Richard Galliano – BACH – Badinerie, Violin Concerto BWV 1041, Air from Orch. Suite No. 3, Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1, Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056, Siciliano, Allemande, Concerto for Oboe and Violin BWV 1060, Contrapunctus 1 from The Art of Fugue; GALLIANO: Aria – DGG 28948 03341 *****:
(Richard Galliano – accordion, accordina, bandoneon/ with string quartet & doublebass)
I was going to pair this new release up with a recent Latin and tango-oriented CD from accordionist Galliano, but then I realized the duo wouldn’t fit in any of our sections. Although Richard Galliano’s versatile talent crosses every conceivable musical border, this DGG CD is definitely in the classical genre.
Bach always sounds terrific on whatever instrument it is played, and there have been other accordionists who have done Bach transcriptions. But Galliano has added a string quartet with a bassist. These are not jazzed-up Bach treatments but just a new interpretation of some classic Bach selections with the accordion substituting for a violin, harpsichord, flute, oboe, organ, what have you. The major works here are the Violin
and the Oboe/Violin concerti. Although the Bach Violin Concerto is one of the finest vehicles for the violin, it takes on an exciting new dress with the accordion, and is just as moving a work. Galliano plays a small accordina in the opening Badinerie from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2, and in the famous Air for the G String he uses the bandoneon from the world of tango – with which Galliano is also intimate.
Some of these tracks reminded me of Wendy Carlos’ classic Switched-On Bach, but with more of a human and emotional input into the performances than can be achieved on synthesizers. The harpsichord concerto also works beautifully on the accordion. I wonder how the Bach four-harpsichord concerto would be on four accordions!
– John Sunier
