Joner: Violin Concerto ‘Con Cierto Toque De Tango’ etc

Orchestrating Argentine tango does present its challenges. One possible solution is to try to make the orchestra sound as much like a tango ensemble, an “orquesta tipica”, as possible. Another option is to cut a few corners and translate it into an easier language for the more conventional orchestra to decipher. A third is to invent new, unfamiliar solutions. I’ve done a bit of all three here.

The violin concerto Con cierto toque de tango was commissioned by Hugo Ticciati for O/Modernt in Stockholm, a festival which focuses on reflections of the musical past in the present, an agenda consistent with my own. The title translates to “with a certain hint of tango”. Musically, there’s probably more than just a hint of tango in this concerto, considering that the movements are named after the Argentine dance forms – milonga, zamba and tango.

The concerto is written with one foot firmly planted in Norway, far away from the tango tradition. This gives me a certain freedom to experiment but also provides another more glaring necessity to find those moments and elements that provide the right connection to this tradition. I am delighted to have the likes of Henning Kraggerud on hand to perform the concerto!

I have certainly run the gamut of styles as a composer – everything from tango & salsa to waltz & pols (Norwegian folk dance), from electronica & hiphop to music for films, theatre and dance. With this orchestral album you’ll get an insight into my musical universe “with a certain hint of tango”.