Astor Piazzolla

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the bandoneon
virtuoso and composer Astor Piazzolla, through five key
locations.


All his life he fought against the tide, and in the end, he was
the victor. Astor Piazzolla was a rebel with a cause. A virtuoso
bandoneon player and a composer, he set out to break tango free
from its roots, and make it a music with a future far beyond the
dance halls and cafes of 1950s Buenos Aires. Hits like
“Libertango” and collaborations with jazz giants like Gary Burton
and Gerry Mulligan made his name beyond the tango world, while
his classical compositions brought his instrument, the bandoneon
critical acclaim in the concert hall. The secrets of musical
technique came, he said, from his studies with French pedagogue,
Nadia Boulanger and Argentinian composer, Alberto Ginastera but
they also came from his teenage experiences in Buenos Aires, the
city where had played bandoneon and arranged music for Anibal
Troilo’s famous tango band.


Across the week Donald Macleod traces Astor Piazzolla’s life
through the places which played an important part in his musical
development: New York, Buenos Aires, Paris, Rome and the
Uraguayan resort of Punta del Este.


Music featured: Tanguedia Tres minutos con la Realidad Piano
sonata No 1, Op 7 Sideral Requiem para un Malandra Adios nonino
Concierto para quinteto Buenos Aires hora cera (Buenos Aires zero
hour) El desbande Tiernamente El recodo Histoire du Tango for
flute and guitar Balada para mi muerte Sinfonía Buenos Aires, Op
15 Otoño porteño Two pieces for clarinet and string orchestra
Triunfal Prepárense Tangos, El Exilio de Gardel (excerpts from
the original soundtrack) Mumuki Michelangelo 70 Amelitango Maria
de Buenos Aires (excerpt) Summit Close your eyes and listen 3
Movimientos Tanguisticos Portenos Tristezas de un Doble A Jeanne
y Paul Resurreccion del Angel Concerto for bandoneon, string
orchestra & percussion Le Grand Tango La Camorra II Five
Tango Sensations Libertango


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Astor Piazzolla
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003c6f


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z