DISSOLUZIONI: Music for Accordion Trio

Description

The connotations that a particular musical instrument assumes within a specific musical culture depend not only on its intrinsic musical qualities, but also on tradition, on extramusical factors, on more or less casual events which condition the instrument’s reception and its associations. For instance, as concerns the production of sound there is some kinship among the organ, the harmonium and the accordion. However, in our Western society, these three instruments evoke distinctly different aural imaginations. Particularly in some countries, the accordion is rarely found in “cultivated” music, and is more frequently associated with the ballroom and folk music.
This is not the case with some Eastern countries, in which, instead, the accordion fully belongs in the “classical” sphere. Several great Eastern European composers have explored its fascinating potential. In particular, it is an instrument which lends itself particularly well to both agility and expressiveness. The player’s fingers can run very quickly and smoothly thanks to the relatively limited size of the space they have to cover, and this allows for brilliant passageworks. At the same time, the system of sound production permits a very close control of sound, not only when it is created, but also during its development. Being founded on air, on its compression and release, the accordion is also a powerful symbol for the human voice, and therefore is frequently interpreted as almost a living organism, breathing and sighing, panting and performing nearly impossible legatos.
This perspective comes out very clearly in the works by some composers from erstwhile Soviet Union: for instance, Sofia Gubaidulina – born in the “exotic” Republic of Tatarstan – is particularly fond of the bayan, a local variant of the accordion. (To the other side of the globe, another famous and close association is that between Astor Piazzolla and the bandoneon).
A trio of accordions, such as the Sirius Accordion Trio, is therefore a very rich instrumental ensemble, capable of evoking a large palette of sounds in terms of both dynamics and timbre, thanks to each player’s possibility to shape and structure their instrument’s “breathing”.
Such an exploration is evident in Petri Makkonen’s Longing for Primitivity. The “primitiveness” of this piece results from the variety of means of sound production: although they are actually very sophisticated, they nonetheless evoke something “primitive”, since at times they turn the accordion into a kind of a percussion instrument. The accordion’s bellows are struck, the human voice participates, and dynamics are extreme. Suggestive themes invite the listener to a musical journey, whose goal is a longed-for immediacy and spontaneity. The piece thus becomes an icon and symbol for humankind’s retrieval of its deepest spiritual roots.
The Italian title of Krzysztof Olczak’s Maestoso Mesto is an interesting alliteration, but it also keeps together two adjectives which are normally quite distinct from each other. Maestoso means majestic, mesto is a particularly intense shade of sadness. Grandiosity and nobility on the one hand, deep emotion and touching feelings on the other: these contrasting feelings are combined to make a multifaceted piece, exploring as many sonorities as emotions.
Alfred Schnittke, a close friend of Gubaidulina, shared with her an interest for relatively unusual instruments; he even used bass rock guitars in his Requiem, proving that the decontextualization of a very pronouncedly connotated timbre can reveal its hidden potential. Schnittke, whose creative life took place mainly under the Soviet regime (to which he was fiercely opposed), challenged the establishment in many ways: at times, with religious content; otherwise, with references to personae non gratae, such as Igor Stravinsky, whose works were effectively banned from Soviet Union for years. Schnittke, who practiced polystylism and was able to imitate countless different styles (while maintaining the unique originality of his own personality) here openly refers to some distinctive traits of Stravinsky’s aesthetics. Along with the dissident Stravinsky, the two major Soviet composers are also alluded to, with open homages to both Shostakovich and Prokofev. The version recorded here is a cooperative transcription for accordion trio after the original for six-hand piano, realized jointly by composer Vladimir Zubitsky and accordionist Germano Scurti.
Another original piece by Schnittke is presented in an arrangement for accordion trio realized by Giovanni Fanizza. Here, as elsewhere, Schnittke takes inspiration from a typical feature of Russian culture, i.e. the grotesque, here quintessentially embodied and signified by Gogol’s works. Through sarcasm and the grotesque, it was possible to effectively express one’s dissent with respect to the regime, and frequently to elude its censorship – many regimes are entirely incapable of grasping irony.
The first section, “Overture”, colourfully portrays Gogol’s picturesque aesthetic world, with its marked contrasts and lively atmospheres. “The Clerks” is a ferocious satire, wholly in Gogol’s style. In “The Ball” a luxuriant surrounding is evoked, where elegance and love intertwine. The concluding piece, “The Greatcoat Polka”, is an enthralling dance, bubbling with energy and rhythm.
Another Finnish composer, Kimmo Hakola, is represented here by Ararà, a dance whose title is a nonsensical but interestingly sounding word. As the composer writes, both its music and its title are intended as provocation for the audience’s receptivity, representing nothing beyond themselves.
The First Day of Spring is portrayed by Paweł Baranek through the use of ostinatos expressing the energy and excitement of the arrival of a new, promising and joyful season.
Utter and sheer virtuosity characterizes Vjačeslav Semënov’s Toccata Barbara, obviously referring both to the Neo-Classical interpretations of early toccatas and to Bartok’s Allegro Barbaro. It is an exceedingly difficult piece to play, but also a breathtaking work which does not fail to conquer the listener.
Finally, Dissoluzioni by Gyula Bánkövi, expresses the transient quality of music, through unusual harmonic chains and modulations. The music is constantly de-composed and re-composed, through the intelligent and brilliant use of advanced accordion techniques.
Together, these works fully demonstrate the accordion trio’s extraordinary potential for creating a whole world of aural imaginations and sonorous fascinations.
Chiara Bertoglio © 2024