| Written
by: |
| Bernadette
Conlon |
| |
| Publication: |
| New Zealand
Accordion Association Newsletter |
| |
| Date
written : |
| July 1996 |
| |
| Editors
Note : |
| Bernadette
Conlon is 17 years of age, and lives in Melbourne, Australia.
She has been virtually blind since birth, having has less than
1% sight. Not only is she an incredibly talented accordionist,
she also studies saxophone and flute. Bernadette has gained her
Associate of Music Diploma and is the first ever Australian to
receive the Licenciate of Music Diploma using the accordion. She
is the current Australian Champion, and won the South Pacific
Championship in 1995. She could not defend her title in 1996 due
to this trip: |
I was very
fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Germany to attend
the Remscheid Masterclasses.
I
was met at the Frankfurt airport by my host family, the Wronski's.
From there, after the 25 hour flight, I was taken two hours drive,
to Essen. After catching up on sleep and food, I played duets
with Carina the 14 year old daughter, proving that music, or at
least accordion, is a universal language.
The
next morning, Mrs Wronski and I drove to Remscheid for a week
of intensive accordion playing. After a "molto prestissimo"
speech by our organiser (in which I was mentioned as an overseas
guest and knew not how to or whether to acknowledge), we had individual
solo lessons with Professor Reidys. Afterwards I was taken to
hear two of the four orchestras, in which I was to play later.
After dinner, there was a wonderful concert with two East German
button accordionists who played both solos and duets of original
accordion music and some transcriptions, including Piazzola (a
favourite with the Germans).
The
next day, after my solo lesson, I was taken to hear another smaller
ensemble which played contemporary (but not too bad) accordion
music. The organiser thought it would be good if I played with
that group, but I thought the music would be too difficult for
me to pick up. I had to go later and found it not as difficult
as I had expected. I was also given a chaperone for the day. He
was introduced, in English, by the organiser as follows: "He
is a very nice young man who is very good with young ladies!"
….. Well, I didn't find out if that was true, but he proved
a good chaperone.
I
also had a woman come up to me and tell me she had seen me busking
in Melbourne!!! Isn't it a small world??
had
a very interesting lecture from an over-eighty year old music
teacher who placed much emphasis on rhythm. The concert that night
consisted of a youth and adult orchestra. The standard of these
groups was very high.
Thursday,
I actually joined in with the orchestra conducted by the perfectionist,
Professor Dobler. As you could imagine, I had to pick up the music
and work out how the Professor wanted it played - in German!!
Thursday's concert featured a Swiss folk group. The players could
play piano accordion, button accordion and countless diatonic
folk instruments. I was quite amazed.
Every
night we had been going down to the cellar after the concert to
talk and listen to the Swiss accordionist. He was amazing. I observed
that, the more he drank the faster he played - and by a few hours,
he was playing very quickly indeed!! Thursday night was the night
before I was to play in the concert. I had, for the first time,
been able to conduct a proper conversation in German. I was thrilled
and kept on talking to the two sisters when along comes the organiser
(who I later referred to as my "Remscheid Granny") and
said (in German), "You know that you have to play tomorrow
…. yes … you must play well! You want to play well don't
you? You must go to bed!" And I had thought I'd got rid of
my parents?
The
concert consisted of an orchestra from Vienna and myself. I was
honoured to be one of only two soloists to play in the concerts
and the only one who had done the Remscheid course.
The
next week was spent in Essen. I went to school with the 14 year
old for two days (very interesting - especially in English). I
had a lesson with Professor Jurgen Lochter, a distinguished German
accordionist, composer and tutor, and heard the two Essen accordion
orchestras rehearse. All very interesting. It is an experience
I found very worthwhile. |
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