{"id":40761,"date":"2024-03-12T17:10:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T16:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/2f48ed70-166a-4d61-aed8-3e87975a858b"},"modified":"2024-03-12T17:40:01","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T16:40:01","slug":"the-best-music-for-the-accordion","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/the-best-music-for-the-accordion\/","title":{"rendered":"The best music for the accordion"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Jo\u00e3o Barradas\n <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 at 16:10 PM<\/p>

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Since the 1950s, the accordion<\/a><\/strong> has seen a revolution in the development of its idiomatic programme, as well as new dimensions in its relationship with popular music, jazz<\/a><\/strong> and creative music. As it is such a recent instrument, it would be quite difficult to say which of the situations came first. On the one hand, the proliferation of original music for solo accordion, chamber music<\/a><\/strong> and concertos<\/a><\/strong> composed by some of the most prominent contemporary composers<\/a><\/strong> and the transcription works from the European erudite tradition, provided a gateway for this instrument, as a vehicle for various programmes of unquestionable integrity, to the widest range of international stages. <\/p>

On the other hand, its entire traditional foundation is made up of technical, virtuoso<\/a><\/strong> and musical levels that influence a handful of schools of classical interpretation and composition for the accordion through oral, written or recorded means. It is this process, in its abundance of varying characteristics that is responsible for a thinking, active community whose influence and representation is hoped to continue growing. As such, what could be better than taking a look at some of the key pieces originally written for the accordion?<\/p>

We named the accordion as one of the hardest instruments to play<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>

The best accordion music<\/h2>

Sequenza XIII (Chanson)<\/em> by Berio<\/h3>

This was written in 1995 for the accordionist Teodoro Anzelotti, although Berio had already used the accordion several times, as an integral member of different instrumental groups and as a timbric source for the orchestration. In the words of the composer, meeting Anzelotti convinced him to approach the accordion as a solo instrument and, therefore, to deal with popular experiences: from melodies for countryside outings, to songs of the working class, to discotheques, to Argentinian tangos and to jazz – which, from his point of view, contributed more than any other experience towards the redefinition of the instrument over the last few decades.<\/p>

Even today, this Sequenza, which is part of a series of fourteen compositions for solo instruments or voice, is considered to be one of the most demanding pieces written for the instrument. Relying on a virtuosity and rhythmic complexity on both keyboards, its repetition of the stated motifs<\/a><\/strong>, the constant polyrhythm, the brilliant use of the Standard and Free Bass systems and the extended tessitura delivered, make this one of the most interesting pieces as an introduction to the accordion within contemporary music. Of particular note is the difficulty of the passage that exists in the third system of page 4 of the Universal Edition – an absolute case study. Among the excellent versions that exist, my choice goes to the interpretation of the Polish accordionist, Maciej Frackiewicz, which can be found on his album Portrait of a Lover<\/em>.<\/p>

We named Berio’s Sequenza III <\/em>as one of the hardest songs to sing<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>