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 "La
strada maestra" - meaning "on the way/road of teaching".
This piece of work derives from an important way of teaching.
This way is the evolution and (if even still needed) the emancipation
of the accordion. It is the great inheritance that Mogens Ellegaard
has left (and next to him other great accordionists). I have quoted
Ellegaard because together with Claudio
we have had the fortune to study with him. The lessons of Ellegaard
were both those of the scheduled practising (with the accordion
in our hands), and those of sitting together listening to stories
and anecdotes. Stories and anecdotes about how to fascinate and
make the many composers he has met his career want to write for
the accordion and with the accordion.
Claudio
Jacomucci is certainly on this "road" of maestro.
His CD contains two pieces not generated for the solo accordion
but a result of an idea by the composers when being confronted
with this instrument. It is also a result of the meeting between
Jacomucci and the great Hungarian composer György Kurtag
with his "five pieces", small passages that already
underline the great ability to place himself in discussion as
a composer on his "composing progress" or "road",
always in research of lyricism and refinement.
The Spanish Luis de Pablo (a man
of innumerable interests and experiences) has also gathered in
the accordion the possibility to give to one of his composition's
(Tango) a not only new, but perhaps an also more functional aspect.
The Italian composers represent the most consistent part of this
album. Both for importance of the names and for the excellent
way of the performed pieces. Jacomucci had already collaborated
with Donatoni for the remake of his composition "Feria III"
for accordion duo. This was the reason that he has made the composer
from Verona want to compose for a solo instrument, that has given
light in 1997 to Feria IV is a piece with a lot of difficulties
that also reveals the complexity of Donatoni's thoughts or ideas.
In accord with Claudio Jacomucci (to whom this composition is
dedicated), the organization of the International Prize "City
of Castelfidardo"
chose this composition as the test piece in 1998.
The "Sequence" XIII (Luciano
Berio, who passed away last May 27th), is a mile stone of the
repertoire for accordion - as always the " Sequences "
have been for their respective instruments. The splendid execution
of Jacomucci displays at its best the thoughts of Berio that he
felt in the piece "chanson" as well as all "features"
that the accordion meant to him, wandering and seeking together.
Sciarrino is a composer that always
reserves some surprises. His research has lead him to write for
the accordion. He was stimulated by Theodore Anzellotti, who has
surprisingly conducted him to compose a piece that uses only the
chords (for the left hand). A careful listener will find out that
this choice is not the reason for "wanting to go against
the general trend", but as a serious analysis of some possibilities
not yet exploited of this instrument. Most important in all the
pieces by this composer, is the research for the production of
sound and silence and they are the real protagonists of the piece
"Vagabond blue". The instrumental result is of sublime
level, and as already said "amazing"!
The CD has been given the title
"Road Runner" after the fascinating piece by John Zorn.
The American composer and saxophonist is one of the few who was
able to unite the research of avant-garde with experimentations
of various origin (rock, jazz, pop, folk). Road Runner is an overwhelming
zapping, a piece of great irony bringing up questions upon today's
realities of communication and above all on the results of these
same communications. Jacomucci performs it in an astounding way
and this, more than to be a piece from the CD it is a piece that
should be listened to in a live performance. The listener doesn't
get shocked neither from the zapping nor the repeated fragmentation
of the sincere irony, they are feelings that capture your attention
and become somehow familiar. Once awake at the end of the piece
- one will remember they are in a concert hall in front of an
accordionist and will realise the entire greatness that is gathered
in the duo Jacomucci-Zorn.
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