Alfredo Gobbi

El Violín Romántico del Tango

Violinist, Leader and Composer

(1912 May 14 - 1965 May 21)

Place of Birth: París, France

Notes: Alfredo Gobbi

Era

The musicians of Gobbi’s orquesta changed frequently, but the formation was constantly 4-5 bandos + violins. Gobbi takes the arranger role in almost all occasions.

1. 1947-48. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Lalo Benítez piano, Alberto Garralda and Mario Demarco lead bandoneóns.

   • “Los Grandes del Tango Vol.18” confirms that in Gobbi’s primary recording era, including the 3 instrumentals, the pianist was Lalo Benítez, a pianist with a canyengue, somewhat Disarlian style.

2. 1948-50. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Mario Demarco lead bandoneóns.

   • José María Otero’s blog article Alfredo Gobbi y Pablo Lozano mentions that in the 1948.05.12 recording session, the pianist was already Ernesto Romero, who shares traits with Orlando Goñi.

3. 1951-53. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano.

   • Mario Demarco left Gobbi at the end of 1950 and started his own OT in 1951, taking away a bunch of Gobbi’s musicians including Alberto Garralda, Ernest Romero (pianist) and Antonio Blanco (Gobbi’s 2nd violin). However, “Los Grandes del Tango” confirms that Romero (pianist) and Blanco were playing jointly with Demarco and Gobbi, as well as in the recordings. Lead bandoñeons were hence obscure.

   • El Andariego (1951) was arranged by Ismael Spitalnik but not Gobbi himself.

4. 1953-57. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Eduardo Rovira lead bandoneóns.

   4a: The exact time when Garralda returned (end-1953, when De Caro disbanded) and Rovira joined (around when Maciel left Gobbi) was uncertain, but most likely within this period.

   • Camandulaje (1956) was arranged by Ismael Spitalnik.

   • El Engobbiao (1957) was both composed and arranged by Rovira, dedicated to Gobbi.

5. 1957-58. Alfredo Gobbi first violin, Ernesto Romero piano, Alberto Garralda and Osvaldo Piro lead bandoneóns.

   • Rovira left Gobbi and formed his own OT with singer Alfredo DeL Río, replaced by Osvaldo Piro.

   • Osvaldo Tarantino replaced Romero, who left Gobbi for Pugliese in end-1958, when the Orquesta already ceased to record.

Date/Genre/Singer

• Radio takes and piano solo recordings are not included.

• Two versions of Adiós Corazón (1958.04.17) with identical instrumental tracks dubbed by different singers (Landó/Del Río).

• Gobbi collaborates well with dramatic-style singers, notably Jorge Maciel.

Masters/Pitch/Speed

• The pre-tape era matrices were destroyed very early in the 1960s during a restructure of Víctor.

• Víctor upgraded to R2R tapes and 442hz pitch in Sep.1953 and Gobbi was among the earliest adopters.

• Orfeo, a subsidiary brand of Columbia-CBS at the time, tuned its piano to 440hz in 1958.

• Plausibly in a faster tempo in the 1940s, Gobbi slowed down after having Romero in the 1950s.