Octetology
Neotango
The year is 1955, Astor Piazzolla returns to Buenos Aires after two years spent in Paris. Between the lessons taken with the legendary Nadia Boulanger, the discovery of the Parisian Jazz scene and meeting of artists like Gerry Mulligan, the young Astor is bubbling with inspiration. Upon his arrival in Argentina, an emancipatory rampage pushes him to break free from the Tango tradition. No more dancers, no more singers, an instrumental tango blurring the frontiers with jazz and classical music. His weapon of choice the Octeto Buenos Aires. This emblematic ensemble crystallizes a turning point in the history of Tango and initiates the emergence of "Tango Nuevo". The success of the project not being up to his expectations, Astor Piazzolla, a notorious prankster and a troublemaker, burned all of the scores of the Octeto during a dinner with friends. Alas, rendering any chance of bringing this music back to life impossible due to the lost scores. Today, thanks to an important work of research and transcription, Octetology manages to reconstitute the original arrangements of this long-lost repertoire, and contributes to the rebirth of one of the most beautiful pages in the history of Tango.