Accordéon Liturgique by Philippe Borecek - CD Review in English by Alessandro Mugnoz.


Accordéon Liturgique

Philippe Borecek

Self – France, 2010.
7 January 2012
Accordéon Liturgique CD back cover by Philippe Borecek
Accordéon Liturgique CD front cover by Philippe Borecek

Accordéon Liturgique

This "Accordéon Liturgique": The program of this interesting CD, contrary to what one might imagine from the title, has quite different composers from different historical eras - with an interesting combination of styles for the 10 tracks that make up the CD.

Of course the word "liturgical" in the sense of music "sacred" is not the strict essence so while much of the music is not strictly "religious", the music still relates to the body "church" or is inspired by cathedrals and monasteries ...

Chronologically we start from the German Baroque, with its famous "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by J.S. Bach and the severe "Praeludium in E Major" by Buxtehude, who was one of the organists who most influenced the young Johann Sebastian.

Following the classical Austrian touches the sublime "motet" Ave Verum K 618 by W.A. Mozart, based on a text of the Eucharistic fourteenth century (the original song is transcribed for chorus, orchestra and organ), reaching out to the late French Romanticism with the monumental "Gothique Suite" of Boëllmann: an organ composition now "public domain" (almost like Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D min.) for accordion "virtuoso"
performers.

The CD features two major original pieces for accordion: "The Ruined Cathedral" by the Czech Vaclav Trojan and "The Monastery of Firaponte" by the Russian Vladimir Zolotariev. The CD ends with the beautiful "Ave Maria" by Astor Piazzolla (originally an instrumental work titled: “Tanti anni prima”).

The accordionist Borecek offers technically accurate and aesthetic execution of the music in line with the title of the program ... That reminds us of that particular model of accordion, called "liturgical" - designed and manufactured in the early 1940s in Italy, in Stradella (PV) - with which Felice Fugazza performed before Pope Pius XII.

In conclusion: a CD that confirms, once again, the "nobility" and now reached "artistic maturity" of the accordion as a concert instrument ... and, in this case, also the "artistic maturity" of the interpreter!

Reviewed by Alessandro Mugnoz... January 2012.

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