For this week's review, I searched
through the pile of CD's sent to me for review, for something
unusual, something - with difference, and decided that this recording
"Concertina Landscape" is what I was looking for.
"Concertina Landscape" features
traditional English dance tunes and some classical miniatures
performed by Dave Townsend on the English Concertina.
I found the information supplied
by Dave about the actual English Concertina most interesting and
thought I would share it with our readers:
"The English Concertina differs
from other hexagonal or octagonal squeeze-boxes in the layout
of the keys - the notes of the scales alternate from the right
hand end of the box to the left-hand, so that the notes written
in the spaces of the music stave, high and low, are all played
by the right hand, and those on the lines by the left. The system
was invented by the physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone and patented
in 1829, with the first production of instruments appearing in
the early 1840's. Of all the instruments developed in the 19th
century to utilise the newly discovered principle of the free
reed, the English Concertina remains the most agile, subtle and
sweet-toned. The "Tenor-Treble Aeola" featured on most of this
album has a fully chromatic range of 4 octaves...."
Dave Townsend is a full time musician
and singer, playing mainly English Concertina, plus accordion
and violin. Dave performs traditional and classical music on the
English Concertina. He is also involved in a wide range of music
activities including music for television, film, theatre, recording,
composition and research.
I was totally amazed to hear the
artist achieve such a level of sophistication on the concertina,
especially in the classical miniatures. In Dave's performance
I heard some aspects of musicianship which are not often heard
on the concertina: refined sound-creating, different kinds of
touch, simple polyphony, etc.
Dave is no doubt a very skilled
and knowledgeable concertina player, with a high standard of musicianship.
At times his concertina sounds so mellow, sweet, even nostalgic,
and at other times it could sound firm and solid. Sound wise I
especially liked the combination of concertina and cello. The
sound they produce together is very 'renaissance like'.
Dave's sound producing and general
sound control is very skilful as is his playing technique.
This is a most interesting recording.
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