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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=30-May-2008&lang=de&s=2667
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=30-May-2008&lang=de&s=2667
30-May-2008
by Henry Doktorski
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 American concert accordionist Henry Doktorski performs on a newly released CD featuring soprano Hila Plitmann and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. The recording features two works by American composer David Del Tredici: ‘Vintage Alice’ and ‘Dracula’.‘Vintage Alice’, a 23-minute work scored for orchestra and a folk group consisting of two saxophones, mandolin, banjo and accordion, is based on Lewis Carroll's ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Composer David Del Tredici (born 1937) explained: "I wanted to include a second group of instruments which would sound completely different from a symphony orchestra; something totally un-orchestral. After some consideration, I decided that the saxophone, mandolin, banjo and accordion would be perfect because those instruments – due to their cultural identity and distinctive tonal qualities – were rarely used with symphony orchestras." Del Tredici continued, "I love the accordion; to me at least, it always sounds funky in an orchestral setting. In my ‘Alice’ pieces, I write for the accordion as a solo instrument and never try to blend it with the other instruments. Early in my composing career I wrote mostly atonal works. But when I discovered the accordion I developed a desire to use its left-hand chord buttons – the major, minor, seventh and diminished buttons – in my ‘Alice In Wonderland’ piece. This was a turning point for me: it caused me to consider using tonality in my compositions. I suppose for this then, I am indebted to the accordion for opening my eyes to the possibilities of tonality." Doktorski said, "The accordion part was substantial. It was one of the most difficult accordion pieces I have played with orchestra – due to the presto tempo and convoluted right and left-hand passages (after all, it was a mad tea party), but that simply made the performance even more exciting. "For much of the piece, the accordion, banjo and mandolin functioned as a trio within the orchestra; at several other places, the accordion was featured as a solo instrument and even had its own cadenza toward the end. My favorite part was the accordion and soprano duet near the conclusion of the piece, a classical-period stylistic variation on the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ melody (which figures prominently throughout the piece) which was pure pleasure to play." |