Astor Piazzolla: Tango Assassin

From a program recorded in 1989, Charles Amirkhanian interviews two Bay Area musicians who are very familiar with the work of the remarkable composer and bandoneon player, Astor Piazzolla. Marta Bracchi-LeRoux, is a pianist, and native of Montevideo, Uruguay, one of the birthplaces of the tango, and where she was acquainted as a young musician with Piazzolla and his work, even before he began to compose his nuevo tangos. She and her husband, the French conductor and oboe player, Jean-Louis LeRoux, are now known for founding the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and for their tireless promotion of avant-garde composers. But in the early 1950s, they participated in the world premiere of Piazzolla’s “Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra” in Montevideo where Piazzolla and other Buenos Aires residents frequently traveled for performances as well as occasional vacations. Marta and Jean-Louis present four decades of recordings of Piazzolla, answer questions on the history of the tango, as well as presenting some early tango masterpieces by Carlos Gardel. We also hear about, “El Libro del Tango,” a three-volume set of books by Piazzolla lyricist Horacio Ferrer. Piazzolla, studied classical composition with Nadia Boulanger until she heard him play the bandoneon, at which point she urged him to dedicate himself to the instrument, and he subsequently went on to revolutionize the tango form, and has seen his popularity grow exponentially ever since. After listening to this marvelous and heartfelt program you will most likely join the millions of others who have given their thanks that Piazzolla took Boulanger’s advise.