Astor Piazzolla | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Its not hyperbole to say that Astor Piazzolla is the single most important figure in the history of tango, a towering giant whose shadow looms large over everything that preceded and followed him. Piazzollas place in Argentinas greatest cultural export is roughly equivalent to that of Duke Ellington in jazz -- the genius composer who took an earthy, sensual, even disreputable folk music and elevated it into a sophisticated form of high art. But even more than Ellington, Piazzolla was also a virtuosic performer with a near-unparalleled mastery of his chosen instrument, the bandoneon, a large button accordion noted for its unwieldy size and difficult fingering system. In Piazzollas hands, tango was no longer strictly a dance music; his compositions borrowed from jazz and classical forms, creating a whole new harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary made for the concert hall more than the ballroom (which was dubbed "nuevo tango"). Some of his devices could be downright experimental -- he wasnt afraid of dissonance or abrupt shifts in tempo and meter, and he often composed segmented pieces with hugely contrasting moods that interrupted the normal flow and demanded the audiences concentration. The complexity and ambition of Piazzollas oeuvre brought him enormous international acclaim, particularly in Europe and Latin America, but it also earned him the lasting enmity of many tango purists, who attacked him mercilessly for his supposed abandonment of tradition (and even helped drive him out of the country for several years). But Piazzolla always stuck to his guns, and remained tangos foremost emissary to the world at large up until his death in 1992. Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on March 11, 1921. His parents were poor Italian immigrants who moved to New York City in 1924, affording the young Piazzolla extensive exposure to jazz artists like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. His father also played tango records by the early masters, especially the legendary vocalist/composer Carlos Gardel, and gave Astor a bandoneon for his ninth birthday. In addition to lessons on that instrument (which encompassed American music, like Gershwin, as well as tango), Piazzolla also studied with classical pianist Bela Wilda in 1933, becoming an ardent fan of Bach and Rachmaninoff. Around the same time, the budding prodigy met and played with Carlos Gardel, appearing as a newspaper boy in Gardels watershed tango film El Dia que Me Quieras. The teenaged Piazzolla turned down an offer to tour South America with Gardel in 1935, a fortuitous decision that kept him out of the tragic plane crash that claimed Gardels life. In 1936, Piazzollas family returned to Mar del Plata, and his passion for tango music was fired anew by violinist Elvino Vardaros sextet. The still-teenaged Piazzolla moved to Buenos Aires in 1938, seeking work as a musician. After about a year of dues-paying, he caught on with the widely renowned Anibal Troilo orchestra, where he spent several high-profile years. In the meantime, he continued his study of piano and music theory, counting future classical composer Alberto Ginastera (1941) and pianist Raul Spivak (1943) as his teachers. He began composing for Troilo during this period, although his more ambitious, classically influenced pieces were often edited for accessibilitys sake. In 1944, Piazzolla left Troilos group to become the orchestra leader behind singer Francisco Fiorentino; two years later, he formed his own group, playing mostly traditional tangos, yet already with hints of modernism. This group broke up in 1949, and Piazzolla, unsure of his musical direction, sought a way to leave tango behind for more refined pursuits. He studied Ravel, Bartók, and Stravinsky, also immersing himself in American jazz, and worked mostly on his compositional skills for a few years. His 1953 piece "Buenos Aires" caused a stir for its use of bandoneon in a classical orchestral setting. In 1954, Piazzolla won a scholarship to study in Paris with the hugely influential Nadia Boulanger, who also taught Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, and Quincy Jones, among many others. Boulanger encouraged Piazzolla not to ignore tango, but to reinvigorate the form with his jazz and classical training. Piazzolla returned home in 1955 and immediately set the tango world on its ear, forming an octet that played tango as self-contained chamber music, rather than accompaniment for vocalists or dancers. The howls of protest from traditionalists continued unabated until 1958, when Piazzolla disbanded the group and went to New York City; there he worked as an arranger and experimented with a fusion of jazz and tango, also composing the famed "Adios Nonino," a lovely ode to his recently departed father. Returning to Buenos Aires in 1960, Piazzolla formed his first quintet, the Quinteto Tango Nuevo, which would become the primary vehicle for his forward-looking vision. Over the course of the 60s, Piazzolla would refine and experiment heavily, pushing the formal structure of tango to its breaking point. In 1965, he made a record of his concert at New Yorks Philharmonic Hall, and also cut an album of poems by Jorge Luis Borges set to music. In 1967, Piazzolla struck a deal with poet Horacio Ferrer to collaborate exclusively with each other, resulting in the groundbreaking so-called "operita" Maria de Buenos Aires, which was premiered by singer Amelita Baltar in 1968 (she would later become Piazzollas second wife). Piazzolla and Ferrer next collaborated on a series of "tango-canciones" (tango songs) which produced his first genuine commercial hit, "Balada Para un Loco" ("Ballad of a Madman"). In addition to composing songs and more elaborate pieces for orchestra (such as 1970s El Pueblo Joven), Piazzolla also flexed his muscles scoring numerous films of the period. The 70s started out well for Piazzolla, as an acclaimed European tour brought the opportunity to form a nine-piece group to play his music in especially lush fashion. However, all was not well. Argentinas government was taken over by a conservative military faction, and everything that Piazzolla symbolized -- modern refinement, an ostensible lack of respect for tradition -- suddenly became politically unwelcome. In 1973, Piazzolla suffered a heart attack, and after recovering, he decided that, with sentiments running high against him, it would be wiser for him to live in Italy. There he formed a group called the Conjunto Electronico, which placed bandoneon at the forefront of what was essentially, instrumentation-wise, an electric jazz ensemble; this period also produced one of his most celebrated compositions, "Libertango." In 1974, Piazzolla cut an album with jazz baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan called Summit, with backing by Italian musicians; the following year, he found a new favorite vocal interpreter in Jose Angel Trelles. 1976 brought a major concert back in Buenos Aires, with the Conjunto Electronico premiering the piece "500 Motivaciones." Tiring of electric music, Piazzolla formed a new quintet in 1978 and toured extensively all over the world, also composing new chamber and symphonic works in the meantime. His reputation grew steadily, making him a prime candidate for exposure in the U.S. during the world-music craze of the latter half of the 80s. In 1986, Piazzolla entered the studio with his quintet and American producer Kip Hanrahan and recorded what he considered the finest album of his career, Tango: Zero Hour. The same year, he played the Montreux Jazz Festival with vibraphonist Gary Burton, resulting in the live set Suite for Vibraphone and New Tango Quintet. The official follow-up to Tango: Zero Hour, The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night, won equally glowing reviews, and Piazzolla staged a major homecoming concert in New Yorks Central Park in 1987. Unfortunately, at the height of his international fame (and belated celebration at home), Piazzollas health began to fail him. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 1988, but recovered well enough to mount an international tour in 1989, including what would be his final concert in Argentina. La Camorra, another excellent recording, was released in 1989, the same year Piazzolla formed a new sextet with an unheard-of two bandoneons. In 1990, he recorded a short album with modern-classical iconoclasts the Kronos Quartet, titled Five Tango Sensations. Sadly, not long afterward, Piazzolla suffered a stroke that left him unable to perform or compose. Almost two years later, on July 5, 1992, he died in his beloved Buenos Aires due to the lingering after-effects, leaving behind a monumental legacy as one of South Americas greatest musical figures ever, and a major composer of the 20th century. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 14 Title: Tango en Hi-Fi Released: 1957 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tango del ángel (04:15) 2 Melancólico Buenos Aires (02:56) 3 Loca bohemia (04:02) 4 Siempre París (03:26) 5 Tres minutos con la realidad (03:05) 6 La cumparsita (03:20) 7 Fuimos (04:21) 8 Del bajo fondo (03:30) 9 Inspiración (04:01) 10 Prepárense (03:02) |
 | Album: 2 of 14 Title: María de Buenos Aires Released: 1968 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:23:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 María de Buenos Aires: Alevare (06:17) 2 María de Buenos Aires: Tema de Maria (04:20) 3 María de Buenos Aires: Balada para un organito loco (07:27) 4 María de Buenos Aires: Milonga carrieguera (05:20) 5 María de Buenos Aires: Fuga y misterio (instrumental) (03:16) 6 María de Buenos Aires: Poema valseado (02:49) 7 María de Buenos Aires: Toccata rea (04:41) 8 María de Buenos Aires: Miserere canyengue (06:01) 1 María de Buenos Aires: Contramilonga a la funerala (05:07) 2 María de Buenos Aires: Tangata del alba (instrumental) (04:54) 3 María de Buenos Aires: Carta a los arboles y a las chimeneas (03:04) 4 María de Buenos Aires: Aria de los analistas (08:37) 5 María de Buenos Aires: Romanza del duende (05:31) 6 María de Buenos Aires: Allegro tangabile (02:52) 7 María de Buenos Aires: Milonga de la anunciacion (03:06) 8 María de Buenos Aires: Tangus dei (09:46) |
 | Album: 3 of 14 Title: Summit: Reunión cumbre Released: 1974 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 20 Years Ago (06:25) 2 Close Your Eyes and Listen (04:32) 3 Years of Solitude (04:07) 4 Deus Xangô (03:46) 5 20 Years After (04:11) 6 Aire de Buenos Aires (04:36) 7 Reminiscence (06:30) 8 Summit (03:36) |
| Summit: Reunión cumbre : Allmusic album Review : A superb 1974 session recorded in Milan teams baritone-saxist Gerry Mulligan with the great guru of art-music tango. This is mostly dark and moody music, with a lot of tonal variety and a resolute refusal to fit into any of the handy pigeonholes: a one-off event, wholly successful. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 14 Title: Libertango Released: 1974 Tracks: 8 Duration: 36:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Libertango (02:48) 2 Meditango (05:39) 3 Undertango (04:08) 4 Adiós Nonino (05:35) 5 Violentango (03:34) 6 Novitango (03:33) 7 Amelitango (03:59) 8 Tristango (06:54) |
 | Album: 5 of 14 Title: Nuevo Tango: Hora Zero Released: 1986 Tracks: 7 Duration: 46:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tanguendia Ⅲ (04:39) 2 Milonga del ángel (06:31) 3 Concierto para quinteto (09:06) 4 Milonga loca (03:09) 5 Michelangelo ’70 (02:51) 6 Contrabajísimo (10:19) 7 Mumuki (09:34) |
| Nuevo Tango: Hora Zero : Allmusic album Review : Considered by Piazzolla to be his best work, 1986s Tango Zero Hour was the culmination of a career that began in Argentina in the 1930s. Piazzolla started out auspiciously enough working with one of the brightest lights of the classic tango era, singer Carlos Gardél. After Gardéls tragic death in 1935 (by turning down an offer to tour with the singer at the age of 13, Piazzolla amazingly avoided the plane crash that killed Gardél), Piazzolla went on to perfect his bandoneón playing in various tango bands during the 40s and 50s, eventually studying with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Like she did with so many other great talents like Aaron Copland and Quincy Jones, Boulanger encouraged Piazzolla to find a new way of playing his countys music. Piazzolla began experimenting and soon enough perfected what is now known as "nuevo tango." Moving tango music into the more serious area of high-art composition, Piazzolla added eccentric and, at times, avant-garde touches to the traditional format; he gained the appreciation of adventurous music lovers worldwide while alienating tango purists back home. Tango Zero Hour is the fruition of his groundbreaking work and one of the most amazing albums released during the latter years of the 20th century. Joined by his Quinteto Tango Nuevo featuring violin, piano, guitar, and bass, Piazzolla offers up seven original tango gems that take in the noirish, "Zero Hour" world found between midnight and dawn. Essential for all music lovers. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 14 Title: La Camorra : La soledad de la provocación apasionada Released: 1989-01-01 Tracks: 7 Duration: 48:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Soledad (07:53) 2 La Camorra I (09:26) 3 La Camorra II (07:03) 4 La Camorra III (11:06) 5 Fugata (03:13) 6 Sur: Los sueños (02:56) 7 Sur: Regreso al amor (06:22) |
| La Camorra : La soledad de la provocación apasionada : Allmusic album Review : Recorded with his quintet and originally released in the late 80s, La Camorra features some of tango master Astor Piazzollas finest moments. The album was recorded after Piazzollas last major U.S. tour, and La Camorra highlights the intensity of his composition as well as his playing. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 14 Title: The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado) Released: 1991 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (Tango Apasionado) (01:50) 2 Milonga for Three (05:59) 3 Street Tango (04:12) 4 Milonga Picaresque (01:35) 5 Knife Fight (01:50) 6 Leonoras Song (03:39) 7 Prelude to the Cyclical Night (Part One) (00:49) 8 Butchers Death (02:24) 9 Leijias Game (02:23) 10 Milonga for Three (Reprise) (05:59) 11 Bailongo (01:46) 12 Leonoras Love Theme (03:53) 13 Finale (Tango Apasionado) (03:34) 14 Prelude to the Cyclical Night (Part Two) (00:51) |
| The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Tango Apasionado) : Allmusic album Review : This fine Astor Piazzolla album came on the heels of the tango innovators universally praised Tango: Zero Hour from 1986. Back again for this outing are Quinteto Nueva Tango members like pianist Pablo Zinger and violinist Fernando Suarez Paz, with guest spots being filled by bassist Andy Gonzalez and Latin jazz alto sax star Paquito dRivera. Piazzolla, of course, is in top form throughout, tossing off a wealth of passionate and complex bandoneon solos. Producer Kip Hanrahan also returns from the Zero Hour sessions, providing another spacious-sounding backdrop for the proceedings. Unlike Zero Hour, though, Rough Dancer has more of whimsical feel, with the often perilous shifts in tempo and mood of the earlier record being handled in smoother fashion here. This is possibly due to the fact this piece was used for the musical production Tango Apasionado, which chronicles the history of the tango from its Buenos Aires roots to modern times. Along with Tango: Zero Hour, this Piazzolla release is a must for all his fans and tango lovers in general. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 14 Title: Piazzolliana Released: 1991-03 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Meditango (05:39) 2 Reminiscencia (06:36) 3 Zita (04:32) 4 Cite Tango (05:36) 5 Persecuta (02:44) 6 Violentango (03:36) 7 Aire de Buenos Aires (04:40) 8 Piazzolla 78 (05:59) 9 Marcación (03:28) |
 | Album: 9 of 14 Title: Adiós Nonino Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Adiós Nonino (08:01) 2 Otoño porteño (05:08) 3 Michelangelo (03:19) 4 Contramilonga a la funerala (05:10) 5 Fuga y misterio (03:16) 6 Coral (05:54) 7 Fugata (02:50) 8 Tocata rea (04:34) 9 Tangata del alba (04:54) 10 Allegro tangabile (02:52) 11 Soledad (06:52) 12 Final (07:54) |
 | Album: 10 of 14 Title: Tiempo nuevo Released: 1992 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Nuestro tiempo (03:37) 2 Buenos Aires hora cero (03:58) 3 Introducción al ángel (04:54) 4 Los mareados (04:10) 5 Revirado (03:14) 6 Lo que vendrá (03:51) 7 Tango para una ciudad (1ra. parte) (03:21) 8 Tango para una ciudad (2da. parte) (02:30) 9 Simple (04:16) 10 Extasis (04:28) |
 | Album: 11 of 14 Title: Ibarra: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra / Zyman: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra / Piazolla: “The Grand Tango” for Cello and Piano Released: 1993 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:02:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: I. Lentissimo – Allegro (05:28) 2 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: II. Lento (05:29) 3 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: III. Presto (08:02) 4 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: I. Tranquillo e molto espressivo (17:17) 5 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: II. Lento ma poco rubato (08:59) 6 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra: III. Andante – Allegro con spirito (05:17) 7 “The Grand Tango” for Cello and Piano (11:47) |
 | Album: 12 of 14 Title: Tango Sensations Released: 1994 Tracks: 11 Duration: 53:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tres minutos con la realidad (03:20) 2 La casita de mis viejos (02:46) 3 Cinco Tango Sensations (for Bandoneón and String Quartet): I. Asleep (05:49) 4 Cinco Tango Sensations (for Bandoneón and String Quartet): II. Loving (07:09) 5 Cinco Tango Sensations (for Bandoneón and String Quartet): III. Anxiety (05:07) 6 Cinco Tango Sensations (for Bandoneón and String Quartet): IV. Despertar (06:37) 7 Cinco Tango Sensations (for Bandoneón and String Quartet): V. Fear (04:14) 8 Divina (02:32) 9 Doble Concierto (for Guitar, Bandoneón and String Quartet): Introducción (03:37) 10 Doble Concierto (for Guitar, Bandoneón and String Quartet): Milonga (05:33) 11 Doble Concierto (for Guitar, Bandoneón and String Quartet): Tango (06:38) |
 | Album: 13 of 14 Title: Le Grand Tango and Other Dances for Cello and Piano Released: 1994 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Flamenco (03:01) 2 Solo Suite: I. Prelude – Fantasia (06:28) 3 Solo Suite: II. Sardana - Danza (03:17) 4 Solo Suite: III. Intermezzo e danza finale (05:59) 5 Spanish Dance (03:57) 6 Ritual Fire Dance (Amor brujo) (03:30) 7 Oriental Dance, op. 2, no. 2 (08:48) 8 Gnomentanz, op. 50, no. 2 (04:01) 9 Mazurka, op. 11, no. 3 (04:28) 10 Gavotte, op. 23 (05:16) 11 Menuetto, op. 65, no. 2 (03:33) 12 Tarantella, op. 33 (05:40) 13 Valse sentimentale in F minor, op. 51, no. 6 (02:34) 14 Le Grand Tango (12:15) |
 | Album: 14 of 14 Title: El porteño Released: 1994 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Chau París (02:48) 2 Otoño porteño (04:34) 3 Invierno porteño (06:03) 4 Primavera porteña (04:12) 5 Verano porteño (02:59) 6 Milonga del ángel (04:51) 7 La muerte del ángel (03:14) 8 Campero (04:33) 9 Romántico (04:21) 10 Acentuado (03:26) 11 Tristón (04:30) 12 Compadre (03:01) |
| El porteño : Allmusic album Review : A nice album of tango arrangements for guitar by David Tanenbaum. The pieces are all compositions of Astor Piazzolla, and it is something of a tribute album as such. The music is played rather well, as Tanenbaum is one of the premier non-rock guitarists around. Arrangements of the music come from former Piazzolla guitarist Sergio Assad, Leo Brouwer, Augustin Carlevaro, and Tanenbaum himself. For the pure feeling of a Piazzolla tango, one should most assuredly pick up an actual Piazzolla album for the pieces that are added in by the violins and bandoneon that are lacking here. Overall, a good bit of guitar work, but not the full tango that one would hope for. | ||