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1920s
La Guardia Nueva — De Caro's refinement
In the 1920s, tango entered an age of refinement.
In 1924, Julio De Caro formed his sextet (the sexteto típico: two bandoneóns, two violins, piano and double bass). In place of barroom rawness he brought written arrangements, rich counterpoint and refined harmony to tango.
The explorations of this Guardia Nueva (New Guard) laid the musical foundation for the sophistication of the Golden Age that followed.
Key terms
- Guardia Nueva
- The innovating generation of the 1920s that lifted tango toward art music.
- Julio De Caro
- The central figure who transformed tango through refined arrangement.
- Sexteto típico
- The standard sextet: 2 bandoneóns, 2 violins, piano, bass.