Modern Tango World #8 (Moscow)

While on the West Coast, I started performing with
Linda Lee Thomas, wonderful pianist of the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra and tanguera. She has performed
with bandoneon greats, like Daniel Binelli and Nestor
Marconi. In 2013, I joined the faculty of the Université
de Montréal, and began performing with Quartango
once again. I have been a permanent member ever since.
MTW: How and when was the Quartango project born?
How did you meet, how did you start working together?
Jonathan: Quartango has a long and illustrious history
in the Canadian tango world. It was established more
than thirty years ago, around 1984, by three Argentinean
and Uruguayan immigrants and one Canadian. Adolfo
Bornstein (violin), Romulo Larrea (bandoneon),
Ramon Pelinski (piano) and René Gosselin (double
bass). René is the only founding member left today, and
it is thanks to his energy and artistic integrity that it has
lasted so long. Today, all four members of Quartango are
Canadian-born. In addition to René, there is Stéphane
Aubin (piano), Antoine Bareil (violin) and myself on
bandoneon. Stéphane has tons of experience accompanying
major French-language singers, like Lara Fabian
and Charles Aznavour. Antoine is a much sought-after
violinist who is, among other positions, concert master
of the Laval Symphony Orchestra.
René, the founding member, is principle double bass
of the Orchestre Métropolitain. Each of us found his
own route to tango and contributes to the group as
composer and arranger. Each also brings his own influences:
Stéphane, for example, has so much experience
with vocal music that he brings us extremely lyrical, melodious
compositions. Antoine is a fan of progressive
rock, Frank Zappa and American minimalist music, and
you can hear those influences in his compositions. I am
more of the tango purist. I idolize tango Masters and
groups like Horacio Salgan, Juan d’Arienzo, Sexteto
Tango, Quinteto Real, Leopoldo Federico, etc. I try to
look back to older eras of tango in my compositions or
arrangements.
MTW: How would you define Quartango in a musical
way? Did you have any particular musical inspiration
from other artists?
Jonathan: Quartango is known for blending styles in unusual,
surprising ways. In the beginning, we would blend
tango with a lot of classical music. In our arrangement
of La Cumparsita, for example, arranged by our previous
pianist and musical director, Richard Hunt, there is a
prominent quotation of one of Chopin’s piano concerti.
Why? For fun!
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