Accordion
Illusions – Stanislav
Venglevski
Stanislav
Venglevski, known to everyone as Stas, has carved out a wonderful
professional career in the United States after moving there in
1992 from Moldava. In this CD he demonstrates his talents as a
composer for both solo and duet, giving ample demonstration of
both. Here is a terrifically gifted young man beginning to stretch
out and find even more avenues for his gifts. Listeners will always
appreciate his energetic and youthful approach to some melodies
that become a bit “tried and true” but always seem
to be successful with the audiences. Stas is a very warm and likeable
musician with a twinkle in his eye that reaches out and grabs
you.
In addition, Stanislav
Venglevski has a store of technical proficiency just waiting
to be unleashed at every opportunity. He has no trouble playing
what he wants to play…there is no lack of perfection in
every arpeggio or scale! They are clean, clear, and marvelous
in execution.
This collection of Venglevski compositions is performed by two
fine musicians…Mike Alongi and, of course, Stas. Mike plays
very well indeed and it is hard to tell the two players apart
sometimes which, after all, is a definite plus in the playing
of duets. They compliment each other extremely well. This is a
demonstration of fine musicians playing the accordion and the
bayan with no straining of reeds and no bombastic displays to
distort the inherent beauty possible with the accordion. Everything
is performed with a very fine sense of musical artistry. Students
working to play a simple trill should listen and marvel at the
trills shown through #7. Fluttering Birds (Duet); they are beautifully
executed! It is that kind of attention that makes this whole collection
fine, in my opinion.
The listener will find his own personal favorites within the repertoire.
All pieces have a simplicity and beauty about them that, with
repetition, become a bit cloying at times but then Stas finds
a way to interject an unsuspected rhythmic pattern into the mix,
giving you a jolt of excitement and surprise. Personally, I am
looking forward to the composer’s efforts in the future
and hoping for a few more mature and substantive pieces with the
same great appeal as these very entertaining ones.
If I picked my favorites, however, I think I might say the pieces
comprising the Menagerie Suite. Some of these are just absolute
gems! They remind me of the compositions of the Russian composer,
Evgeny Derbenko, in some respects. Let your own imagination soar
when you listen to #12. Mice Party Polka (Duet) and you may well
believe you could be watching cartoons and seeing the kitchen
mice skittering about until suddenly their arch enemy, the big
old menacing house-cat, shuts them down with an immediate and
very abrupt conclusion to their disrespectful partying in his
domain!
But #14. Midnight Waltz reminds me of the Jean Sibelius Valse
Triste, Op. 44, so hauntingly lovely in its simplicity and pathos.
On this occasion, however, I see an old couple, devoted to each
other, dancing with an elegance only known by the aged but with
a momentary and very discreet taking of needed breath before continuing
their waltz at midnight and finding their evening rest. It is
this sort of composition, along with the previously mentioned
Menagerie Suite, that gives me an expectancy and assurance of
a long career for Stanislav
Venglevski, not only as a fine player but also as an interesting
and intriguing composer of music for our instrument.
I recommend this CD and, without reservation, I know that you
will also like it and recommend it to others, too.
Reviewed by Joan
Cochran Sommers, July 2007
This CD is available on the Stanislav
Venglevski site on MusicForAccordion.com - high security eCommerce
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