Tango (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

Carlos Saura's film Tango, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film in 1999, immerses itself thoroughly in the ethos of the tango. Exploring the complex mix of flirtation, violence, lust, and beauty which the dance expresses, the film also explores its place in the cultural and political history of Argentina, and the interaction between life and art that occurs in the process of bringing it to the stage. It is not surprising then, that the soundtrack provides a wide-ranging summary of tango music that runs the gamut of the genre's history. In addition to excerpts from the original score by six-time Oscar nominee Lalo Schifrin, the soundtrack contains Creole waltzes, milongas, and tangos from throughout Argentina's history, recorded by Schifrin in the style of the originals. Some, like "La Comparsita," "El Choclo," and "Caminito," are familiar classics. Others are definitive pieces by major Argentinean composers. There are too many highlights to mention, but among the brightest are the jaunty "Calambre" by concertina legend Astor Piazzolla (in whose band Schifrin once played piano), the virtuoso guitar and concertina performances on "Nostalgias," and the forcefully rhythmic Osvaldo Pugliese compositions "La Yumba" and "Recuerdo." Balance is provided by the album's one vocal track, "Flores del Alma," a delightfully rapid Creole waltz sung by Viviana Vigil and Héctor Pilatti. But the best material may be Schifrin's original work. His "Tango del Atardercer," heard at the beginning and end of the CD, mimics Pugliese by melding powerful bass piano chords with soaring strings and playful concertina solos. Sensuality, aggression, danger, love, flirtation — the soundtrack brings together the disparate emotional elements that provide such sharp contrast both to the tango itself and to Saura's gorgeous film.