“Misa Tango” presented by Master Singers of Milwaukee

“Misa Tango” presented by Master Singers of Milwaukee

Sunday, March 17, 2019 - 4:00 p.m.

All Saints’ Episcopal Cathedral, 818 E. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee

Tickets: Adults $20, Seniors (55+) $18, Students $10

www.mastersingersofmilwaukee.org

The Midwest premiere of “Misa Tango” will be presented by Master Singers of Milwaukee on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at All Saints’ Cathedral, 818 E. Juneau Ave., at 4:00 p.m. This exceptional and unique work, also known as the “Misa A Buenos Aires” (Mass for Buenos Aires), is a reimagined setting of the traditional Latin mass in the traditional Argentinian Tango style. The composer of “Misa Tango”, Argentinian maestro Martín Palmerí, will be playing piano for the performance. The mass is also accompanied by strings.

The concert will also feature the bandoneon, which is similar to an accordion, but with buttons for both hands and no keyboard. The bandoneon is an instrument originating from Germany that is often used in music from Argentina and specifically in tango music. The bandoneon player will be Maestro Daniel Binelli, an Argentinian who lives in New York and Spain, and who is internationally known for his bandoneon playing. Binelli will also perform solo music for bandoneon featuring the work of Astor Piazzolla.

The unique rhythms of Tango are easily identified but not often used for choral arrangements. Since its first performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1996, “Misa Tango” has been performed to great acclaim in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, under the direction of numerous prestigious conductors. This choral arrangement has been and continues to be so popular with choirs that the fourth Misatango Choir Festival is planned for Vienna in 2021.

Composer Palmerí has written numerous other choral and instrumental works and operas, including “Tango del Bicentenario,” “Canto de la lejanía,” “Oratorio de Navidad,” and many more. On www. misatango.com, Palmerí is quoted as saying about the Misa Tango,

“…my goal with this composition was to maintain the harmonic language, rhythms, melodic designs, and all of the characteristics of tango within the orchestral score, thus allowing the chorus to have full liberty to just sing the mass text. My decision to use the Latin text could be explained by the place of the Latin language among centuries of choral music and the universal connection to the language. But I have to say that my decision also carries the weight of my aesthetic requirement: Latin gives the work a reserved, esoteric quality which, from my point of view, has much to do with tango—especially progressive tango.”

The Master Singers of Milwaukee will also sing two choral arrangements of Argentinian music at this concert.

Tickets and information are available on the website www.mastersingersofmilwaukee.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $20 Adults, $18 Seniors (55+), and $10 Students.

There will also be a performance in the Chamber Music Series at Carthage College on Saturday, March 16. For Saturday tickets, contact www.carthage.edu/tickets.

The Master Singers of Milwaukee is an adult mixed-voice choral ensemble composed of talented vocal musicians from the greater Milwaukee area. Its depth of range and power comes from singers with extensive musical backgrounds ranging from international vocal soloists singing throughout America, Europe and Japan, to church and school choral directors, high-quality students from area schools and serious amateur musicians. The Master Singers of Milwaukee celebrates a passion for vocal artistry by exploring the dimensions of choral music that engage, uplift and rejuvenate the human spirit through extraordinary choral music and exceptional performances.