Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992): Tango Revolution
Astor Piazzolla
Without the shadow of a doubt, Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) is the single most important figure in the history of the tango! While Carlos Gardel and Ángel Villoldo are credited with creating the “tango canción”—a subgenre that realistically reflected the life of the lowest classes of society— Astor Piazzolla is rightfully considered the father of the “tango nuevo.” A genius composer and performer, he revolutionized the traditional tango by turning disreputable and downright earthy folk music into a sophisticated form of art.
Tango Revolution
Piazzolla incorporated elements from jazz and classical music into the traditional tango, and introduced new forms of harmonic and melodic structure into the tango ensemble. And that included the integration of novel instruments, such as the saxophone and electric guitar.
This ingenious fusion of the tango with a wide range of recognizable Western musical elements—including counterpoint and passacaglia techniques—not only produced a new and unique musical style that transcended all earlier expressions, it also significantly contributed to the continued evolution of this art form.
Piazzolla died in his beloved Buenos Aires 25 years ago, and in 2017 we celebrate the monumental legacy of one of South America’s greatest musical figures.
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion (Guitar ver.)
Early Days
The only child of Italian immigrant parents, Astor Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, but essentially spent his childhood in Greenwich Village in New York City. For his 9th birthday, his father gave him a bandoneon and Astor started to take lessons. Eventually he studied with Hungarian pianist Bela Wilda, a student of Rachmaninoff, who taught him to play Bach on his bandoneon.
Piazzolla composed his first tango and he met Carlos Gardel, who invited him on his tour to South America. His father decided that he was not yet old enough to go along, and forbid him to join the tour.
The initial disappointment proved fortunate, as Gardel and his entire orchestra perished in a plane crash in 1935. Piazzolla later joked, “If my father had not been so careful, I would be playing the harp rather than the bandoneon.” Once the family returned to Mar del Plata, Piazzolla played in a variety of tango orchestras and eventually moved to Buenos Aires.
He soon realized his dream of joining the orchestra of widely renowned bandoneonist Anibal Toilo in 1938, and on the advice of pianist Arthur Rubinstein took lessons from composer Alberto Ginastera and pianist Raúl Spivak. For 5 years, Piazzolla studied the scores of Ravel, Bartók, and Stravinsky alongside compositions originating from American jazz.
Libertango (piano solo arr.)
Tensions mounted between Piazzolla and Troilo, who feared that the advanced musical ideas of the young bandoneonist might undermine the style of his orchestra and make it less appealing to dancers of tango. In 1944, Piazzolla left Troilo’s group, and unsure of his musical directions, briefly left the tango and bandoneon behind to compose a number of film scores.
He furthered his musical studies with the conductor Hermann Scherchen, and in 1953 entered his composition Buenos Aires into the Fabien Sevitzky competition. The work elicited strong reactions as it featured the inclusion of two bandoneons into the symphonic orchestra.
However, it also won him a scholarship from the French government to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Boulanger strongly encouraged Piazzolla not to ignore tango, but to infuse the traditional form with his jazz and classical training. “Astor,” she said, “your classical pieces are well written, but the true Piazzolla is in the tango, never leave it behind.”
When he returned home in 1955 he immediately formed the “Octeto Buenos Aires,” a legendary group that played tango as self-contained chamber music. Tango purists were not amused, and eventually forced him into exile in New York City where Piazzolla further experimented with a fusion of jazz and tango.
Milonga del Angel (Piano solo with sheet music)
International Recognition
Once he returned to Buenos Aires in 1960, Piazzolla refined and experiment heavily with all aspects of tango. His collaboration with poet Horacio Ferrer produced the groundbreaking “little opera” Maria de Buenos Aires, and a series of tango songs.
Piazzolla’s music started to gain international recognition, and when Argentina’s government was taken over by a conservative military faction, he decided to move to Italy. A series of recordings that would span a period of five years included the famous Libertango, and in 1982 the album Oblivion.
Extensively traveling the world, and at the height of his international fame, Piazzolla underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 1988. He sufficiently recovered to go on tour in 1989, but a severe stroke left him in a coma and he died two years later on 4 July 1992.
Piazzolla considered the fusion of tango with the music of Bartok and Stravinsky “the tango of the future,” and the complexity of his oeuvre brought him international acclaim and a secured place in the history of 20th century music.
Oblivion (2 pianos)
Piazzolla’s musical analysis:
APPROACHING PIAZZOLLA’S MUSIC: an analysis of his music and composition styles (1/2)
APPROACHING PIAZZOLLA’S MUSIC: an analysis of his music and composition styles (2/2)
Browse in the Library:
Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
---|---|---|
Aerosmith – I Dont Want To Miss A Thing | ||
Aerosmith 1973-1979 – Guitar Play Along with MP3 audio Guitar Signature Licks with Tablature | Aerosmith 1973-1979 Signature Licks | |
Aerosmith Greatest Hits (Guitar) with Tablature | aerosmith greatist hist guitar | |
Aerosmith Nine Lives Original Songbook Guitar Tabs | ||
Aesthetics Of Music Musicological Perspectives by Stephen Downes(Book) | ||
Affections touching across time (Inuyasha OST) Kaoru Wada | ||
Afi – Love Like Winter | ||
Afi – Miss Murder | ||
AFI’s Top 25 Film Scores Songbook | AFI’s Top 25 Film Scores Songbook | |
Africa – Toto.mscz | ||
Africa And The Blues (Book) | ||
Afro Cuban Keyboard Grooves by Manny Patiño and Jorge Moreno | Afro Cuban Keyboard Grooves by Manny Patiño and Jorge Moreno | |
Afroman – Because I Got High | ||
After Hours for PIANO DUET by Pam Wedgwood | After Hours for PIANO DUET by Pam Wedgwood | |
After Hours For Solo Piano. Book 3 (Pam Wedgwood) | After Hours For Solo Piano. Book 3 (Pam Wedgwood) | |
After Hours for Trumpet and Piano by Pam Wedgwood | After Hours for Trumpet and Piano by Pam Wedgwood | |
After You’ve Gone Turner Layton And Henry Creamer 1918 Jazz Standard (Vintage sheet music) | ||
Again, as before, alone (P. I. Tchaikovsky) | ||
Age of Empires 2 – Main theme | Age of Empires 2 – Main theme | |
Agnes Obel Chord Left | ||
Agnes Obel Fuel To Fire | ||
Agnes Obel Pass Them By | ||
Agnes Obel – Riverside Piano | ||
Agnes Obel – September Song | ||
Agnes Obel – Tokka | ||
Agnes Obel Falling Catching | ||
Agnes Obel Falling, Catching | ||
Agnes Obel Familiar | ||
Agnes Obel Fuel To Fire | ||
Agnes Obel It’s Happening Again | ||
Agnes Obel Just So | ||
Agnes Obel Mary | ||
Agnes Obel Riverside | ||
Agnes Obel September Song | ||
Agnes Obel Smoke And Mirrors | ||
Agnes Obel The Curse | ||
Agnes Obel Tokka | ||
Agnes Obel Words Are Dead | ||
Aguas De Março Jazz Piano Score Jobim | ||
Aha – Take On Me | ||
Ahead On Our Way Ff Vii (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Ahmad Jamal Poinciana Full score (Song of the Tree) | Ahmad Jamal Poinciana Full score (Song of the Tree) | |
Ahmad Jamal The Ahmad Jamal Collection (Artist Transcriptions) | Ahmad Jamal The Ahmad Jamal Collection Artist Piano Transcriptions contents Ahmad’s Blues, But Not For Me, The Canteen, For My Daughter, My Flower, New Rhumba, Night Mist Blues, Poinciana (Song Of The Tree), Sumayah, The Surrey With The Fringe On Top | |
Ahmad Jamal Wave from the album The Awakening | ||
Ai Mei – Rainie Yang | ||
Aimee Mann – Wise Up | ||
Ain’t Misbehavin’ Fats Waller As Played By Joe Pass (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Ainsi soit je (Mylène Farmer) | ||
Air on the G string, from BWV 1068 (10 string, Yepes tuning).mscz | ||
Air Supply Greatest Hits | AIR SUPPLY GREATEST | |
Airegin by Soony Rollins – Jazz Play Along with sheet music | Airegin | |
Akira Ifukube – Sonata for Violin and Piano I – Allegro | ||
Akira Ifukube End Titles Godzilla Vs Destoroyah | ||
Akira Ifukube Mesa March Godzilla | ||
Akira Yamaoka Silent Hill 2 Promise (Reprise) | ||
Akira Yamaoka, Silent Hill Room Of Angel (Piano) | Akira Yamaoka, Silent Hill Room Of Angel (Piano) | |
Aknin, Laurent Le Choix Du Coeur Easy Piano Solo (du film The Student and Mister Henri (L’Étudiante et Monsieur Henri) | Aknin-Laurent-Le-Choix-Du-Coeur-Easy-Piano-Solo | |
Al Di Meola – Guitar Technique SongBook with Tablature | Al Di Meola – Guitar technique SongBook | |
Al Di Meola A Guide To Guitar Chords Scales And Arpeggios Master Classes With Bob Aslanian | Al Di Meola A Guide To Guitar Chords Scales And Arpeggios Master Classes With Bob Aslanian | |
Al Di Meola Collection | al di meola collection songbook | |
Al Di Meola Enigma Of Desire (Guitar) | ||
Al Di Meola Guitar School Elegant Gypsy Songbook with Tablature | Al Di Meola Guitar School Elegant Gypsy Songbook | |
Al Di Meola Guitar Tabs Songbook Electric Rendezvous | Al Di Meola Guitar Tabs Songbook Electric Rendezvous | |
Al Di Meola Solace (Guitar) | Al Di Meola Solace (Guitar) | |
Al Di Meola Solos (Guitar) with Tablature | al di meola solos | |
Al Di Meola Super Guitarist Guitar Tabs Songbook | Al Di Meola Super Guitarist Guitar Tabs Songbook | |
Al Di Meola When Youre Gone | Al Di Meola When Youre Gone | |
Al Green – Let´s Stay Together Melody And Guitar Chords | ||
Al Green Let’s Stay Together | ||
Al Jarreau – Breakin’ Away | ||
Al Jarreau Spain (I can recall) Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | ||
Al Jarreau The Best Of Al Jarreau Piano Vocal Guitar chords | Al Jarreau The Best Of Book | |
Al Stewart – Time Passages | ||
Al Stewart – Year Of The Cat | ||
Al Stewart Greatest Songs Of Book | AL STEWART SONGBOOK | |
Aladdin – A Whole New World – Alan Menken | Aladdin – A Whole New World – Alan Menken | |
Aladdin – Arabian Nights (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Aladdin – Broadway Musical Songbook – Alan Menken | Aladdin – Broadway Musical Songbook – Alan Menken | |
Alain Barriere – Les Guinguettes | ||
Alain Barrière – Emporte Moi (Y Volveré) | ||
Alain Barriere – Tu T’en Vas | ||
Alain Chamfort Songbook Book | ALAIN CHAMFORT SONGBOOK | |
Alain Souchon Au Ras Des Paquerettes Piano Vocal Guitar TAB | Alain Souchon Au Ras Des Paquerettes Piano Vocal Guitar TAB | |
Alain Souchon Ecoutez d’où Ma Peine Vient Piano Vocal Guitar chords | Alain Souchon Ecoutez d’où Ma Peine Vient Piano Vocal Guitar chords | |
Alain Souchon les plus grands succès de (partitions, sheet music) Piano Vocal | Alain Souchon les plus grands succès de (partitions, sheet music) Piano Vocal | |
Alan Belkin – Una Guía Práctica de Composición Musical (Spanish) | Book Theory | |
Alan Jackson – Between the Devil and Me | ||
Alan Jackson – Buicks to the Moon | ||
Alan Jackson – I’ll Go On Loving You | ||
Alan Jackson – It’s Five Oclock Somewhere | ||
Alan Jackson – Little Bitty | ||
Alan Jackson – Once In A Lifetime Love | ||
Alan Jackson – Remember When | ||
Alan Jackson – That’d Be Alright | ||
Alan Jackson – There Goes | ||
Alan Jackson – Where I Come From | ||
Alan Jackson Remember When Piano Solo | ||
Alan Lomax – The Penguin Book Of American Folk Songs (GUITAR) | Alan Lomax – The Penguin Book Of American Folk Songs GUITAR) | |
Alan Menken – A Christmas Carol A Place Called Home | ||
Alan Menken – Beauty and the Beast (easy piano) Complete score arr. piano & guitar chords | Alan Menken – Beauty and the Beast (easy piano) | |
Alan Menken – Little Shop Of Horrors | Alan Menken – Little Shop Of Horrors | |
Alan Menken – Songbook | Alan Menken songbook sheet music | |
Alan Menken – Tangled (Disney) Rapunzel songbook | Tangled | |
Alan Menken A Christmas Carol (The Musical) | ||
Alan Menken Aladdin (songbook) | Alan Menken Aladdin | |
Alan Menken I see the light (Tangled-Disney) | Alan Menken I see the light (Tangled-Disney) | |
Alan Menken My Christmas Tree from Home Alone 2 Lost In New York | ||
Alan Menken The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Disney) | Alan Menken The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Disney) | |
Alan Menken The Little Mermaid Piano Vocal Score (The Musical) | Alan Menken The Little Mermaid Piano Vocal Score (The Musical) | |
Alan Parsons – Eye in the Sky | ||
Alan Parsons Project – Don’t Answer Me | ||
Alan Parsons Project – Eye In The Sky | ||
Alan Parsons Project – Time | ||
Alan Parsons Project – Eve (Piano, Vocal, Guitar) Songbook | Alan Parsons Project – Eve (Piano, Vocal, Guitar) Songbook | |
Alan Parsons Project – Eye In the Sky (Piano, Vocal, Guitar Songbook) | Alan Parsons Project – Eye In the Sky (Piano, Vocal, Guitar Songbook) | |
Alan Parsons Project – I Robot (Piano, Vocal, Guitar) Songbook | Alan Parsons Project – I Robot (Piano, Vocal, Guitar) Songbook | |
Alan Parsons Project – The Essential | Alan Parsons Project | |
Alan Parsons Project Gaudí Piano Vocal Guitar chords | Alan Parsons Project Gaudí Piano Vocal Guitar chords | |
Alan Silvestri – Avengers Infinity War Medley – Piano Solo | Alan Silvestri – Avengers Infinity War Medley – Piano Solo | |
Alan Silvestri – Contact Main Theme |