Ortiz, Five Little Milonguitas for solo violin
Of the Five Little Milonguitas for solo violin, Ortiz writes, “Milongas are fast-paced, virtuosic tangos meant for dancers to show off their skills. Milonguita means a short milonga. In these five Milonguitas for solo violin, I tried to create abstracted versions of my tango-flavored sentimental memories. Rubato is greatly encouraged as part of the style.”
Slightly more than a minute in length each, these compositions are wonderful vehicles for personal expression set within the intermediate range of 1st-4th positions. The dissonances and phrasing, however, are appropriate to more sophisticated players. For those wishing to listen, the recording by Airi Yoshioka (Sueños Místicos) is highly recommended, and can be heard on YouTube:
#1 https://youtu.be/n-hTq9bSZgc
#2 https://youtu.be/HNVkJB1-Glk
#3 https://youtu.be/6xXMkpcrnJc
#4 https://youtu.be/Ta1AlEIitf0
#5 https://youtu.be/86pbsezFNnQ
Ortiz is currently Professor of Composition at the University of California, Davis. Prizes and commissions include those from the Fromm Music Foundation in 1992, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1993, and the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1996.