Pedro Láurenz
Pedro Láurenz was one of the greatest bandoneón players of all time,
a great musician in the innovative school of Julio De Caro (with whom he played bandoneón alongside Pedro Maffia).
Like Pugliese, he endeavoured to take the musical ideas of De Caro to a broader public,
although in his case with a greater emphasis on a rich and varying rhythm,
something that would later be instrumental in his participation in the legendary Quinteto Reál.
Láurenz was also an also an important composer. His most famous works include Mala junta and Orgullo criollo (both with Julio De Caro); Amurado (with Maffia); Berretín, Milonga de mis amores and Mal de amores.
Láurenz's reputation is assured despite the relatively modest success of his orchestra, which never reached the heights of popular acclaim reached by Troilo, Pugliese or Di Sarli. One factor would have been his singers: until Alberto Podestá joined him from Di Sarli in 1943, the orchestra lacked a truly great singer, and found itself without one when Podestá returned to Di Sarli in 1946.
However I like to think that the orchestra was simply ahead of its time. Some musicologists consider that his first recording, Arrabal, inaugurated the true golden age of tango. Considering that this is from 1937 it puts Troilo's 1941 sides with Fiorentino in a very different light, and of course it's light years ahead of what D'Arienzo and Tanturi were doing at this time. Today it still sounds fresh and exciting.
Whatever the reason, the orchestra left very few recordings. Although he signed a contract with Victor in 1937, they cut just 29 titles over the next six years. He signed to Odeón in 1943, recording once again just 29 sides over the next four years. 8 more sides followed with Pampa in 1952/53: a miserly 66 numbers over 16 years. This makes collecting them a pretty easy job.
A basic Láurenz collection
The small number of Láurenz's recordings mean there are very few CDs, and it doesn't take much time to tell you about them.
For a long time the El Bandoneón Láurenz CD (EBCD 82, Milonga de mis amores) was the Láurenz CD of choice
and one of the most important in their catalogue.
Things changed though with the release of Coleccíon 78rpm.
Their Láurenz cd is even better - you can read more on our essentials page.
As an added bonus it presents only tracks from Láurenz's tenure with Victor, so if you go on to buy more of Láurenz on Reliquias, who present material from Odeón, there's no overlap.
I want more
Your next Láurenz purchase is Creaciones inolvidables con Podestá y Bermudez on Reliquias.
As ever on this label you get a terrible cover but the transfers are first rate.
Podestá's renditions of Alma de bohemio and Garúa are amongst the best on record.
I'm a DJ or collector - I need everything
There isn't much more.
Ten sides of Láurenz, nine of them his final sides on Odeón from 1944-1947, are available on a second album on Reliquias shared with Ricardo Malerba (EMI 595160).
The tenth is Quejas de bandoneón, recorded on Pampa in 1952.
Reliquias have now released 29 of Laúrenz's 30 tracks on Odeón.
Perhaps we can hope they will release the other seven of the eight sides on Pampa.
El Bandoneón's album of Pedro Maffia, EBCD-96, worth buying in its own right, will give you one more track you haven't found elsewhere, Taconeando.
That's it - there isn't any more.
Where next...
- Back to building a library
- Milonga home page