Kalevi Aho (b. 1949) tells: "The Three Tangos were composed towards the end of 1999 at the request of the InTime Quintet. Before I began working on the commission, I debated various ways of dealing with the tango as a genre of composition. One would have been to compose a fairly conventional, tonal tango, another to create a modernised, atonal one. There was also a third alternative: to regard the tango more as the reflection of a state of mind. It would to some extent then be possible to disregard the typical tango beat. I chose the first of these options. In other words, the three tangos all come close to the traditional Argentine tango in character. They are tonal, melodic and dance-like. The Tango lamentoso and Tango appassionato are basically in C minor and the Tango dolente in G minor. They are not, however, intended to be sung; they are a form of instrumental music, and in order to make an impact require temperament and virtuosity in the musicians."

Duration: 11'

Movements: 1. Tango dolente 2. Tango lamentoso 3. Tango appassionato

This product is the full score. The set of parts is available as product no. 9790550096998.