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Patricia Bartell Sweeps Symphony with Solo, Spokane - USAby Harley Jones |
Review Larry Lapidus Correspondent, The Spokesman-Review Two of the brightest planets in Spokane’s musical firmament teamed up this weekend, when accordionist Patricia Bartell joined Eckart Preu and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra on the stage. In keeping with Preu’s interest in expanding the repertoire, they collaborated in performing the Concerto for Bandoneon, subtitled “Aconcagua” (1979) by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), who is credited for bringing the tango into the realms of both jazz and concert music. Bartell’s appearance onstage brought the audience immediately to its feet, and occasioned a burst of whistling and shouting unusual in that auditorium. The Spokane musician is plainly a star, and the reasons are not hard to find. Her mastery of her instrument is absolute, which enables her to use the accordion as a resonator for her soul, able to reach across the gap between her and her listeners to make their thoughts and feelings vibrate in tune with hers. The symphony distinguished itself by mirroring Bartell’s kaleidoscopic range of color and mood precisely. Most memorable was the second movement, in which she engaged in intimate dialogue with concertmaster Mateusz Wolski, principal cello John Marshall and harp Earecka Tregenza Moody. The audience did not want Bartell to leave the stage without an encore, which she graciously supplied with an improvisation so brilliant that one felt that the whole orchestra was still playing. |