Oblivion is Piazzolla's most quietly devastating melody — a slow tango of such tenderness that it has become one of the best-loved pieces on any instrument. Since its breakthrough performance in 1984, it has been recorded by cellists, violinists, oboeists, jazz ensembles, string orchestras and classical guitarists worldwide.
The Work
Piazzolla composed Oblivion in 1982 while living in the United States. It was written for the soundtrack of Marco Bellocchio's Italian film Enrico IV (1984), an adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's play about a man who permanently assumes the identity of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. The film was commercially unsuccessful, and the piece lay largely unnoticed until 29 September 1984, when Italian singer Milva performed it live at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris — with French lyrics by David McNeil (son of Marc Chagall) — with Piazzolla on bandoneón. That recording gave Oblivion a European audience and launched it into the standard repertoire.
The music is built on a slow milonga rhythm — a dance predating the tango, lighter and more contemplative — rather than the urgent compás of most nuevo tango. In C minor, ABA ternary form, 64 bars, it moves with the quality of a long-held breath. The harmonic language is jazz-inflected (major 7ths, sus4 chords, blue notes) but restrained: Oblivion is, by Piazzolla's own standards, unusually lyrical and "traditional."
On the Guitar
The most celebrated guitar arrangement is by Roland Dyens, published in a posthumous collection of his tango arrangements. Dyens worked on this collection in hospital right up until his death in 2016; the arrangement uses dropped-C tuning and reaches virtuosic levels, with jazz chord extensions, artificial harmonics and near-orchestral polyphony. More accessible versions by Ryuji Kunimatsu (standard tuning, free download) and others exist for intermediate players who want to work on the essential melody and bass.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Playing it
The challenge of Oblivion on guitar is sustain. The melody needs to float over the bass heartbeat — unhurried, inevitable. In simpler arrangements, the right hand carries both melody and accompaniment simultaneously, which requires clarity of voicing. In the Dyens version, the dropped-C tuning gives the bass an orchestral depth. Whichever arrangement you choose, the music rewards a patient, unhurried approach.
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