Once again the Finnish accordionist, Mika Väyrynen, proves beyond all doubt that he is a phenomenal musician, an artist whose technical and interpretative resources seem to have no limits! This is one of those milestone recordings which no accordionist should be without; in fact, no musician should be without it. Väyrynen always seems to select exactly the "correct" repertoire for a CD representing the works of various composers. Every composer, every piece, every movement is perfect and they provide innumerable challenges which are superbly met by the performer. There are many instances when the listener cannot believe the sound is being made only by one performer and emanating from one instrument. Mika Väyrynen knows this instrument like he knows his own body! The technical balance of hands, the exceedingly well controlled dynamics at both extremes, the exquisite phrasings, and the crucially important bellows manipulations performed with an artistry causing one to forget they must ever change directions; these are just some of the attributes which once again prove Mika Väyrynen the true musical artist he has shown many times in the past.
The most important repertoire from an accordionist's standpoint is undoubtedly the final piece recorded, the Sonata No. 7 Misterium by Anatoly Kuzyakov. But that is difficult to say since there are other very important original pieces included, and these pieces are no less important to the instrument and to serious musicians. They have great musical qualities throughout. The Jouni Kaipainen Placido, Op. 68 is described perfectly by the composer! Listen, then read, then listen again! The Paavo Korpijaakko Sonata No 1 Ultra is very exciting and gives the listener wonderful surprises. Thanks to the Finnish Accordion Institute for the commissioning of it. Anatoly Kuzyakov's final composition Sonata No. 7 Misterium provides the title, of course, for this CD and it rightfully ends the recording. It is a magnificent composition and one we must imagine will remain for all time in the accordion repertoire, long after all of us are gone. It is a monumental work of great historical importance, a piece which may be described as superb but it is also one which we will enjoy hearing over and over again in the future. We must thank the Finnish Accordion Institute for the commissioning of the composer.
The notes on the CD are very well written and helpful to the listener; they will lead you through the accordion originals by Kaipainen, Korpijaakko, and Kuzyakov. I will only comment that it would be even more interesting to have notes regarding the other composers also included. The liner notes are included in this review. One would believe the Janácek, Scriabin and Hannikainen pieces were indeed written for the accordion. Often times piano pieces do not fare well when performed on the accordion, perhaps more due to the performer than to the piece, but these are wonderful. Jánacek ranked along with Dvorák and Smetana in importance as a Czech composer. These two pieces from a set of 15 pieces originally written for piano in 1901-08 are little gems. They are contemplative, requiring beautiful phrasing and interpretation. Scriabin is represented with four pieces from his 24 Preludes Op 11 and again they are beautifully interpreted on the accordion by Mika Väyrynen. Scriabin was a prolific composer and wrote many preludes for piano such as these short dramatic pieces. His melodic idiom became very distinctive with often complex rhythms, characterized by many upward leaps, powerful expression of the most passionate moods and with sometimes overwhelming climaxes. Even while these four pieces are short, they give credence to that description of his compositions. Ilmari Hannikainen steered Finnish classical music from late Romanticism towards Impressionism. His piano miniatures best illustrated this development. He was the son and the brother of composers, studied piano with several outstanding teachers, including Cortot in Paris, and eventually became a Professor at the Sibelius Academy. The two pieces represented on this CD are important additions, showing the accordion in a fine light.
We have thanked the Finnish Accordion Institute for the commissions they have given, but we must also thank the artist, Mika Väyrenen, for his considerable contributions in making these pieces become the realities they are today. This indeed proves that even great composers often must have the cooperation and collaboration of great artists, people with a musical knowledge of the accordion and its possibilities, along with the ability to demonstrate and, finally, to perform the repertoire in public in order for the compositions to become all they can be and valuable to the instrument's repertoire. This CD has shown such successful examples and we must be thankful. Needless to say, I found every single performance on this recording to be inspirational. It is my suggestion that you include it in your own special collection of accordion recordings. Buy the Misterium CD from the MusicForAccordion.com website. Reviewed by Joan Cochran Sommers, February, 2010. The CD is FAICD-23 with a total time of 66:01 ISRC: FI-SJS-09-00001...00018 Suomen Harmonikkainstituutti/Finnish Accordion Institute 2009 |
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