According to Henry Doktorski's CD Program Notes, this CD "presents stylistically diverse transcriptions and original works for accordion spanning a historical time frame from the mid-eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries." All selections were played in real-time with a converter/free-bass accordion. I believe the most successful of the pieces are those played with the free-bass, perhaps, although all of the pieces are performed very well. He has indeed included diverse repertoire! This might be a manner in which listeners of this recording would be introduced to repertoire they previously thought they would not enjoy. It is often hard to get someone interested in Waiting for the Robert E. Lee to even listen to the Hovhaness pieces. There is absolutely something on this CD that will the listener will like and, yes, they just may find they liked some of the pieces more than they thought they would! All of the composers represented by the transcriptions are of the first rank with interesting and often well known selections included. While one might differ with some of Doktorski's transcriptions or interpretations, you cannot fault his musicianship or the scholarship behind his work. He plays extremely musically and with an obvious passion for his art, regardless of the period or the style of the compositions, and gives each of the pieces a fine performance. His abundant program notes are interesting and well written. The recorded selections all fit the accordion beautifully, and would give a first-time listener of more serious music performed on an accordion a new perspective of the instrument and its great potential. Henry Doktorski stays very active performing and recording. He has several hats he wears and among them is that of a composer and, indeed, he concludes this CD with one of his short accordion solos. I recommend this recording, particularly to all those lovers of the accordion who are just now building their libraries and, perhaps, making an effort to hear music other than what they are used to hearing all the time. You will like this recording! CD available at http://henrydoktorski.com Reviewed by Joan Cochran Sommers (August 2005) |
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