Alberto Caracciolo
Encyclopedia
Alberto Pascual Caracciolo (March 23, 1918 — January 31, 1994), was an Argentine
tango musician, a musical arranger, orchestra director, composer and bandoneón
player.
Born in Palermo, Buenos Aires
, he began his musical studies at the age of 8, and at 16 he started playing bandoneón
in Antonio Arcieri´s orchestra.
Caracciolo was respected and well-known by his colleagues rather than by the public in general because he chose to hold a low profile. He was heard extensively on radio
and appeared occasionally on television, but his music was not known well known outside Argentina and Uruguay
.
He played the bandoneón
for several famous orchestras, including those of Joaquín Do Reyes, Angel Dágostino, Manuel Buzón
, Victor Braña, and Jorge Caldara.
Although he was a tango innovator following a style of his own, Caracciolo played traditional tango in the LP record
, De Ayer... y de Siempre. This album was produced by Discomundo, for which he created Quinteto Añoranzas, with a part for flute
, which was an instrument greatly valued in the old traditional groups (according to Roberto Selles, tango journalist and historian).
He also played jazz
, although on a minor scale. He made musical arrangements for international publishers, and he was a music consultant for Odeon Records
(Argentina
), in the late 60's and early 70's.
Caracciolo was the author of "Tema de Tango en Re Menor", "Preludio", "Etéreo", "Chiqui" (dedicated to his wife), "Con Rumbo al Cielo" (dedicated to his father), "Réquiem para un Gomía", (dedicated to Carlos Gardel
), and many others which have lyrics by famous tango poets.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
tango musician, a musical arranger, orchestra director, composer and bandoneón
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
player.
Born in Palermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano to the north, Almagro and Recoleta to the south, Villa Crespo and Colegiales to the west and the Río de la Plata river to the east. With a total...
, he began his musical studies at the age of 8, and at 16 he started playing bandoneón
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
in Antonio Arcieri´s orchestra.
Caracciolo was respected and well-known by his colleagues rather than by the public in general because he chose to hold a low profile. He was heard extensively on radio
Radio in Argentina
Radio in Argentina is an important facet of the nation's media and culture. Radio, which was first broadcast in Argentina in 1920, has been widely enjoyed in Argentina since the 1930s. Radio broadcast stations totaled around 150 active AM stations, 1,150 FM stations, and 6 registered shortwave...
and appeared occasionally on television, but his music was not known well known outside Argentina and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
He played the bandoneón
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
for several famous orchestras, including those of Joaquín Do Reyes, Angel Dágostino, Manuel Buzón
Manuel Buzón
Manuel Buzón was a tango pianist, singer, leader and composer.Buzón was born in Las Flores district of Buenos Aires, to Spanish immigrants Manuel and Dolores Moreno. He was a performer from an early age, at the age of 10 he performed at a Club Social América event. In 1925 Buzón became a regular...
, Victor Braña, and Jorge Caldara.
Although he was a tango innovator following a style of his own, Caracciolo played traditional tango in the LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, De Ayer... y de Siempre. This album was produced by Discomundo, for which he created Quinteto Añoranzas, with a part for flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, which was an instrument greatly valued in the old traditional groups (according to Roberto Selles, tango journalist and historian).
He also played jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, although on a minor scale. He made musical arrangements for international publishers, and he was a music consultant for Odeon Records
Odeon Records
Odeon Records was a record label founded in 1903 by Max Straus and Heinrich Zuntz of the International Talking Machine Company in Berlin, Germany. It was named after a famous theatre in Paris, whose classical dome appears on the Odeon record label....
(Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
), in the late 60's and early 70's.
Caracciolo was the author of "Tema de Tango en Re Menor", "Preludio", "Etéreo", "Chiqui" (dedicated to his wife), "Con Rumbo al Cielo" (dedicated to his father), "Réquiem para un Gomía", (dedicated to Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
), and many others which have lyrics by famous tango poets.