The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado)
Astor Piazzolla · 1988
40 min · 14 tracks · opera
A passionate fusion of traditional tango rhythms with avant-garde orchestration, evoking a vivid narrative of love and loss.
Top tracks — play these first
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Leonora’s Song — This track exemplifies the album's emotive core, featuring lush melodies that reflect yearning and nostalgia while seamlessly integrating jazz influences.
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Milonga for Three Start here — With its dynamic interplay between instruments, this piece captures the essence of tango's rhythmic vitality, serving as a microcosm of the album's overall spirit.
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Street Tango — This track stands out for its gritty realism and urban flavor, painting an evocative picture of life and love on the streets through intricate musical dialogue.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
This album showcases innovative compositions and rich orchestration, marking a significant evolution in tango music.
What we noticed
- The album features a narrative structure, with distinct sections that reflect different emotional states and scenes, such as 'Knife Fight' and 'Leonora’s Love Theme'.
- Several tracks utilize call-and-response techniques between instruments, creating a dynamic interplay characteristic of tango.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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9/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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9/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic narrative flow throughout
- wave-like pacing with surprises
- evocative themes of passion
- short tracks for quick engagement
Maybe skip if you
- seeking straightforward structures
- prefer constant, unchanging energy
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Critical Peak — Innovative structure and narrative depth mark a high point in Piazzolla's artistic vision.
- Career context
- By 1988, Astor Piazzolla had established himself as a pioneering figure in nuevo tango, blending classical elements with traditional Argentine music. 'The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night' marked a significant artistic evolution, showcasing his ambition to create a theatrical work that combines tango with opera influences, following his previous successes like 'Libertango'. This album was part of Piazzolla's later career, reflecting both his maturity as a composer and his desire to push the boundaries of genre.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Gidon Kremer· Aníbal Troilo· Osvaldo Pugliese
Tracklist
- 1 Prologue (Tango apasionado) 1:50
- 2 Milonga for Three Start here 5:59
- 3 Street Tango 4:12
- 4 Milonga picaresque 1:35
- 5 Knife Fight 1:50
- 6 Leonora’s Song 3:39
- 7 Prelude to the Cyclical Night, Part One 0:49
- 8 Butcher’s Death 2:24
- 9 Leijia’s Game 2:23
- 10 Milonga for Three (reprise) 5:59
- 11 Bailongo 1:46
- 12 Leonora’s Love Theme 3:53
- 13 Finale (Tango apasionado) 3:34
- 14 Prelude to the Cyclical Night, Part Two 0:51
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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