Tango Variations

Evan Hause

General Info

Year: 2009
Duration: c. 9:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Edward B. Marks
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental | Score Only - $71.75

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo (2)
Flute (4)
Oboe (2)
English Horn (1)
Bassoon (2+)
Contrabassoon (1)
E-flat Soprano Clarinet (1)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet (6+)
B-flat Bass Clarinet (1)
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet (1)
E-flat Alto Saxophone (2+) (one doubling soprano saxophone)
B-flat Tenor Saxophone (1)
E-flat Baritone Saxophone (1)
B-flat Trumpet (6)
Horn in F (4)
Trombone (4)
Bass Trombone (1)
Euphonium (2)
Tuba (2)
String Bass
Piano
Harp
Bandoneon or Accordion solo (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-VI, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbals
Chimes
China Cymbal
Glockenspiel
Gong (tuned)
Guiro
Marimba
Shakers
Slapstick
Snare Drum
Splash Cymbal
Suspended Cymbal
Tam-tam
Tambourine
Temple Blocks
Tom-tom
Triangle
Vibraphone
Vibraslap
Wood Block
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Once inspiration struck (in summer 2009 after watching a children's movie) to write a work for large band inspired by tango, I began listening to the oldest recorded tangos so that my mind would not be muddied by the ubiquitous "new tango" of the Astor Piazzolla renaissance of the 1990s. No slight against the great Piazzolla, but I wanted to explore the roots of his form to determine which stereotypes I had come to know were merited and which ones were not. What I learned is that tango has never followed any rules of form, and the only universal seems to be (after the importance of inspiring and accompanying a sexual dance, of course) a 4/4 time signature and an abiding favoritism for the minor mode. Yet, the opening falling chromatic opening salvo of my Tango Variations (of which there are six variations on an original theme), and the intense upper-lower-chromatic neighbor figure that permeates my original theme are nods to things I heard in multiple listenings to such greats of the 1930's as Pugliese (who emerged my favorite), Troilo, and Donato among others. Otherwise, I have composed a free-for-all. I will reveal that an early idea to meld it with the music of Robert Schumann's Vogel als Prophet for solo piano into a Tango Prophetico has left the musical landscape dotted with progressions and figures from this Romantic chestnut, but otherwise this is an abstract work, as titled.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio CD: North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 2012

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock, conductor) – 10 March 2023
University of Southern California Thornton Wind Ensemble (H. Robert Reynolds, conductor) – 7 April 2013
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock, conductor) – 23 October 2010 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Branching (2021)
Concerto for Electric Guitar and Symphony Band (2000)
The Four Winds (1985/2013)
Ghosts of the Revolution (2005)
James Brown Loops (1993)
Kaleidoscope (Hause) (1992)
Rome Under Water (1990)
Tango Variations (2009)
Trumpet Concerto (2001)
Vocabularium (1992)

Resources

Evan Hause website
Hause, E. (2007). Tango Variations : For Symphonic Band [score]. E.B. Marks Music : [New York]
Stewart, Scott A. "Tango Variations." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 9, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 1052-1060. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2013.