Tango Masters: Aníbal Troilo (2nd edition)

Volume 1 of the Tango Masters series

By Michael Lavocah

About this tango music book

Aníbal Troilo (1914-1975) played the bandoneón with such feeling that he came to be revered as the most expressive player of the instrument. It was said that he played one note and pierced your heart. The orchestra he formed in 1937 quickly became one of the greatest of tango’s Golden Age, known for its vibrant sound, the colour and shading of its music and its skill in delivering a lyric.

This revised and greatly expanded second edition, released six years after the first, explains Troilo’s music to today’s dancers. It introduces the musicians of the orchestra and guides the reader through its dance recordings, paying special attention to the relationship between music and lyrics, a key to understanding Troilo. With listening notes for more than ninety tracks, it follows his music as it grows in sophistication.

What you will find inside

• Introductions to the key musicians of the orchestra, so you can hear them within the music
• Listening guides to the most important dance recordings
• The story of the bandleader set against Argentina’s social and cultural history
• Discographies and notes that help DJs choose and dancers understand the music
• Research by Michael Lavocah, author of Tango Stories: Musical Secrets

Who is this book for?

Tango dancers who want to understand and feel the music they dance to, tango DJs building tandas, and anyone who loves the Golden Age orchestras. It reads well alongside your own listening, one recording at a time.

Why we recommend it

Troilo is the orchestra many dancers grow into: at first they may find it complex, and years later it becomes their favourite. This expanded second edition is the perfect companion for that journey. Lavocah pays special attention to the singers and lyrics, so you discover why Troilo’s tangos tell stories that move the whole room. His listening notes make the shading and colour of the orchestra audible even to untrained ears. We recommend it to intermediate and advanced dancers who want to deepen their musicality, to anyone curious about tango poetry, and to DJs who want to build Troilo tandas that truly breathe.

Published in 2020 by milonga press. 256 pages, ISBN 978-1999755157. Volume 1 of the Tango Masters series.

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