is
by far the most important figure in contemporary tango music. His
large catalogue of works is constantly re-edited, transcribed,
arranged and performed by musicians throughout the world. And yet, he
didn't really like tango...Piazzolla spent his early childhood in New York having moved there when he was four years old. He began his musical training at the age of nine on a bandoneon given to him by his father. One should mention here that the bandoneon - an instrument belonging to the accordion family and originally conceived as a cheaper alternative to the church organ - had quickly become the preferred instrument for tango. Piazzolla returned to Buenos Aires in his adolescence and played with tango orchestras in all of the city's cabarets. However, by this point he had begun composing, and having set his sights higher, wished to learn more about this art.
Piazzolla then studied with the Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera and for a decade composed exclusively for classical groups. In 1954 he received a grant to study with Nadia Boulanger, the pupil of Ravel. He remained in Paris for a year and a half, during which time his renowned teacher recommended that he return to the music he knew best, applying his knowledge here, rather than in classical contexts."It's very well written, but I don't hear Piazzolla in there" she told him...
Piazzolla himself described his music as "Nuevo Tango" or New Tango. He defined it in these terms:- In Argentina, the presidents change and nothing is said... The bishops, the soccer players, everything can change, but not tango. It seems as if it must remain as it is: old, boring, always the same, repetitive... What is found on the surface of my music, with its classical, jazz and contemporary influences is the music of Piazzolla. But "underneath" one can feel the tango...