Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction
by Eric Salzman
Period: Early 20th Century
Born: Friday, March 11, 1921 in Mar del Plata, Argentina
Died: Sunday, July 5, 1992 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nation of Origin: Argentina
Major Works:
Five Tango Sensations (1989)
Exile of Gardel (film score from 1985)
Sur (film score from 1987)
Other Information:
Piazzolla was a child prodigy on the bandoneon. His family moved to New York in 1924 where he met Gardel. Piazzolla returned to Argentina in 1937 and studied with Ginastera. As a composer, he created an original form of the tango often called "nuevo tango". This new tango includes elements of jazz, extreme chromaticism and dissonance, and counterpoint. Piazzolla used traditional tango instruments such as the bandoneon, but he also used non-traditional instruments, much to the dismay and disapproval of tango traditionalists in Argentina. He created the ÒConjunto ElectronicoÓ: an octet made up of bandoneon, electric piano and/or acoustic piano, organ, guitar and electric bass, drums, synthesizer and violin, which was later substituted for flute or saxophone. His work became popular outside of Argentina before gaining acceptance in his homeland. He composed about 750 works.
General Bibliography:
Kennedy, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997, ISBN: 0198691629
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc., January 2001, ISBN: 1561592390
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group, December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Slonimsky, Nicolas, Music Since 1900, Schirmer Books, July 1994, ISBN: 0028724186
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