Tango

Tango became internationally known in the beginning of the twentieth century and the most popular ballroom dance during World War I. Its popularity declined in the 1940s and 1950s but was revived in the following two decades.One of the most well-known Tango composers was Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992). He grew up in New York but later went back to Buenos Aires in 1937, studied with the famous music pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and finally left Argentina in 1974 to settle in France. Piazzolla introduced large ensemble as well as electric guitar to the genre and used more chromaticism and dissonance. Piazzolla's brand of tango was called "nuevo tango," the same name as his quintett, "Quinteto Nuevo Tango." His tango was firstly resisted by old school tango musicians and popular only in the U.S. and France. His music was finally widely accepted in the 1980s worldwide, including Argentina. He was even seen as a saviour of tango since the genre became popular again after its decline. Now let's listen to his opera "Maria de Buenos Aires.