KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Speaking of Music: Astor Piazzolla, May 11, 1989, 1 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

SOM.1989.05.11.A

Program Series

Speaking of Music

Program Length

80 min

Part

1 of 2

Dates

1989-06-20 | broadcast
| 1989-05-11 | created

Description

In this program, recorded on May 11, 1989 as part of the San Francisco Exploratorium’s Speaking of Music series, Charles Amirkhanian interviews Astor Piazzolla before a live audience. Piazzolla reveals the history of tango, its derivation from the milonga, the development of the accordion-like bandoneon, pivotal points in his own compositional career, and perhaps most importantly, how he changed traditional tango to Nuevo Tango following his dismissal by teacher Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Piazzolla reveals the influences that jazz artists, such as Dizzie Gillespie and Gill Evans, had on his music. There are some examples of Piazzolla's music on the first half of the program including “Tres minutos con la realidad” from 1954 and “Milonga loca” from 1987. In the second half of the program, a selection from his “Bandoneon Concerto” is heard and a collaboration with Gary Burton is presented. Throughout the program, questions and answers are both revealing and entertaining.

Genres

World music

Musical Selections

Tres minutos con la realidad (1954) -- Milonga loca (1987)

Performers

Astor Piazzolla, bandoneon

Subjects

World music
Ethnic music
Bandoneon
Bandoneon music
Tangos
Milongas (Music)
Music -- Argentina

Related places

San Francisco (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Amirkhanian, Charles
Piazzolla, Astor