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Remembering the "Assassin of Tango"

Astor Piazzolla died Sunday at the age of 71. He was an Argentinian composer whose updated tangos were a hybrid of classical music, jazz and rock. He was also a gifted player of the bandoneon, a kind of accordion that gives tango its distinctive sound. Piazzola had suffered a stroke nearly two years ago, from which he never recovered. We present a rebroadcast of our 1988 interview with him.

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Other segments from the episode on July 6, 1992

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 6, 1992: Interview with Timothy M. Phelps; Obituary for Astor Piazzolla; Review of Gary Will's book "Lincoln at Gettysburg" and the New Republic's book "Bushisms."
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22:37

Journalist Timothy Phelps on the Appointment of Clarence Thomas

Phelps is the Supreme Court reporter who broke the Anita Hill story (along with NPR's Nina Totenberg) in New York Newsday. He's co-written an account of the Clarence Thomas hearings, called "Capitol Games," which looks at how the press failed to see the whole story of now-Justice Thomas, including just how conservative he really is.

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04:28

Comparing Two Different Styles of Presidential Oratory

Critic Maureen Corrigan compares the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and George Bush by way of two new books: "Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America," by Garry Wills, and "Bushisms: President G.H.W. Bush in his own Words," compiled by the editors of the "New Republic."

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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03:41

The Original Tango Master.

World music commentator Milo Miles tells us about the tango music of Julio de Caro. He and his band set the standard for tango music in Buenos Aires in the 20's, and his music has just been reissued on the Spanish El Bandoneon label.

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06:59

Exploring the Tango with Astor Piazzolla.

World music aficionado Milo Miles explores the world of the new tango, and reviews the latest album from the new tango's leading proponent, Argentinian accordionist Astor Piazzolla.

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26:47

"The Assassin of the Tango."

Tango innovator Astor Piazzolla. Since the early 60s, Piazzolla has been leading groups that play an updated tango that connects this Argentinian form with the musical innovations from Europe and America, both classical and contemporary. The adjustments have earned him the enmity of Argentinians, and for most of the 70s he lived in France where he wrote film scores. Piazzolla is a classically trained composer who wrote symphonies and studied with Nadia Boulanger, the renown French instructor of composition.

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