In my initial attempt to reconcile the stylistic and structural characteristics of the tango with those of my own music, I concentrated on amplifying and distorting particular features of the genre in this new piano composition. Soon, however, my work took on a life of its own, eclipsing the constraints I had set for it. In Tango Clandestino, any direct stylistic references have been obscured. Yet in other aspects, the work reflects my impressions of the tango, both musical and terpsichorean: it is imbued with its dark, angular, graceful, and sensual qualities.
Tango Clandestino was commissioned by the Phantom Arts Ensemble for Geoffrey Burleson, to whom it is dedicated.
Jason Eckardt.