Jorge Retamoza / Master Classes

Operative and dynamics of the Master classes:

At each of the Classes pupils will be able to be present as Active or Passive Participants. The Active Participants are those that want to realize the Class with his instrument receiving the indications in direct form. The quota of Active Participants will be to determining in every particular case.
The material relating to the chosen master class will be delivered him for his preparation two weeks before the Class.

Astor Piazzolla’s music for wind instruments

Inside this study there are 3 different Classes that will be able to develop in agreement to the most suitable thing for the Institution and his pupils.

Master class nº1.Re-reading of the Six Tango Studies

One of Astor Piazzolla's works of major diffusion inside the conservatoires, houses of study, universities.
This new analysis and re-reading of Six Studies Tanguísticos arises after years of work, transcribing Astor Piazzolla solos and of other recognized artists of tango, after writing original arrangements for different groups – saxophone quartets, string quartets and quintets, wind ensembles, orchestral arrangements, etc. - over original tunes, Piazzolla’s works and of other tango musicians.
This Six Tango Studies have been organized to be employed at master classes, emphasizing the rhythmic aspect, the articulation and general interpretation of the spirit of this music.
The participant will choose one of the studies and from his interpretation a return will be given him in terms of the rhythmic aspects, the harmonic sequence and specially the own tango articulations.
Approximate time: 30 to 45 minutes with every active participant
An accompaniment of piano is possible.

Master class nº2: Bando, Suite Troileana Nº1

The transcription for saxophone of this bandoneon solo was realized by Jorge Retamoza and recorded in 1998 with his group on his Violentango CD. It is a long “a capella” introduction, with the character of an improvisation, then the music goes to the first tune of this suite dedicated to master bandoneonist and composer Aníbal Troilo
In this work the participant will be able to observe how the ideas of different tango tunes, phrasings, and clichés are in use in the formation of this work that has the freshness of an improvisation and a resolution in a melodic - harmonic habitual format in Astor's music of this period.
An accompaniment of piano is possible

The music will be send to the participants once inscribed, those who will have a reading and individual return during the class, beside being able to take part and listen to the comments to other students.
Approximate time: 45 minutes with every participant

Master class nº3: Oblivion / Michelangelo 70. Two arrangements for sax quartet or another wind ensemble

These are two different works. The slow one, Oblivion based on the
"milonga de la Pampas " ( a slow and sad mood that was played by the “gaucho”, music from the XIX, played specially with guitar, as an obvious Spanish influence) and Michelangelo 70, one classic Piazzolla's rapid tunes, with the dizziness typical of good part of his work. Both are original arrangements for wind quartet. The groups that take part of this class will play them and as in conducting rehearsal, the correction of the interpretation will be done as a whole as well as the individual aspects that are needed to observe.

Approximate time: 45 minutes with every group

Master class nº4: Tango improvisation

A group of exercises and ideas to develop the tango improvisation

This Master Class is orientated to those musicians of any instrument (not alone wind instruments) that want to incorporate the tango gestures from the point of view of the improvisation.
For a long time the idea of the improvisation has remained recounted to jazz music, though in all the musical popular ones the improvisation fulfils a very important and definitive character, is in the jazz where the improvisation reigns, where it is almost quite.
In the tango often the musicians play a tune without arrangement, a song that everybody know (as a jazz standard) and the moments are alternated in the soloists' role, a bit depending on the different sections that a tune has, but the result is not a real improvisation.
The course will deliver a set of exercises to practise and to develop a language of tango from the improvisation watering in own history and characteristics of this kind of music.
Topics to developing:
1) More common harmonic cadences.
2) Scales.
3) Rhythmic interpretation of these scales.
4) Rhythmic and habitual gestures of the tango.
6) Motives
7) Improvisations like variations
8) Harmonic accompaniments to practise

During the class we have the possibility of a permanent interaction of all the participants across questions, opinions; exchange of experiences and fundamentally to play some of the examples or exercises.

Personal biographical sketch:

At the beginning of the 90s I received from colleague flute-player the parts of Six Studies Tanguísticos for Flute by Astor Piazzolla. For those years I was already in the middle of the development of my project that was implying working on tango and having a wide knowledge of Piazzolla’s music and his concept. Also I was wrapped in the sound of the tango, which had been the music of my infancy, the music of my family.
Studying and practising this work for flute I noticed that the way in which it was written seemed to be thought to be played by academic musicians that had an exterior vision to the tango, a superficial reading, since for someone who plays a music but who will never be immersed in it. Something recounted only to the exterior aspects of this music and especially of Astor's style that if something has this style it is that of a vitality, "tanguerismo" or "canyengue" forceful.
More, I had the opportunity to attend concerts of flute-players and clarinettists of the whole world who were coming to to the Argentina and the end of his concerts after works by Debussy, Copland; they played someone of these studies like an honouring (?) being for me the result of this rendition very poor. I do not speak about a technical aspect, if not in the knowledge and interpretation from where this music comes. This musicians who do not play equally Mozart or Ravel they seemed to approach this work from a place of supposition of “how it should be sound"
Very often it happens in some musical areas the erroneous and fallacious idea that there is some musical style superior to other one. Though the organization and compositional elements of the work can be universal, something that has made possible the internationalization of Astor's music, the origin is in our music and who better than we to give the understand of the real sense of this music, specially in the aspect that was appearing in the weaker first instance in these interpretations that it is that of the rhythm, articulation and general interpretation of the spirit of the music. This music born in Buenos Aires