Notes: Osvaldo Pugliese

Era

1. 1943-44. Enrique Camerano first violin, Enrique Alessio and Osvaldo Ruggiero lead bandoneóns, 4 bando + 3/4 violin

   • Alessio served as the first bandoneón, but Ruggiero was in charge of the solos in the records; the arrangement was pure Decarean (see Natalio Etchegaray’s Del Decarismo al Pugliesismo), plus strong accentuation on beats for dancers’ favor.

   1b: 1944 one violin Oscar Herrero added, and the violin section expanded to four.

2. 1944-56. Osvaldo Ruggiero first bandoneón; Alessio left and Jorge Caldara joined. Enrique Camerano first violin. Emilio Balcarce (violin) replaced Jaime Tursky in 1948. 4 bando + 4 violin (+ 1 viola)

   • It is difficult to determine when exactly Alessio left. Based on the Todotango pages of Alessio and Caldara, and taking into account Alberto Marino’s discography, it could be assumed to be sometime around Sept/Oct 1944.

   • From 1945, the orquesta began to exhibit a style transition from Decarean to his own (“yumba!”), with the participation of many of his fellow musicians as composers and arrangers.

   2b: A viola was added in 1951.

   2c: 1955 Mario Demarco replaced Caldara, who left Pugliese for political concerns. Pugliese was arrested and then released after a 6-month detention.

3. 1957-58. Osvaldo Manzi on piano. Osvaldo Ruggiero first bandoneón. 4 bando + 4 violin + 1 viola

   3b: Camerano’s first violin spot was offered to Oscar Herrero in June 1957, and “El Gitano” quit the violin section permanently after the July 1958 recording session.

   • Due to social, political, and personal issues, Pugliese quit piano playing and served as conductor (when available). It was also during this period that Camerano planned to retire. Quoting Nélida Rouchetto:

     • “…las grabaciones de que la orquesta de Pugliese registró entre el 4-4-57 y el 6-8-58 no contaron con Osvaldo Pugliese en el piano. La salud quebrantada lo obligó a interrumpir su labor. Osvaldo Manzi, con brillante solvencia, cubrió las ausencias en temas de comprometidas estructuras rítmicas y la acción conductora, en especial en Pata ancha, Yunta de oro, Corazoneando, Gente amiga y La bordona, pero siempre bajo la supervisión del director. Otro cambio provocó el alejamiento de Camerano, pasando al primer atril Oscar Herrero, con un canto más grave y ataques sorprendentes. Su primera grabación en este puesto fue Yunta de oro (1957-10-25)…”

     This is evidenced by in-depth listening to the recordings in chronological order. Therefore, Pata Ancha (1957-05-13) is the last instrumental piece in which “El Gitano” Camerano featured his violin solo, when Pugliese was already absent from the piano stool.

   3c: Because of Camerano’s absence, La Bordona and Qué Pinturita (1958-08-06) featured only 3 fiddlers.

4. 1958-59. Pugliese returns to the piano stool. Cellist (not a violinist!) Adrián Fanelli was enrolled to strengthen the string section. Ruggiero first bando, Oscar Herrero first violin. 4 bando + 3 violin + 1 viola + 1 cello. From 1959 August 10 to December 30, the band was touring in the Soviet Union and China.

5. 1960-68. After the 1959 Soviet-China tour, there was a reform of singers and some musicians, including a renewed bandoneón section, except for Ruggiero. The orquesta did not record until a stable line-up was formed. Ruggiero first bando, Oscar Herrero first violin. 4 bando + 3 violin + 1 viola & 1 cello

   5a: Cellist Adrián Fanelli went back for Troilo, leaving Pugliese lack of a cello in the orquesta.

   5b: New cellist Enrique Lannoo enrolled.

6. 1969-87. Brand-new orquesta with all members replaced except for Arturo Penón, who was appointed as first bandoneón. Mauricio Marcelli first violin. 4 bando + 3/4 violin + 1 viola & cello

   6b: Osvaldo Monterde replaced Mauricio Marcelli as the first violin.

   6c: Daniel Binelli replaced Arturo Penón as the first bandoneón.

   6d: Roberto Álvarez replaced Daniel Binelli. One violin was added, expanding the violin section to 4.

Date

• There are four existing radio recordings on 1941-09-19 (Silbando, Corrientes Y Esmeralda, Tabernero, Recuerdo) not listed.

• Stentor recording dates from eltangoysusinvitados and Pablo Guardianelli.

• Milonga Para Fidel (1961, Stentor) not listed. It was dedicated to Fidel Castro and composed shortly after the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Apr. 1961 when Castro declared the Marxist character of the Cuban revolution, according to an article on Todotango and Michael Lacocah’s Tango Masters: Osvaldo Pugliese. Therefore, it was very likely recorded before Pugliese was signed to Philips in June 1961.

• Philips Era: traceable only to months. The exact dates are unknown, and there are discrepancies:

  • Enamorado Estoy (1963-04), some source indicates 1964

  • A Los Artistas Plásticos (1964-12), some source indicates 1965

• 1987 Session: There are different claims regarding the year (dates unknown) of the last three songs: 1987, 1989, and 1994. 1987 seems plausible.

Genre

• A “retro” genre of milonga canción, in a tempo much slower than the regular milonga ciudadana, much of a reminiscence from the old milonga campera, was in Pugliese’s repertoire after the 1960s, though not designed for dancing, e.g. Milonga Del Soldado (1961), Bordoneo Y 900 (1962), La Solita (1964), Los Hermanos (1972), etc.

Singer

• The success of Pugliese and other Decarean school orquestas (e.g., Troilo, Gobbi) in the 40s fostered the emergence and popularity of dramatic singers, who are heavily influenced by bel canto and are adept at using mezza voce; notably Alberto Morán, Jorge Vidal, Jorge Maciel, Miguel Montero, etc.

• Pugliese collaborated with ten singers in 1981-82, and the tracks were released in one LP Futuro, probably aiming at fostering the new generation.

• Commercial studio OT recordings only.

Masters

• Odeón possibly used a parallel recording system (78/33) and lacquer masters in the microgroove era.

• Discussions on Pugliese’s 1952 tape master recordings in Odeón are already abundant. Pugliese's first tape master recording session was supposed to happen in November 1952, but the October session already shows traits of tape splicing in Si Sos Brujo (1952-10-09).

• Odeón studio was updated to a stereo system in end-1959, hence the two 1960-07-15 tracks (A Los Amigos, Un Lamento) were supposedly recorded in stereo, only in theory, since no stereo materials have been discovered yet.

• Michael’s book unveils details about the ephemeral Stentor label, one founded by Pugliese himself. It seems reasonable to assume the short-lived masters are mono reel-to-reel tapes.

• In Philips, stereo recording with Pugliese started from Inspiración (1962-12).

Pitch

• The piano in the two 1960 Odeón tracks (A Los Amigos, Un Lamento) was tuned at 442hz.

• Stentor and Philips eras presumably tuned at 442hz.

Speed

• Pugliese’s recording career unfortunately missed the rapid era of 1938-41.

• Meanwhile using an excessive amount of rubatos, Pugliese favors a very slow tempo since the 1950s.