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 The
pioneer and ensign of the accordion in Israel, Yehuda Oppenheimer
has released a CD of many facets, that is divided in four parts.
The first part is reserved for different waltzes that the editor
of the recording notes (Adina Yanai) defines as " musette".
Some of these waltzes are very beautiful, more for "concert"
(than for "dance") not traditional "musette",
nor any less compared to today's style of hyper-virtuosistico.
The Waltzes of Oppenheimer are nearly always veiled by some melancholy.
Maybe traces of touching events that happened in his youth: his
birth in the Nazi time of Germany, having survived the exterminations
being hidden by a Dutch family, then moving to Israel after the
second world war.
The second section is constituted by two good original compositions
of Yehuda Oppenheimer for Standard Bass Accordion: the "Images
of Israel and the Chaconne".
For certain the Chaconne of "La Folia" is the piece
that has made him known worldwide amongst accordions as a composer,
a true concert passage also much appreciated by the public (unfortunately
not written for free-bass instruments).
I think, that the three "Images of Israel" are very
characteristic pieces indeed, with melodies, harmonies, rhythms
and exclusive love indeed of the land of Israel; a piece that
I am personally very much affected by, as I have had the possibility
to study and perform (this work is also published in Italy).
The third part is a bit more problematic: a sequence of transcription
for standard bass accordion that is not easy defendible and sustainable
from the critical point of view and as musicologist - but the
great limitation of the standard bass instruments are in comparison
to a repertoire of Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Cimarosa, Joseph
Hector Bow and Fryderyk Chopin historically accepted. The last
passage is the true pearl of this CD.
 Oppenheimer
evidences himself as perfect performer (as in Chaconne) and proposes
a composition that would deserve further diffusion for all levels.
I am talking about the "Rhapsody Israelienne" of the
Israelian composer of Latvian origin, Marc Lavry (1903-1967).
This is a very good piece written for accordion and symphonic
orchestra.
Yehuda Oppenheimer presents this piece in collaboration with the
Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg under the direction of Sergio
Commissiona. One can denote very clearly, the dowries of Lavry
for composing orchestral works full of colors, timbricamente,
rhythmically very rich, indicating without problems, the role
of free reed instruments and a whole orchestra. This composer
in fact has a particular appreciation for free reed instruments:
and in his catalogue of works, its noted the work "Concertino"
for mouth harmonica and symphonic orchestra.
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