him known worldwide as the “King of the Tango.” He died in Buenos Aires in 1992.
Programme Notes by Guitars International
E-flat Clarinet: Zachary Ng
1st Clarinet: Daniel Yee, Esther Foo
2nd Clarinet: Chua Jay Roon, Glenden Kua, Theodore Quek
3rd Clarinet: Eugene Sim, Phoong Khang Zhie, Saga Salim
4th Clarinet: Akhsan Nawfal, Anzawa Makoto Rey Kwan, Chong Kai Yu, Yan Yi Xue
Alto Clarinet: Ricco Lim, Abhay Bathula
Bass Clarinet: Emil Tay, Kubo Shunsuke, Ryu Naufal Rafif
Contrabass Clarinet: Alden Tan
Double Bass: Pan Jia Ying
Video Editor: Zachary Ng
Videography: Gerald Wong
Audio Editing: Ho Wee Yang
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In March 2022 we hosted our first concert to a full house, and we are looking forward to more projects in the future. The group also participated in the Singapore International Band Festival 2022, Division Ensemble 1 and clinched the top prize, Gold with Distinction, with the highest score across the entire ensemble division.
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[@joelwilliammusic]

Basses and Conta sound great!