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Title: Francesco Palazzo Fisarmonica Classica
Artist: Francesco Palazzo
Supplied by: Paolo Picchio
Review date: 15 July 2005
Tracks:


In this CD a large amount of work has been "compressed" (today one would say zipped).The total duration is squeezed into its digital support (approximately 79 min.), due to the specific choice of as of the artist. Francisco Palazzo (teaching professor of Conservatory in Bari , his home town) has not saved any energy or effort: he has chosen the typical formula of the "solo-recital" proposing first some transcriptions and then a series of original works for accordion.

Mainly due to the choice of these last ones - I have found the choice very convincing, valuing the most important works of the Italian repertoire (and here all ! the merit and honour goes to Palazzo for being excellent) adding only one of the most exceptional works of Russian literature by Sofja Gubajdulina (De Profundis).

I find it also very important, that no popular work has been added to this selection in order to impress "the listener": I repeat the concept - it must be taken into consideration of how much work and effort has been put into this work and with a precise choice. Palazzo has introduced himself as a pure soloist and does not try to impress as "competitor", and always detaches comfortly when it needs to show "musical content", denoting an analytical study of the works. The audience Palazzo is looking for is a serious listener, going to a concerthall with conviction and attention, not expexting some kind of wonder from theinstrument.

From this point of view the only piece that would seem to be piece of other times is Toccata e Fuga BWV 565 by Johann Sebastian Bach: an "evergreen", and this i! s its strong point, the technical skills and the polyphony required from the accordionist to perform (important: performing on any kind of accordion model) does not render "Fuga" immune from some contestation and perplexity. Much more effective is the choice of the others two transcriptions: "Arte della Fuga" (with three extractions) always by J. S. Bach and voluptuous and the fascinating " Preludio, Fuga - Variazioni " of César Franck; that the accordion could approach the most important Bach-Partitions is a discovery thanks to the teacher Palazzo. Salvatore Di Gesualdo, making it his "battle" for his concerts and then inserting it with the repertoire for the Diploma of the accordion course at the Conservatory.

The original Italian repertoire is the one that has convinced me most of this CD: Palazzo places in evidence as during the mid XX century in Italy there was an important production of original compositions for this instrument by the greatest names (Felice Lattuada, Franco Alfano, Luigi Ferrari-Trecate), as in 1976 - always thanks to Salvatore Di Gesualdo - Bruno Bartolozzi wrote a "turnaround" piece for accordion literature, recognized by few that should instead be revealed with much more vigour; finally the pugliese soloist reminds us of the 90's where we have seen a bloom for Italian accordion literature and concerts proposing the "Prelude, Corale e Finale" of Sergio Calligaris in 1994.

I confess: I have listened carefully and several times the fourteenth track, the "Corale" of Calligaris; it is most beautiful and interpreted in excellent way, with a "smooth" sound that renders it nearly metaphysical music; beautiful indeed.

This CD is available on the Francisco Palazzo site on MusicForAccordion.com - high security eCommerce site run by WorldPay.com, part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

                                                            
 

 

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