Laurenz, Pedro [1902 – 1972]

Pedro Laurenz started learning the violin as a child, but at the age of fifteen he was introduced to the bandoneon and went on to become one of the greatest bandoneon players of all time,  playing with other Greats including Donato and De Caro.  In De Caro’s orchestra, he sat alongside the other great bandoneon player of the period, Pedro Maffia, with whom he colaborated extensively as performer and composer.

As a bandleader his output was amazingly small, but he certainly made up in quality for any lack of quantity.  He only recorded some sixty-odd tracks, but many consider that his first recording, Arrabal, in 1937, heralded the beginning of the Golden Age of Tango.  Listening to it today, it is amazingly ahead of its time compared to many of its contemporaries, and wonderfully fresh.  Other Laurenz compositions (sometimes  in conjunction with others, especially De Caro and Maffia) include Amurado, Berretín, Mala junta, Mal de amores, Milonga de mis amores and Orgullo criollo.

Overall, it is the pure musicality of Laurenz that is so delightful, with every musical element –  melody, harmony, rhythm, phrasing and orchestration – equally valued.  To me, he sounds like a more modern version of De Caro.