A lovely vals by a female composer
DESDE EL ALMA
Desde el alma is one of the most popular valses.
It was composed in 1911
by the 14-year-old Rosita Melo and recorded many times in
several decades. Most
versions are instrumental, but there are two different lyrics,
one written 1922
by Rosita Melo's husband Roberto Cortes, and the other much
later by Homero
Manzi.
I wanted to
present four versions from three different decades: Firpo's
instrumental
version from 1927, Tanturi's instrumental version from 1944,
Canaro's recording
with Nelly Omar from 1947, and Osvaldo Pugliese's live
performance in Amsterdam
from 1989.
But unfortunately, I couln't find any video of
Firpo`s version from 20th
of October, 1927. You could listen to the song partly (or buy
it) either on
Amazon music or on Bernhard Gehberger's data base, if you are
a member.
These are the video links for the other versions:
Ricardo Tanturi, 28th of August, 1944:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAq_MF3nq3c
Francisco Canaro with Nelly Omar, 22nd of
October, 1947:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRT1DMcWc24
Osvaldo Pugliese live in Amsterdam, 26th of Juni,
1989, in a real video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCWKgKcNO6U
Firpo's version is sweet and swinging, with
delicate variations in
volume, and Osvaldo Pugliese's piano does far more than only
sustain the
rhythm.
Tanturi's version sounds fresh and has an
irresistible vals swing and
sway - one of the best valses ever for dancing. Desde el alma
has many dotted
notes, and Tanturi accentuates them by playing them staccato -
with a pause
between the long and the short note - which gives the feeling
of an extra
suspension and challenges the dancers in a beautiful way. The
slightly dirty
violins produce a cozy "rural" atmosphere, particularly in the
B
part. Towards the end (from 1:45) we hear a lovely violin solo
and "dirty
duo", leading to the final bandoneon variation.
Canaro's version is less accentuated, but it has
a nice drive for the
dancers; though for me it's rushing a bit too much. Nelly Omar
sings with her
beautiful alto voice - which was very unusual in tango - the
new lyrics written
by Homero Manzi: speaking to and consoling her own soul after
a disappointment,
"vives inútilmente triste". Nelly Omar is accompanied nicely
by a
lively clarinet and then by the whole orchestra. The
arrangement of the
instrumental parts is variable and makes the piano and the
bandoneons shine.
Osvaldo Pugliese made a studio recording in 1979,
and from 1989 we hava
a live recording of Desde el alma from the concert he gave
1989 in Amsterdam
(together with Astor Piazzolla). For me, this version is an
encounter between
light vals and heavy tango. First, the violins and the piano
play the swinging
vals in a solemn, magic flow, and only sometimes we hear tiny
sounds of the bandoneons.
Then it gets a bit more excited, with dissonances, and the
bandoneons play in
dialogue with the violins, with the playful piano around.
Then, at 1:37, a
fermata and a big pause, and the violins and the piano start
again gently with
the vals - and then, at 2:00, the solo bandoneon comes in
heavily with the
serious tango sound, the violins become dizzy .... and after
another pause the
swinging vals is back, this time played by the bandoneon and
then by the whole
orchestra, in a grand finale with acceleration.