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California Accordion Recital
This CD contains recordings made last year for a Californian concert
tour, July 26 to 29 in the USA, the home of Henry Doktorski. The
original recordings were made in a recording studio, to be sold
at the California Recitals of Doktorski, and therefore are not
a live performance.
The program consists of transcriptions as well as originals. Amongst
the transcriptions to be especially noticed is the "Suite
for a Musical Clock" by Händel; this suite of 6 movements
makes everybody conscious of Doktorski's baroque sonority and
mature taste, established over years of historical-musicological
studies.
Aditional to this transcription are others that could be defined
as "appropriate" chosen pieces to be enjoyed by the
public such as Träumerei of Schumann, Hungarian Dance No.
5 of Brahms and the personal arrangement of Oblivion by Piazzolla.
Another transcription "dangerous" is the one of the
Three Preludes for piano by Gershwin. A very difficult transcription
to convey, even wanting to grant great admiration to all Americans
for this outstanding composer.
On the plan of the original works, the album acquires fully its
value and profoundness. A brilliant circle that presents Doktorski
in the double dress as a composer and performer (Rondo Polska);
the two works of greatest importance are "Suite Op. 166"
(about 1959) and "Hymn" by the great American composer
of Armenian-Scottish origin, Alan Scott Hovhaness.
"Hymn" was written for Doktorski, who is presenting
here a very expressive demonstration, characteristic of this accordionist
that emerges always in the most melodic and expressive passages.
To fully understand the value of the execution of the "Ten
Vaudeville Classics" of Guido Deiro, one needs to entirely
capture its historical value: without wanting to " touch"
the diatribe between the two brothers Deiro (Guido and Pietro)
the honor for having first imported and introduced the accordion
to the United States. I find it most interesting to remember the
great reality of the "Vaudeville" at the beginning of
the 1900's.
This taking of the name Vaudeville, a term that pointed out the
kind of particularly theatrical style, would be to compare what
is called in Italy "variety", with a kind of entertaining
show. Concerning Guido Deiro, and after him many others, who began
with Vaudeville and then helped lead the accordion in the USA
to enjoy important success and enormous popularity for quite some
period.
Amongst the " Ten Vaudeville Classics" you will find
marches [mazurke], polka, waltz, touch, imaginations etc. Finally
I would like to add, that the road of success for the accordion
in USA was due to accordion pieces of this kind and to underline
the figure of Doktorski as a studious researcher of the accordion.
His book "The classical squeezebox" deserves to be read
by a great number of researchers and impassioned accordion enthusiasts
all over the world.
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