An expert panel of the most well-know classical accordionists, MODERN MAP professors, skillful and progressive musicians of the youngest O C E generations and several accordion festival organizers, introduces a discussion about the current situation of the accordion on a MOD D C R professional, academic, pedagogic, artistic scene. ACCORDION E O S R R P It illustrates, on a international level, the “possible ways” for young accordionists, looking at the future of our instrument and at the main ERN N D E professional perspectives and at the strategies to emancipate young I C musicians in the real music world, and considering the importance and the role of conventional accordion organizations, contests and festivals. O T PERSPECTIVES ACC N I V E S ORD ION Iñaki Alberdi [Musikene, Higher School of Music of the Basque Country] Klaudiusz Baran [Fryderyk Chopin University, Warsaw] Xiaoqing Cao [Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing] Pascal Contet [Académie Supérieure de Musique, Strasbourg, France] PER Geir Draugsvoll [Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen] Paulo Jorge Ferreira [Applied Arts Superior School, Castelo Branco / Lisbon Conservatory] Maciej Frackiewicz [Poland] Frode Haltli [Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo] SPE Gorka Hermosa [Santander Conservatory, Spain] Claudio Jacomucci [Pescara Conservatory / Italian Accordion Academy] edited by Marko Kassl [Detmold Academy of Music, Germany] Rasmus Kjøller [Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen] Veli Kujala [Sibelius Academy, Helsinki] CTI Vincent Lhermet [Pôle Superieur d’Enseignements Artistiques in Lille, France] claudio jacomucci Miloš Milivojevic [Serbia/UK] powered by Bjarke Mogensen [Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen] Harald Oeler [Maximilians University, Munich] VES Paolo Picchio [Italy] Luca Piovesan [Italy] Massimiliano Pitocco [Rome Conservatory] Raimondas Sviackevicius [Lithuanian Academy of Music, Vilnius] articles and interviews about classical edited by Krassimir Sterev [Bulgaria/Austria] accordion literature, pedagogy and Sergej Tchirkov [Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory] its artistic, professional perspectives claudio jacomucci 9788895534305 € 7,50 _____________________________________________________________________________ MODERN ACCORDION PERSPECTIVES articles and interviews about classical accordion literature, pedagogy and its artistic, professional perspectives Edited by Claudio Jacomucci _____________________________________________________________________________ 1 _____________________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2013 Grafica Metelliana spa Cava dei Tirreni (Sa) Tel. 089 349392 www.graficametelliana.com ISBN: 9788895534305 _____________________________________________________________________________ 2 _____________________________________________________________________________ Contents Introduction . 5 The accordionist in the 21st century by Frode Haltli . 7 European cooperation by Vincent Lhermet . 10 Choosing the accordion in 2013 by Pascal Contet . 13 Quarter tone accordion by Veli Kujala . 19 Perspectives on accordion pedagogics on academic level by Geir Draugsvoll . 22 Development of the classical accordion in United Kingdom by Miloš Milivojevic . 25 Developing awareness, improving the cultural condition by Claudio Jacomucci . 28 Discovering traditions: integrating the contemporary accordion education in the world of New Music by Sergej Tchirkov . 32 The position of the accordion in Polish musical culture “yesterday and today” by Klaudiusz Baran . 36 One possible way for accordion by Luca Piovesan . 40 _____________________________________________________________________________ 3 _____________________________________________________________________________ Classical Accordion in China by Xiaoqing Cao . 43 Connection between accordion and the real music scene by Paulo Jorge Ferreira . 47 Rediscovering the 19th Century repertoire for free reeds keyboard instruments by Gorka Hermosa . 50 MYTHOS Accordion Duo interview with Bjarke Mogensen and Rasmus Kjoller . 53 New Polish literature for accordion and cello by Maciej Frackiewicz . 59 My ideal competition: the accordion surrounded by the arts by Paolo Picchio . 62 Pedagogics, competitions and perspectives interview with Massimiliano Pitocco . 65 Lithuanian Accordion Developments interview with Raimondas Sviackevicius . 68 The instrument that does not age interview with Krassimir Sterev . 73 At Viera Janárceková’s by Harald Oeler and Judith Hampel . 75 Duo MARES, new repertoire for viola and accordion by Marko Kassl . 78 Composing for accordion by Iñaki Alberdi. 82 _____________________________________________________________________________ 4 _____________________________________________________________________________ Introduction The proliferation of a valuable literature for accordion solo, chamber music, concertos by well-known composers has given a major impetus to the “emancipation” of our instrument. Since the 1950s the pioneers of classical accordion1 understood that―in order to be recognized by the contemporary music world―they had to rise awareness on the instrumental unexplored potential, and―at the same time―accordion education had to measure up to the expected musical development. The fruitful collaboration with composers led to a cultural elevation of the instrument laying the foundations for a more and more flourishing literature (both concert and pedagogic one); it lead to a truly new way of perceiving the instrument creating a perspective that didn’t exist before. That is how accordionists started to appear in important concert seasons, in significant projects and in prestigious institutions all over the world. Nowadays professional accordionists are no longer considered second class, amateur musicians and nobody is skeptic anymore about our instrument. As matter of fact, a number of professional accordionists, in many countries, have evolved tremendously, they have reached important results, thanks also to a more and more highly qualifying education. The pedagogic literature and teaching experience has improved immensely in many countries. Our instrument is taught in the majorities of the conservatories and academies and there are even classical accordion “schools”, streams and styles. Accordion manufacture has become a lot finer too: masters have enhanced their constructing techniques, applying a more acoustic criteria to “sound making”, both in pedagogic and professional instruments. But there is an important aspect of the accordion scene that has not completely stepped out of the niches: the tiny world made of club-like communities, confederations, close-circuit societies, championships, cups, trophies, which doesn’t seem to follow the progress and the developments. This cultural provincialism is a big limitation not only for the “evolution” of the accordion but mostly for those students that are trapped in such a narrow-minded world. Many accordionists are attached to the “old accordion world”, living in a condition of cultural closure, isolation, with a lack of aesthetic awareness and artistic taste, ignoring what is going on in the “real” music world. What is serious is that the mentality of the average accordionist is very much influenced by this “old conception”. This is a terrible mistake for a young instrument, with such a short history as the accordion is, because it doesn’t open any new possibility. In the last years, some colleagues and I, have often reflected about this problem, especially because many of us sit in the jury board of accordion competitions, and we 1 The term “classical accordion” refers to the most elvolved istrument of the family: the full range free-bass multitimbral accordion. No reference are meant to specific styles of music, except those formally and artistically more sophisticated and enduring types of music which may exploit its full potential. _____________________________________________________________________________ 5 _____________________________________________________________________________ agreed that an expert-panel of accordionists could shed light on these issues by starting a constructive discussion and exchange, but in a propositive way and not only critical. There are many amazing, innovative and absolutely progressive projects for/with accordion by many accordionists all over the world; they are new conception projects also with the use of new technologies, medias and with no distinction of genres. That is why we felt that publishing a series of articles and introducing some of young performer’s projects could be inspiring for young generations. The authors of these articles are well-known performers, pedagogues and jurors of international competitions, organizers and directors of accordion festival/competitions and young accordionists who―beside their solid skills―have a clear and modern direction in their professional careers. With this publication we want to share some ideas with those who consider our experience useful, without any intention to create associations, confederations or closed- circuit meetings. At the same time, I really hope that this is the first step of a future cooperation that can be expanded involving more committed performers, teachers, students and can give the practical contribution to the realization of common purposes. Claudio Jacomucci _____________________________________________________________________________ 6 _____________________________________________________________________________ The accordionist in the 21st century by Frode