ABSTRACT
Chapter 6, ‘Astor Piazzolla — His Life, Musical Style and Ensembles and His Contribution to Instrumental Tango Music’, presents the famous musician in full, following an introduction of tango’s stylistic norms and the work of De Caro, Pugliese and Salgán in previous chapters. The information is organized into three sections: (1) a brief biography (including Troilo, Boulanger, Ginastera and the musicians in his ensembles), (2) an analysis of a selection of recordings, arrangements and compositions (Milonga del ángel, Tres minutos con la realidad, Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi and Adiós Nonino) and (3) a summary of the musical materials and techniques analyzed. Among the features defining Piazzolla’s style are: his music ‘to be listened to’; the bandoneon’s central, virtuosic role; his ‘ensembles of soloists’ (Quinteto and Octeto Buenos Aires); longer pieces and sections; straightforward melodic lines that achieve significance through interpretation; numerous modulations (including foreign tonalities); systematization of the 3-3-2 and slow milonga rhythms; polyrhythm and superimposition of equivalent meters (4/4 and 3-3-2/8); the renewed use of traditional marcatos; instruments alien to tango; expanded use of counterpoint (including fugues); the interplay between background and foreground layers; and the combination of orchestration, composition and performance techniques from tango, jazz and Western art music.
