Astor Piazzolla Overview

Tango: Piazzolla and His Music

Astor Piazzolla1921 - 1992


The Early Years: 1921 -1939

• Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina – March 11,1921

• Grew up in New York City (1925-1938)

• Began playing the bandoneon at age 9

• Wrote his first tango at age 11

• Returned to Argentina at age 16

• Moved to Buenos Aires at age 18 to become a professional musician


1933Age - 12


Tango or Classical?: 1939 - 1954

• Working for Anibal Troilo

• Studies with Alberto Ginastera - 1940

• Marries Dedé Wolff – 1942

• Fiorentino, his first recording - 1944

• Orchestra Tipica de Astor Piazzolla - 1946

• Wins Sevitsky Prize for Composition - 1953


Anibal Troilo’s Band - 1946


Piazzolla and Anibal Troilo, ca. 1943


Paris: 1954 - 1955

• Studies with Nadia Boulanger

• Firmly establishes his style and lays groundwork for his nuevo tango

• Begins relationship with Editions Universelles and SACEM

• Records with Lalo Schifrin and Paris Opera musicians

• Beginning of jazz influence (Gerry Mulligan)


Lessons with Nadia Boulanger – Paris, 1955


The Bandoneon

• Member of free reed Chemnitz concertina family

• 71 keys: 33 keys, left and 38 keys, right

• Bisonic – different notes as bellows move in and out

• Provides the “signature sound” of the tango


Buenos Aires to New York: 1955 - 1960

• Returned to BA and formed a Tango Octet

• Important relationship with poet Horacio Ferrer begins

• Seeks the “big break” in NYC in 1958

• Jazz-Tango Quintet a failure

• Adios Nonino - 1959


Buenos Aires Octet - 1957


New Tango Quintet: 1960 - 1967

• Returned to BA and formed the New Tango Quintet

• Birth of the Nuevo Tango

• A period of creativity, controversy and success

• Successful U.S. Tour including NYC Philharmonic Hall

• Divorce, Depression and Drugs


The New Tango Quintet - 1962


Recovery: 1967 - 1971

• Egle Martin and Horacio Ferrer to the rescue

• Operitta: Maria de Buenos Aires, 1968

• Amelita Baltar and Ballada para un loco

• Film scores, e.g. Alma

• Instrumental works, e.g.Tangazo and Four Seasons of Buenos Aires


Egle Martin

Horacio Ferrer

To the Rescue: Maria de Buenos Aires

Amelita Baltar


Paris and Buenos Aires: 1971 - 1973

• Disbanded the Quintet and flew to Paris with Amelita

• Oratorio: El Pueblo Joven, 1968

• Formed the Nonet and toured under auspices of the Argentine government

• Aldo Pagani becomes Piazzolla’s agent

• Heart attack – October, 1973


Nonet - 1972


Jazz & Rock Experiments: 1974 - 1978

• Recovery in Rome

• Fame in Europe: Libertango

• Collaboration with Gerry Mulligan

• Electronic octet, 1975

• Argentina wins the World Cup in 1978!

• Laura Escalada – to become his second wife


Rehearsal with Gerry Mulligan - 1974


Electronic Octet in Paris - 1975


The Second Quintet: 1979 - 1988

• Peak years in Piazzolla’s career

• Global touring with a stable group of outstanding musicians

• Important collaborations - Milva - Gary Burton

• New home in Punta del Este, Uruguay

• Quadruple bypass surgery in 1988


The Second Quintet - 1987


The Last Years: 1989 - 1992

• The Sextet

• Appearances with Symphonies and String Quartets

• Athens, Greece - the Last Concert

• Debilitating Stroke in 1990

• Died July 4, 1992 in Buenos Aires


Piazzolla’s Last Concert – July 3, 1990


Piazzolla’s Legacy

• More than 3,000 compositions

• More than 1,500 recorded performances

• Centers devoted to his music in Buenos Aires and Montevideo

• Music lives on in movies and the repertoire of tango, classical, jazz and pop performers

• Adios Nonino

Documents

Astor Piazzolla Overview