Mario's notes:
"......Revival from World War 2 - devastating,
but a happy childhood for me....exposure to French culture, including
the rich literature and traditional accordion music .Accordion
was king ! I loved the sound! My love and intense desire to play
the accordion never diminished despite having to walk three miles
weekly to my teacher with my instrument strapped to my back! That
was truly to be the beginning of my musical career. I advanced
quickly and went on to competitions, travelling extensively throughout
France. My dreams became a reality upon winning the ultimate accordion
competition, the Grand Prix of Paris!
Musical trends have come and gone. The accordion
presents itself in many styles of music, but remains the true
ambassador of French music. It gives me great pleasure to present
this album to you. As you travel along with me, experience the
romantic French flavour. Bon Voyage........"
I have heard many, many accordion recordings
with French music, but this one left an especially good impression
on me. What I particularly liked about Mario's performing style
is that he plays with a refined but firm 'leggiero' touch which
is so needed when performing French music. His bellows technique
is excellent and he produces a full and intense sound, also
very much needed for French music. His overall performance is
really entertaining ,charming and sweet (but not too sweet,
which is where I believe many accordion entertainers get trapped).
Really good performance style, a pleasure
to listen to!