This is arguably one of the most well known tangos, and I'm sitting here with the score; alongside it, I've placed an arrangement the piano version, and I'm looking to see what our arranger has done. The answer is «not much« - the key is the same, the basic parts are the same, though the texture has been thickened and enriched a little, in a sympathetic way. There are other guitar versions too, of course, including a duet version I've now got on the stand, which has been worked over with a fine-tooth comb in both key and chords.
So what does this version in front of me have to recommend it?
It's very much faithful to the original, and because the workload is spread over four guitars, it's a very accessible arrangement at about Grade Five to Six level, in which Guitar Four is tuned down to D. It won't be as impressive as a duet version but it's that much easier to get the articulation just as you want it when the workload is lighter. and it is, of course, the rhythm, not the notes that really sets a tango on fire. Dynamics are well indicated. There is no fingering save for the harmonics, and that's just perfect for this piece. The parts fit a single face of paper and its clarity and style make it a natural contender for an intermediate quartet.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
