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The Three Tangos were composed towards the end of last year at the request of the InTime Quintet. Before I began working on the commission, I debated various ways of dealing with the tango as a genre of composition. One would have been to compose a fairly conventional, tonal tango, another to create a modernised, atonal one. There was also a third alternative: to regard the tango more as the reflection of a state of mind. It would to some extent then be possible to disregard the typical tango beat. I chose the first of these options. In other words, the three tangos all come close to the traditional Argentine tango in character. They are tonal, melodic and dance-like. The Tango lamentoso and Tango appassionato are basically in C minor and the Tango dolente in G minor. They are not, however, intended to be sung; they are a form of instrumental music, and in order to make an impact require temperament and virtuosity in the musicians.© Kalevi Aho, 2000(Tampere Biennale)(translated by © Susan Sinisalo)Kolme tangoa on sävelletty viime vuoden lopulla InTime Quintetin pyynnöstä. Ennen kuin aloitin tämän sävellystyön, pohdin erilaisia mahdollisuuksia käsitellä tangoa sävellysmuotona. Yhtenä mahdollisuutena oli säveltää melko perinteinen, tonaalinen tango, ja toisena vaihtoehtona oli luoda modernisoitu, atonaalinen tango. Kolmaskin vaihtoehto on: käsittää tango pikemminkin eräänlaisen mielentilan kuvaukseksi, jolloin olisi mahdollisuus luopua osittain tangolle ominaisesta rytmiikasta. Valitsin näistä vaihtoehdoista ensimmäisen, eli Kolme tangoa ovat kaikki tyypiltään lähellä perinteistä argentiinalaista tangoa. Sävellykset ovat tonaalisia, melodisia ja tanssillisia - Tango lamentoso ja Tango appassionato liikkuvat c-mollissa ja Tango dolente pääosin g-mollissa. Ne eivät ole kuitenkaan laulettavia tangoja, vaan kyseessä on isntrumentaalimusiikki, jonka vakuuttava esittäminen edellyttää muusikoilta temperamenttia ja virtuositeettiä.© Kalevi Aho, 2000(Tampere Biennale)

Year of composing

Arranger

Movements

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin