Black Tango for violin, viola, cello and piano

First Performance: The Orion Ensemble on March 12, 2006, Evanston, IL, USA

Black Tango, composed in 2002 is inspired by Astor Piazzola . Many of the rhythms and effects in this piece I owe to listening to recordings of many of his live performances. I chose the title "Black Tango" partly because of the predominance of minor keys and chords. Also the economic situation in Argentina (where the tango was born) at the time was bad and getting worse. The overall character of my Black Tango reflects the darks times that many from Argentina have had to live with. The first section is in the compound meter of 2/4+6/8+5/8 and opens with a soaring cello melody. The second section resolves into the more standard and stable tango meter of 4/4 time. This section builds to a sustained climax with a rhythmic ostinato in the piano while the strings play the melody at a maximum dynamic. There is transitional section that takes us back to the opening theme played on the viola this time. The coda begins with all instruments playing in unison the rhythmic accompanying figure.