Comme Il Faut

"Comme Il Faut" — French for "as it should be," a phrase carrying connotations of propriety and correctness — takes on particular meaning in the Di Sarli treatment. The title suggests a certain fastidiousness, and Di Sarli's arrangement delivers exactly that: everything in its proper place, every phrase shaped with deliberate elegance, the orchestra moving with the precision of a well-rehearsed formal occasion. The strings are immaculate, the rhythm section understated, the overall effect one of considerable sophistication. This is tango that has made its peace with refinement, that has passed through the working-class origins of the genre and arrived somewhere more polished without losing its essential character. The French phrase itself is significant — Buenos Aires's complex relationship with European cultural prestige runs through much of Argentine cultural history, and the cosmopolitan aspiration embedded in "Comme Il Faut" is itself historically telling. For dancers, this is an ideal piece for exploring the subtler technical elements of tango — the embrace, the walk, the pauses that give the music room to breathe. Nothing about it demands virtuosity; everything about it rewards care.