Fuga y Misterio

Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player and arranger. His oeuvre revolutionised the traditional tango into a new style termed 'nuevo tango', incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. He is best known for his 'Libertango' and 'Adios Nonino'. In 1968 Piazzolla composed the 'operita', (little opera) 'Maria de Buenos Aires' in which Piazzolla combines classical contrapuntal techniques learned from Nadia Boulanger with the vertically harmonic 'milongas' and mid-century jazz. 'Fuga y Misterio' is the instrumental piece from the opera. The first part ('Fuga') begins with an agitated solo - in this arrangement played by the alto saxophone - that jitters around the scale and then is echoed in turn by the other instruments. Most instruments are playing tango-based music, but in the percussion the theme is based on jazz rhythms. The 'Misterio' part is based on a slow, lyrical melody related to Maria's main theme