Astor Piazzolla

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/astor-piazzolla

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Astor Piazzolla born?March 11, 1921
2. Where was Astor Piazzolla born?Mar del Plata, Argentina
3. When did Astor Piazzolla die?July 4, 1992 (age 71)
4. What is Nuevo Tango?Nuevo Tango is a new style of tango that mixes traditional dance music with jazz and classical ideas, turning it into concert music.
5. How did Piazzolla change tango music?He added new chords, dissonances, and instruments like the bandoneon with violins and guitars, and wrote music for listening rather than just dancing.

Nuevo Tango: A post-1955 style of tango music developed by Astor Piazzolla, characterized by its harmonic complexity, jazz influences, and suitability for concert performance.
Bandoneon: A free-reed instrument of the concertina family, central to the sound of tango, which Piazzolla elevated to new expressive heights.
Compositional Synthesis: The act of combining diverse musical styles, techniques, and influences into a cohesive and original musical work.