Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (Spanish pronunciation: [pjaˈsola], Italian pronunciation: [pjatˈtsɔlla]; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. A virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a variety of ensembles.
In 1992, American music critic Stephen Holden described Piazzolla as “the world’s foremost composer of tango music” …
… Early in 1989 he formed his Sexteto Nuevo Tango, his last ensemble, with two bandoneons, piano, electric guitar, bass and cello. Together they gave a concert at the Club Italiano in Buenos Aires in April, a recording of which was issued under the title of Tres minutos con la realidad. Later he appeared with them at the Teatro Opera in Buenos Aires in the presence of the newly elected Argentine President Carlos Menem on Friday, June 9. This would be Piazzolla’s last concert in Argentina.
He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Paris on August 4, 1990, which left him in a coma, and died in Buenos Aires, just under two years later on July 4, 1992, without regaining consciousness. (by wikipedia)
And here´s one of his last concerts in Argentina … live at the Club Italiano in Buenos Aires.
This is one of the few recorded documents of the Sextet that represents the last (tragically short) phase of Piazzolla’s career. The music is extremely dark, passionate and intense.
These are, I believe, the only live versions of the La Camorra pieces and of the Tango Ballet
There are other live recordings of this group: The Lausanne Concert,Luna,Astor Piazzolla & The New Tango Sextet: Live at the BBC 1989. There’s a video of the BBC Concert included in Astor Piazzolla in Portrait
The sextet also produced some studio work (including new pieces not found elsewhere) that is available on the various versions of 57 Minutos con la Realidad – highly recommended, (by Thelonious)
Personnel:
José Bragato (cello)
Hector Console (bass)
Gerardo Gandini (piano)
Horacio Malvicino (guitar)
Tullio Pane (bandoneon)
Astor Piazzolla (accordion, bandoneon)
Tracklist:
01. Luna (Levinson/Piazzolla) 10.08
02. Sexteto (Piazzolla) 10.18
03. Tres minutos con la realidad (Piazzolla) 3.06
04. Camorra II (Piazzolla) 6.40
05. Camorra III (Piazzolla) 10.13
06. Tango Ballet (Piazzolla) 11.49