[Tango-L] Community Expansion Brainstorming

[Robert Armus]

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "El Mundo del Tango"

> <<Astor Piazzolla was one of the most profound musician/composers of the

> 20th

> century and he called his music Tango >>>

>

> No. He called it "Musica de Buenos Aires"and he would say it was in the

> ears, not the feet. Further, he disliked dancers and several times 
> expressed

> his desire for his music NOT to be danced. Yet, very often we hear of

> bold neophites completely unfamiliar with Tango and Tango culture announce 
> "

> A tribute to Astor Piazolla" with show dancing to "Adios Nonino",

> "Libertango,"etc.

> How can you homage someone by ignoring his wishes...is beyond my

> comprehension...pero que le vas a hacer!!

>

> <<but many dancers still think his music

> is not for dancing or not even Tango !?!>>

>

> Astor would have agreed with them...

> Gabriel

Have you read the Piazzolla biography/autobiography "A Memoir" written with 
the help of Natalio Gorin ?

This book was written in the last years of Astor's life, he was too sick to 
write so Gorin wrote down his words.

I don't have the book here with me so I can't quote it exactly but I did 
read it twice and remember clearly that Astor Piazzolla considered himself a 
man of Tango. There is no reference to him saying he didn't like dancers but 
he does talk about how many dancers hated him with a passion, didn't 
consider his music Tango, Piazzolla even received death threats from people 
because he changed Tango ! If Astor didn't like dancers you can understand 
why ! Piazzolla was frustrated by the traditionalists, he was a forward 
thinker and the traditionalists are backwards thinkers, including many 
musicians. Astor calls it the "dolce de leche syndrome", In Argentina if you 
don't like the sweet, siropy dolce de leche then you are not really 
Argentinean, he made an analogy to music and Tango. Astor didn't like dolce 
de leche.

I have never read or heard from anyone who knew Astor that he didn't want 
people to dance to his music. Piazzolla's major work "Maria de Buenos Aires" 
is an Opera complete with dance, and of course Tango dance. He wished it so.

Piazzolla did like it when people didn't dance at his concerts and just 
listened but this is understandable, but he never said his music was not for 
dancing.

Piazzolla was hurt by traditionalists and dancers whom for some reason 
dis-credit him from Tango.

Piazzolla was encouraged by Natalie Boulanger to write Tango while he was 
studying composition with her in Paris. This was the catalyst that lead to 
the innovations in Tango. The difference between Piazzolla and most is that 
he studied music seriously, all kinds of music and incorporated what he 
learned into Tango. When Astor began to study with Boulanger he hid the fact 
that he was a Tango musician and played the bandoneon. One day Boulanger 
heard by accident Astor playing before a lesson and told him that Tango is 
his voice and he should continue as a Tango composer. From that day on 
Piazzolla called himself a man of Tango and everything he played and wrote 
was Tango.

My opinion is Piazzolla took Troilo's (Astors played in Troilo's band) music 
forward, Anibol Troilo agreed with this.