tango (Albéniz)

In 19th-century Spanish usage, 'tango' referred not to the Argentine dance but to a flamenco-adjacent dance in 2/4 or 4/4 with a syncopated habanera-like bass pattern. Albéniz's Tango in D (España Op. 165) is built entirely on this bass figure — a swaying, repeated pattern that simultaneously anchors the harmony and generates the dance's rhythmic energy. It became one of the most arranged pieces in all of classical music.

The habanera bass in the Tango must be kept strictly rhythmic and slightly detached — it is a dancer's rhythm, not a singing bass. The melody above it should float freely, with expressive rubato, while the bass maintains the pulse. The contrast between strict bass and free melody is the whole character of the piece.