bandoneón
Spanish composer
Definition
A type of concertina developed in Germany in the 19th century and adopted as the defining instrument of Argentine tango. The bandoneón's characteristic tone — nasal, reedy, expressive — and its ability to swell and fade with the bellows gives the tango its distinctive emotional colour. Piazzolla was himself a virtuoso bandoneónist, and his compositions are conceived around the instrument's expressive range.
Interpretive Guidance
When playing piano transcriptions of Piazzolla's bandoneon parts, try to imitate the bellows: crescendos from silence, sudden swells, and the slightly raspy quality of an instrument breathing. Avoid smooth, classically polished tone in these passages — roughness is part of the character.