We were prepared for this, 24th Milonga Sin Nombre to be the last one, after the landlord communicated that they don't want to continue. But just hours before the event we heard that we are granted two more months - and possibly more after they reevaluate the experience after New Years. Lots of people said they wanted to come to bid farewell to the tradition of two years, so I had to supersize the empanadas works - and it also means that I had to select the music on the fly...
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| Almost midnight, and the Old North Church's floor is full... |
001. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "El pollito" 1951 3:22
002. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Don Juan" 1955 2:48
003. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Viviani" 1956 3:01
I may have had far too little time to work on the tandas, but "at least" I cut all new cortinas for the night.
004. The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
005. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "Alma en pena" 1938 2:46
006. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "El garron" 1938 2:27
007. Quinteto Don Pancho - Instrumental "Loca" 1938 2:57
Perhaps the most classic of the Odessa underworld songs, this klezmer-and-tango-influenced classic is known at least since 1920, in myriad remixes, but the original authors of "Murka" remain unknown.
008. Russian folk "Murka" 0:20
My decision to play a trio of fav valses so early in the night (when the odds of an empty floor are so high) is totally vindicated - the floor comes alive!
009. Orquesta Tipica Victor - Lita Morales "Noches de invierno" 1937 2:47
010. Orquesta Típica Víctor - Ángel Vargas "Sin Rumbo Fijo (vals)" 1938 2:18
011. Orquesta Tipica Victor - Mario Pomar "Temo" 1940 2:55
"Shumel Kamysh" ("Rustling reeds") is a classic Russian drinking song of old, another one with a totally murky history - some people repeat the Internet claims that it was originally written in by Fabre d'Églantine, a French songwriter and politician guillotined in 1794, but nobody has offered any proof...
012. Folk "Shumel Kamysh" 0:23
013. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Mano Blanca" 1944 2:43
014. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Ahora No Me Conocés" 1941 2:35
015. Ángel D'Agostino - Ángel Vargas "Ninguna" 1942 2:59
016. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
017. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "A Mí No Me Interesa" 1941 2:43
018. Rodolfo Biagi - Andrés Falgás "Cielo!" 1939 2:31
019. Rodolfo Biagi - Instrumental "La Maleva" 1939 2:35
Alfredo Rubin, a Buenos Aires tango musician, organized Cuarteto Almagro in 1997 to bridge tango nostalgia with the allusions to the music of the day. In Cosmotango, he finds inspiration in the 2001 Space Odyssey to create a very Halloween kind of a sound:
020. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18
We just celebrated Laurenz's birthday by playing a lot of his tandas - but not a milonga tanda yet. Continuing the tribute to the amazing bandoneonist, orchetra lader, and composer:
021. Pedro Láurenz - Alberto Podestá "Yo soy de San Telmo" 1943 2:31
022. Pedro Láurenz - Alberto Podestá "Maldonado" 1943 2:04
023. Pedro Láurenz - Hector Ferrel "Milonga De Mis Amores" 1937 3:02
024. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
And of course October is also Calo's birthday month...
025. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Jamas Retornaras" 1942 2:31
026. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Lejos de Buenos Aires" 1942 2:54
027. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Que te importa que te llore" 1942 2:44
028. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
probably the most experimental tanda of the night. "Una vez" is so powerful and romantic a tango, and OTV made so few recordings under Mario Maurano that it's just hard to make a tanda which serves this song well. I tried matching it with the same-year compositions and arrangements of perhaps the most notable tango romanticist, Raúl Kaplún, who then played violin for Lucio Demare. BTW Ortega Del Cerro (who got his artistic name because he hailed from the highlands of Mendoza) was just 16 years old, and sang "Una vez" on his first day of work with Victor!
029. Lucio Demare - Raúl Berón "Una emocion" 1943 2:42
030. Lucio Demare - Raúl Berón "Que Solo Estoy" 1943 3:03
031. Orquesta Típica Víctor (dir. Mario Maurano) - Ortega Del Cerro "Una Vez" 1943 3:22
032. Russian folk "Murka" 0:20
033. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz, Edmundo Rivero "Lagrimitas de mi corazón" 1948 2:59
034. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz, Alberto Marino "Palomita blanca" 1944 3:21
035. Aníbal Troilo - Floreal Ruiz "Llorarás llorarás" 1945 2:54
036. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
037. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá "Tu el cielo y tu" 1944 2:59
038. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá "Nada" 1944 2:45
039. Carlos di Sarli - Alberto Podestá "La capilla blanca" 1944 2:55
040. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
041. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Llorar por una mujer" 1941 2:47
042. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Tango argentino" 1942 2:37
043. Enrique Rodriguez - Armando Moreno "Como has cambiado pebeta" 1942 2:37
044. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18
045. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "La Mulateada" 1941 2:22
046. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Zorzal" 1941 2:40
047. Carlos Di Sarli - Roberto Rufino "Pena Mulata" 1941 2:27
048. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
049. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Solamente ella" 1944 3:15
050. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Torrente" 1944 3:10
051. Lucio Demare - Horacio Quintana "Igual que un bandoneon" 1945 3:02
052. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
Rhythmic early instrumentals of Di Sarli setting the stage for the energetic vals tanda after the lyrical sadness of Demare:
053. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "La trilla" 1940 2:21
054. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Nobleza de arrabal" 1940 2:07
055. Carlos di Sarli - Instrumental "Catamarca" 1940 2:23
056. Russian folk "Murka" 0:20
057. Rodolfo Biagi - Instrumental "Lágrimas y Sonrisas (Vals)" 1941 2:40
058. Rodolfo Biagi - Jorge Ortíz "Por Un Beso De Amor (vals)" 1940 2:44
059. Rodolfo Biagi - Alberto Lago "Amor y vals" 1942 2:48
060. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
I played so many rhytmic Tanturi records with Castillo's voice recently, time to return to Campos and to the dramatic sound:
061. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "Que nunca me falte" 1943 2:42
062. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "La Abandone Y No Sabia" 1944 2:47
063. Ricardo Tanturi - Enrique Campos "Oigo tu voz" 1943 3:07
064. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
065. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "Me voy a Baraja" 1936 2:30
066. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos y Romeo Gavioli "Amando en silencio" 1941 2:52
067. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "Lagrimas" 1939 2:50
068. Cuarteto Almagro Almagro Cuarteto "Cosmotango (cortina 2)" 2003 0:18
Continuing tribute to Calo: a great milonga candombe which I couldn't play earlier this month
069. Miguel Caló - Raúl Berón "Azabache" 1942-09-29 3:05
070. Alberto Castillo "El Gatito en el Tejado" 2002 2:37
071. Romeo Gavioli y su orquesta típica "Tamboriles" 1956 2:56
072. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
A lone alt tanda for the night
073. Fool's Garden "Lemon tree" 1995 3:09
074. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole "Over The Rainbow" 2001 3:32
075. Souad Massi "Ghir Enta" 2008 5:06
076. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
077. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos, Romeo Gavioli, Lita Morales "Sinfonía De Arrabal" 1940 3:07
078. Edgardo Donato - Horacio Lagos "El Adios" 1938 3:09
079. Edgardo Donato - Lita Morales, Romeo Gavioli "Mi Serenata" 1940 3:02
080. Russian folk "Murka" 0:20
All three beautiful complex valses - as I danced it, I thought the 2nd one may have been a bit too complex / too long? But after quizzing dancers I understood that many people really enjoyed it.
081. Enrique Rodriguez - Roberto Flores "Las Espigadoras (vals)" 2:47
082. Enrique Rodriguez - Instrumental "Siempre fiel (vals)" 1938 3:38
083. Enrique Rodriguez - Roberto Flores "Los Piconeros (vals)" 2:47
084. Folk "Shumel Kamysh " 0:23
085. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "En la huella del dolor" 1934 2:48
086. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Yo no se llorar" 1933 2:36
087. Osvaldo Fresedo - Roberto Ray "Nieblas del riachuelo" 1937 2:25
088. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
And the third "birthday musician" of October:
089. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Sus Ojos Se Cerraron" 1956 2:47
090. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Hasta siempre amor" 1958 2:57
091. Donato Racciatti - Olga Delgrossi "Queriéndote" 1955 2:49
092. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
The night moves towards a crescendo and instead of a possible milonga tanda, we get beat-and-suspense-packed 1970s D'Arienzos:
093. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Bar Exposición" 1973 2:33
094. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Zorro gris" 1973 2:03
095. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "Este Es El Rey" 1971 3:10
096. Beatles The Beatles "All you Need is Love cortina" 0:19
097. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Mi Dolor" 1957 2:51
098. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Felicia" 1969 2:47
099. Alfredo de Angelis - Instrumental "Pavadita" 1958 2:55
100. Alla Pugacheva "Million Scarlet Roses" 1982 0:19
a bonus tanda by the popular request - we are no going past the official midnight closing time
101. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Condena (S.O.S.)" 1937 2:39
102. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Ciego" 1935 2:57
103. Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida "Invierno" 1937 3:26
104. Alla Pugacheva "Million Scarlet Roses" 1982 0:19
105. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Rondando Tu Esquina" 1945 2:48
106. Osváldo Pugliese - Roberto Chanel "Farol" 1943 3:22
107. Osvaldo Pugliese - Jorge Maciel "Remembranza" 1956 3:41
108. Juan D'Arienzo - Instrumental "La cumparsita" 1951 3:49
109. Goran Bregovic "Maki Maki" 2009 3:33
(109 total)
Are you related to the watchmaker Vladimir Osipovich Pruss, 1883 - 1937?
ReplyDeleteIf you are please see my blog http://hampdenwatches.blogspot.co.uk - chapter 3
Regards
Alan
Nice blog and nice pictures, Alan! Thanks! The American factories history remained the murkiest of the pages of my great-grandfather's story, and I glad to have some of the gaps filled now.
DeleteThe two articles you linked are new to me, too. And they convey the gist of Wolf-Vladimir Pruss's story fairly well, despite minor errors here and there.
Wolf was in jail (pretrial denetntion) for pacifist agitation against the Russo-Japanese War when he worked as a railroad chronometer repairman in Irkutsk, but later in 1904 the charges were dropped due to an amnesty on the occasion of the birth of a heir to the Imperial Throne. He then joined the socialist protest movement in then-Russian-ruled Lithuania, was rearrested, skipped bail, and escaped to Switzerland (rather than exiled). The choice of Switzerland came naturally because he wanted to become a precision mechanics engineer. He has never been a Bolshevik, and his lack of party loyalty eventually ruined his career in the 1930s. His hometown wasn't exactly Vitebsk, but rather a Jewish "shtettl" called Gorodok some 40 kms away. He did seek Lenin's advice (for Lenin was a law student and made a living advising fellow exiles), but for a slightly different problem: his girlfriend joined him in Switzerland but in the conservative Northern Swiss cantons where they worked, the landlords wouldn't recognize their civil marriage and wouldn't rent to them (the Prusses even had to give their oldest daughter Rachel to be raised on a farm because they couldn't live together). Lenin shrewdly advised them to move to Geneva for a year (where the landlords weren't morals-obsessed), then move back with a recommendation letter from the previous landlord (seeing which, a new landlord wouldn't ask for more paperwork). But the Prusses ended up staying in Geneva, and Wolf also studied there as a vocational educator in the famed Inst. J.-J. Rousseau. Like other left-leaning exiles, they sought to return to Russia after the fall of the Czar, in the 1917 German-sponsored "Sealed Train" operation which Lenin used to get home, too. But my great-grandmother was pregnant with their 4th and youngest child and the friends talked them out of this risky travel scheme, assuring that it won't take long before the next opportunity comes along. Owing to Civil War and destruction in Russia, this next chance had to wait for 9 years.
By then, Wolf Pruss put roots & wasn't even planning to return. But he was keenly interested in education and social work, and supported education charities. An American quaker preacher in Geneva, Mr. Strong, collected funds to rescue and educate homeless children in Russia, and Wolf Pruss helped, and, eventually, signed up for a stint in Russia as a vocational teacher. They built a watchmaker workshop, which was probably the only success of this whole American-led charitable effort plagued by red tape and incompetence. Their first completed wristwatch was present as a gift to Comrade Trotsky, and then the things started to roll ... and the family ended up stuck in the USSR. But not being a party loyalist, V.O. Pruss wasn't allowed to travel abroad to procure the equipment. The inept political functionaries who went ended up buying this obsolete American production line from the bankrupt company. Vladimir Osipovich and his older son managed to build 4 factories before both were executed in Stalin's purges. My gramps was younger, maybe too young to be shot, he did time in labor camps but survived.