Volcán
by Eduardo Arolas
Jazz Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

Jazz Combo - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.970739

Composed by Eduardo Arolas. Arranged by Mike Strand. Concert,Jazz,Latin,World. Score and parts. 3 pages. Michael M. Strand #4895835. Published by Michael M. Strand (A0.970739).

Arranged by Mike Strand, ASCAP 

This is a lead sheet for a jazz or Latin combo or ensemble.  It may serve as the basis for a variety of arrangements, improvisations, or contrafacts.

The audio sample is a jazz bossa nova iReal Pro accompaniment, combined with the lead sheet melody in Finale PrintMusic.  In this arrangement, you will hear acoustic guitar and violin, often heard in tango ensembles in the early 20th century.

This bossa nova is inspired by Eduardo Arolas’s never-published tango, Volcán (Volcano).  At least it’s never been published according to the todotango.com web site.  Eduardo Arolas is a famous tango composer who is well documented on that web site.  Also on that web site, you can listen to Osvaldo Requena’s piano performance of Volcán from Arolas’s original piano sheets (written circa 1917).  

Years ago, I developed and wrote a tango quintet arrangement of Volcán by listening carefully to Requena’s recorded piano performance on the web site.  My quintet arrangement, in turn, was my source for writing this bossa nova arrangement.   So, now Volcán has finally been published, but as a bossa nova! 

Wherever Señor Arolas may be, I hope he understands.  In this bossa nova arrangement, I believe I've preserved the spirit of Arolas's original tango.

Without knowing exactly what was in Eduardo Arolas's mind when he wrote the original tango, this is my personal idea of the message behind the music:

Introduction:  Let me tell you a story about a volcano that happened long ago.

Part A (bars 5-20):  It's a sad tale about human helplessness and suffering in the face of natural catastrophe.

Part B (bars 21-36):  The people living in a town below a volcanic peak were going about business, leisure, and play, experiencing the ordinary cares and pleasures of life.

Part C (bars 41-52): One day, without warning, the volcano erupted, with smoke, falling hot rocks and ash, and hot lava flows.  Some folks got away, but others were killed, buried or injured, and all that was left of the town was devastation, suffering, and, eventually, calm.

Part A' (bars 53-end):  A sad tale, but may we learn from it, and may the souls of the poor victims rest in peace.

If you listen to and read the lyrics of Arolas's great tango, La Cachila, or listen to another superb tango of his, El Marne, you will witness further his talent and skill in composing dramatic music.  My piano arrangement of La Cachila is for sale on this web site.