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Before Piazzolla, Argentinean tango, whether performed in a Buenos Aires waterfront dive or cafe society
boïte, was primarily music for a dance famously described as a "vertical expression of a horizontal desire." But filtered through Piazzolla's cosmopolitan outlook and intellect, it became a sophisticated yet still searingly sexy fusion of Argentina's rural
milonga and African derived
candombe styles with American jazz, European pop and 20th-century classical influences. Today, it's hard to believe that
nuevo tango initially raised howls of indignation as Piazzolla's spell-binding
bandoneon (accordion) and compositions ultimately won over the traditionalists. This compilation includes many of the late Maestro's best-known tunes, such as
Libertango and two versions of
Adios Nonino, an elegy for his father. From the percussive, Shostakovich-like thrust of
Tres Minutos Con La Realidad to the keening, fatalistic bitterness of
Milonga Del Angel, it is a collection to treasure, ideal for beginners and enlightening for collectors. --
Christina Roden
Product Description
Astor Piazzolla is arguably the greatest tango musician of all time and, from the 1950s onwards, he continued to experiment to test the limits of the genre. A virtuoso on the bandoneón, a brilliant composer, arranger and bandleader, Piazzolla conjured a sound that fused the evolutionary tangos of Aníbal Troilo, jazz, ambient and classical avant-garde aberrations. The Rough Guide To Astor Piazzolla is a soundtrack to the teeming city of Buenos Aires – peopled by colourful characters and incredible stories – and reflects his remarkable lifetime achievement.
