According
to Henry Doktorski's CD Program Notes, this CD "presents
stylistically diverse transcriptions and original works for accordion
spanning a historical time frame from the mid-eighteenth to the
twenty-first centuries." All selections were played in real-time
with a converter/free-bass accordion. I believe the most successful
of the pieces are those played with the free-bass, perhaps, although
all of the pieces are performed very well.
He has indeed
included diverse repertoire! This might be a manner in which listeners
of this recording would be introduced to repertoire they previously
thought they would not enjoy. It is often hard to get someone
interested in Waiting for the Robert E. Lee to even listen to
the Hovhaness pieces. There is absolutely something on this CD
that will the listener will like and, yes, they just may find
they liked some of the pieces more than they thought they would!
All of the composers represented by the transcriptions are of
the first rank with interesting and often well known selections
included.
While one might differ with some of Doktorski's transcriptions
or interpretations, you cannot fault his musicianship or the scholarship
behind his work. He plays extremely musically and with an obvious
passion for his art, regardless of the period or the style of
the compositions, and gives each of the pieces a fine performance.
His abundant program notes are interesting and well written. The
recorded selections all fit the accordion beautifully, and would
give a first-time listener of more serious music performed on
an accordion a new perspective of the instrument and its great
potential.
Henry Doktorski
stays very active performing and recording. He has several hats
he wears and among them is that of a composer and, indeed, he
concludes this CD with one of his short accordion solos. I recommend
this recording, particularly to all those lovers of the accordion
who are just now building their libraries and, perhaps, making
an effort to hear music other than what they are used to hearing
all the time. You will like this recording!
CD available
at http://henrydoktorski.com
Reviewed by Joan
Cochran Sommers
(August 2005)
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