Arminda Canteros Plays Tangos

Arminda Canteros, piano
1. El Apache Argentino (Manuel Gregorio Aroztegui)
2. El Choclo (Angel Gregorio Villoldo)
3. La Cumparsita (Gerardo Matos Rodriguez)
Recorded in Montreal, Canada, June 1989.
Arminda Canteros was an Argentine pianist and teacher born in Rosario, Argentina in 1911, and died in Buenos Aires (?) in 2002. She was a pupil of Vincenzo Scaramuzza (early teacher of Martha Argerich), Ruwin Erlich and Walter Gieseking. She concertized widely in North and South America and taught for many years in her native Argentina and in New York City. Her repertoire was extensive, comprising all the sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven, all 27 Chopin etudes, as well as Debussy and Ravel and contemporary Argentine composers such as Ginastera. She never stopped playing tangos, and frequently incorporated them into her recitals. Many of these tangos were her own arrangements.

[@paulprocopolis]

Goodness, another new name to me! Canteros obviously had tangos in her blood as well as in her fingers! (And I do like 'La Cumparsita'!)

[@robertoeduardoguisandez1019]

Se ve que Arminda amaba el tango para poder interpretarlo tan cabalmente. Me hace recordar las interpretaciones tangueras de Luis Visca, que eran proverbiales. Gracias por subir estos tangos. No puedo parar de escucharlos.

[@pianopera]

Lovely, was she one of your teachers? There was a period when I listened a lot to the recordings of Carlos di Sarli and Osvaldo Pugliese (his most famous one: ruclips.net/video/V6LlNj8X4NQ/видео.html)

[@JamesVaughan]

Yes, I studied with her for seven years. Belatedly learned the "right" way to play. Finally learned that correct technique comes simply from knowing how to MOVE. Then she retired and returned to Argentina. After Arminda left I went to Sándor who taught me much more, even though I was only with him for two years. The tangos on this upload are excerpts from a CD (since out of print) that sold like hot cakes at Tower Records after it came out 25 years ago. I would frequently hear it on the radio in the '90s! Thanks for the link - tangos are addictive, aren't they?

[@benjioren4209]

Having heard Cantero's tangos in a LIVE performance I rushed to buy 6 copies of the disc that were given to dear friends(,mostly musicians )within two or three days.One recipient,a professor
of Philosophy,opened a lecture at his university by playing that disc to the class and encouraged the students to comment on it.One fellow said,with breathless agitation,"I almost fainted,that rhythm! that heart pulse!!!..what beauty!"...quite similar reaction came from
musicians who are "at home"with Schoenberg,Stravinsky,Mozart ,Bach,you name it ---
a colleague of mine who heard her in Mozart &Chopin Etudes said,"Anything she plays is always fresh...comes from within..."

[@hyramesshiramess1035]

Wonderful vigorous, absolutely rock solid playing with lots of verve and "temperament." Astonishing for any player let alone a lady 78 years of age. I wold love to hear her Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel, etc. Do you know, if she recorded any of the more standard repertoire, James? It must have been exciting to study with her. However did you find her as a teacher?

[@JamesVaughan]

Don't know if and how much of the standard repertoire Arminda recorded, but she scored quite a success with this CD of tangos she recorded in Canada when approaching the age of 80 (it was available on the Philips label in the 1990s). I would occasionally hear it played on NY radio stations WQXR and WNYC within a few years of its release. Arminda as a teacher was very demanding, but she could be very patient and taught me to persevere. I would sometimes bring a piece back 10 times to play for her. Sometimes she would say, "We'll just work on it until you get it". She was the first teacher to really give me confidence - "If you have a strong will, you can do anything!" she would say. She even told me I should give a NY debut recital! Unfortunately that never came to pass, but many of her ideas, such as her "secrets" to cracking some of the difficulties of the Chopin Etudes, were invaluable in my own playing and teaching. Sándor was much less patient. If you didn't "get" it the first time, he wasn't going to hear that piece again!

[@marygunn3589]

WOW! I love This! Do you want to dance, James?

[@JamesVaughan]

Isn't her rhythm fantastic?!

[@marygunn3589]

Yes, I Love to tango. What interesting music...

[@masaonagao6120]

I wonder if I can get her CD ?

[@JamesVaughan]

Check Amazon.

[@pauwel4310]

You can download the whole CD here.
mega.nz/#!C9kXBCpB!VZT0v9rBrWw4gt9ZCR1R3bwIlU5YKw8BQA5DHHTifjw