Free-Reed ODYSSEY By Dan Barski

To the listener: The music on this album was recorded in my home studio with a multi-track recorder, a single musician (myself) and a single acoustic accordion, petosa model AM-1100 Concert. For most of the selections, one part of the piece was recorded to a track; then, while playing back that track, another part was recorded on a "parallel" track. The process was repeated for as many parts as required to complete the piece. In this way, I was able to record music that would normally not be possible for a soloist to perform.

Although nearly all contemporary recordings utilize a multi-track process, it is usually in the form of various musicians recording their parts to separate tracks, which are then "mixed" Recordings containing orchestral works performed solely by one artist using a single instrument are few. This, of course, is not due to lack of musicianship on the part of other artists, but rather the nature of their instruments. What makes this recording possible is the wonderful versatility of the accordion.

With a range of six octaves, the capacity for melody, harmony, rhythm, various tonal colors, as well as the sustainability of tones with dynamic freedom, the accordion is perhaps uniquely suited to the task of a "one-instrument-orchestra." Yet, it is precisely this versatility that has made it so vulnerable to criticism. To be musically versatile is to have the capacity to sound comical and ridiculous as well as beautiful and sublime.

As a young student with a growing interest in classical music, I was afforded the opportunity to meet an accomplished conductor. During the course of the conversation I proudly announced that I played the accordion, and immediately sensed his chagrin. Naively, I asked him what he thought of the instrument. He replied, "It is a mere toy . . ." Not long afterward, I gave it up, and for thirty years neither owned nor played one. Then, a few years ago, almost by accident, I rediscovered it, and have since come to realize that the old master was right. The accordion is a toy. But where he seems to have erred, however, was in implying that other musical instruments are not.

It is no coincidence that the word play is applicable to the activities of children, athletes, actors, and musicians. Perhaps, when one begins to regard the performance of a serious work as performing serious work, then the spontaneity and joy of play, so essential to the process of creativity, is diminished. It is easy to see then how one might come to regard instruments frequently associated with "light" music as frivolous, and the phrase, "classical accordion", as an oxymoron.

Some of the pieces presented here have not been previously recorded with accordion. I have selected them not merely for the sake of novelty, but because I enjoy them with their original instrumentation, and offer them now with the hope that, as played on the accordion, they might, not only manifest an artistic interpretation of the composer's intent, but also provide the listener with just a little more insight into this marvelous instrument.

Dan Barski 2001

With special thanks, this album is dedicated to Anthony Galla-Rini,
who, for most of the twentieth century, has been an inspiration to all who love the accordion.

Orders can be placed thru petosa accordions or contact the artist directly at danbarksi@yahoo.com

Song Titles
1-6	Erik Satie (1866-1925)	Six Gnossiennes	15:58
7-9	Bela Bartok (1881-1945)	Three Hungarian Folksongs	2:48
10	Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)	Dance of the (little) Swans	1:20
11	Christoph W. von Gluck (1714-1787)	Melody (from Orpheus)	2:17
12	John Dowland (1563-1623)	Lachrimae Antiquae (flow my tears)	5:59
13	Peter Warlock (1894-1930)	Basse-Danse (from Capriol suite)	1:36
14	Giovani Baptista Draghi (1563-1623)	A Ground (variation)	2:55
15	J.S. Bach (1685-1750)	Aria (fromCantata No. 163)	3:02
16	Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)	Giga (from Sonata in A Major)	2:32
17-19	Antonio Vivaldi	Concerto for Strings in D Major	5:10
20	Antonio Vivaldi	Allegro Poco (from Cello Sonata in A Minor)	2:55
21	Antonio Vivaldi	Concerto for Violin in A Minor	8:43
Total time			55:17