From Música Clásica Buenos Aires, we propose listening to these 5 unmissable works by Astor Piazzolla to commemorate him on the anniversary of his birth.
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla lived between 1921 and 1992. He was one of the most important Argentine composers of the 20th century, who masterfully blended various musical genres. His exquisite works are widely known and are part of the DNA of Argentine culture. We have selected 5 unmissable pieces to remember him, although we know there are many more.
5 - María de Buenos Aires
“María de Buenos Aires” is a tango opera (“operita”) with a libretto by Horacio Ferrer and music by Astor Piazzolla. It premiered in 1968 in Buenos Aires.
4 - Las cuatro estaciones porteñas
Set of four compositions written by Piazzolla between 1965 and 1970, inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. We share a video of La Camerata Bariloche at the Teatro Colón, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Piazzolla’s birth.
3 - Concierto para bandoneón y orquesta
Also known commercially as “Aconcagua,” this concerto consists of three movements traditionally marked as follows: the first Allegro Marcato, the second Moderato, and the third Presto.
The concerto was first recorded at the Teatro Colón in 1983. This piece was also the last one Piazzolla recorded during his lifetime, in 1990 in Greece. We share the first movement of the recording with the Kölner Rundfunk Orchestra.
2 - Libertango
Iconic and groundbreaking piece by Astor Piazzolla. His compositional style crystallizes the composer’s profound understanding of tango, contemporary, and classical music. It is one of the composer’s most iconic works. We share a magnificent version performed in 1977 for French television, which clearly demonstrates the vigor of this piece (just in case there was any doubt).
1 - Adiós Nonino
To conclude this article, we offer you the masterful rendition of “Adiós Nonino” at the Teatro Colón, in the memorable performance by Astor Piazzolla alongside the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra on June 11, 1983.
We invite you to read our magazine entirely dedicated to Astor Piazzolla.
