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Ay Ay Ay (song)
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Wikipedia article
'Ay, ay, ay!', subtitled 'Reminiscencias cuyanas', is a song composed in 1913 by the Chilean-born composer, pianist, singer and publisher Osmn Prez Freire."Ay-Ay-Ay ...Osman Perez Freire", in J.J. Fuld, 'The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk', 5th, Revised and Enlarged Edition (Dover Publications, Inc., New York 2000), [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EVninY59ul0C&pg=PA121#v=onepage&q&f=false at p. 121] (Google). Freire (born in Santiago in 1880Sources differ, some say 1878. A 6-peso stamp was issued in Chile in June 1980 to commemorate the centenary of his birth and 50th anniversary of his death in 1930: 'The American Philatelist', Vol. 94, issues 7-12, p. 1980-939.), who emigrated to Mendoza, Argentina in c.1886-1890, was a figure of some note in the evolution of Tango.A. Acevedo Hernndez, 'Canciones Populares Chilenas' (Ediciones Ercilla, Santiago de Chile 1939), pp. 61-62. This song, however, known worldwide, is his most famous composition, and has never fallen out of fashion.H. Garvin, 'Fun and Festival from Latin America' (The Friendship Press, New York 1935), p. 28: "The whole continent loves his song, 'Ay, ay, ay'."R. Lado and E. Blansitt, 'Contemporary Spanish' (McGraw-Hill, 1967), p. 588: "Y luego, algunas canciones hispano-americanas de vasta difusin: canciones como 'Ay, ay, ay!' de Prez Freire... conocido en todo el continente." It is equally suited to intimate performance with guitar or piano accompaniment, or to large-scale concert delivery with orchestral accompaniment, and has been sung by almost everyone, and especially favoured by some of the most famous tenors, since it was first written (see below).J.P. Gonzlez Rodriguez, 'Historia Social de la Msica Popular en Chile, 1890-1950' (Ediciones Universidad Catlica de Chile, 2005), p. 52: "Este es el caso de 'Ay, ay, ay' (1915), de Osmn Prez Freire, su cancin de mayor difusin internacional, que lleg a formar parte del repertorio de tenores de gran prestigio artstico, como Tito Schipa (1888-1965) y Miguel Fleta..."
"Ay, ay, ay" is a Hispanic expression signifying dismay at a bad situation or state of affairs, rather more immediate and acute than the English "alas". Purely instrumental versions include arrangements for dance orchestras, jazz combinations and salon musicians. The autograph manuscript of the song is at PAU. This song should not be confused with the Mexican 'Cielito Lindo', the chorus of which begins, "Ay, ay, ay, ay."
In what may be the earliest publication (by Breyer Hermanos, 414 Florida), the song is subtitled "Reminiscencias Cuyanas". Although often mistakenly called a "Chilean" song, perhaps because of the place of birth of the composer, the style is in fact that of a traditional 'cancin cuyana' of the Cuyo region of north-west Argentina.J. Tefilo Wilkes and I. Guerrero Crpena, 'Formas Musicales Rioplatenses, Su Origen Hispanico (Cifras, Estilos y Milongas)', (Publicaciones de Estudios Hispanicos, Buenos Aires 1946), p. 141: "En la transicin se exhalaba el tpico Ay, ay, ay! de la cancin cuyana. La frase es, en realidad, la misma de la tonada andina, un tanto desfigurada por mala memorizacin o quiz para mejor adaptarla al ritmo del estilo." In publication it acquired subtitles as "Cancin Criolla" or "Argentine Song", and (in Schott's edition) "Kreolisches Wiegenlied" or "Argentine Lullaby". The spelling 'Ay-Ay-Ay',E.g. The title of a 1963 album by Luigi Alva. though incorrect, occurs commonly in English sources.
Lyrics
'Si alguna vez en tu pecho,
'
:'ay ay ay!'
'mi cario no lo abrigas,
'
'engalo como un nio,
'
:'ay ay ay!'
'pero nunca se lo digas...'
Recordings (examples)
* Enrico Caruso for HMV
* Miguel Fleta for HMV (1930)
* Jos Mardones for Columbia-Rena (1920)
* Tito Schipa for HMV (1922 and 1926)
* Umberto Urbano
* Conchita Supervia for Parlophone
* Dmitri Smirnoff for Parlophone (1929)
* Richard Tauber for Odeon Records
* Jussi Bjrling
* Giuseppe di Stefano (1952)
* Mario Lanza
* Alfredo Kraus
* The Three Tenors
*In 1956, Les Baxter, included a version on his "Caribbean Moonlight" LP.
References
Category:Spanish-language songs
Category:1913 songs
Category:Argentine songs
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