Don Juan, a ”piano concerto” by Carlos Di Sarli
“El ciego se llevó el secreto a la tumba” – The blind man took the secret to his grave. This is what Aníbal Troilo said upon hearing of the death of Carlos Di Sarli, one of the greatest tango pianists of all time. Di Sarli’s sonorous piano playing was wrapped in mystery because he never revealed anything about his technique, and we are still guessing how he created all those effects that his piano texture is famous for. Especially the strong bass notes he played with his left hand are a constant object of admiration – they might boom like thunder or support a bright chord in secret. In the following example, Esta noche de luna by José García and Graciano Gómez, he uses both hands to play explosive, steely chords that astonishingly suit the ecstatic melody https://youtu.be/JoXYxcFb-Xs?si=xylWRnZCMtMkUGil&t=32 Di Sarli’s secret lies in a clever use of overtone resonances between the strings of the piano, aided by the sustain pedal, short octave doublings, and a subtle use...