Not the same old song and dance on these accordions
Unsophisticated minds reading about the accordion convention starting today in Lisle might expect some cliché story referencing the long-dead Lawrence Welk, the schmaltzy “Lady of Spain” and the corny “Beer Barrel Polka” in a literary approach that would frustrate professional accordionists who long to see a more modern and accurate depiction of their instrument.
This convention, those accordionists note, draws elite musicians from all over the globe — a youth orchestra from China, a two-time winner of a competition in the Republic of Moldova, the 50-piece Orchestre Polyphonia from a French island off the coast of Madagascar, an avant-garde composer of electronic contemporary accordion compositions, a world champion from Italy, a Russian couple from Texas performing a tango written by an Illinois accordionist who once accompanied opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and headliner Martynas Levickis, 2010 winner of the television contest “Lithuania’s Got Talent.”
The rest of the world understands accordions, but an accordion player “could never win ‘America’s Got Talent,’” says Joseph Natoli, the contemporary avant-garde composer from Ohio whose accordion pieces are performed throughout Europe. “I don’t care if you played standing on your head like Mozart. There’s just too much musical bigotry against the instrument.”
Most of the globe treats accordions as the serious musical instruments they are, notes Natoli, 59, who also is known for playing jazz and classical music. The 23-year-old Levickis, who recently played at Wimbledon to welcome tennis fans, just became the first accordionist to top the classical music charts in the United Kingdom, beating out Dutch violist Andre Rieu.
Americans too young to remember Lawrence Welk, whose TV show was canceled by ABC in 1971 and last recorded in 1982, know the accordion only from parody performances by Weird Al Yankovic and serious artists and indie rockers such as The Decemberists, Flogging Molly, Bon Jovi, They Might Be Giants, Green Day, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Calexio, Arcade Fire and others.
“The new generation sees the accordion in rock bands, orchestras, major jazz venues, movies, television, Broadway and specialized acts like Cirque du Soleil,” Natoli says. “They take the instrument at face value, thinking it has a pretty interesting and unique sound, especially after the boredom of hearing those same distorted rock guitar licks for the last 40 years and the record-scratching sounds of rap and hip-hop.”
The accordion is most like a guitar, and young people like that diversity, says Amy Jo Sawyer, second vice president of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild International, sponsors of the 73rd annual Accordion Competition and Festival, which is open to the public at the Hyatt Lisle, 1400 Corporetum Drive.
“I’ve been teaching forever, and more and more it’s becoming a more popular instrument,” says Sawyer, who lives in Downstate O’Fallon, near St. Louis, and has a master’s degree in jazz. She accompanied Pavarotti with the St. Louis Symphony, has played accordion throughout Europe, New Zealand and Australia, performs at countless Italian fests and appreciates the variety of accordion music, from her classical favorites to the Texas sound of two-time Grammy winner Joel Guzman.
Fans and the curious are welcome to the convention performances tonight, Friday and Saturday, says Betty Jo Simon, president of the convention organization. Tickets are $15.
“What they are coming to hear is world-class accordion in all styles,” Sawyer says.
Some accordion players can laugh at the old Far Side cartoon depicting an angel passing out harps in heaven while a devil doles out accordions in hell. But that joke loses its punch in a crowd listening to a master musician moving his or her fingers across a $20,000 Italian-made Potosa accordion to perform a Cole Porter jazz classic, an orchestral rendition of a Verdi opera, a Strauss waltz or a rock song.
“Is there anywhere where an accordion can’t fit?” Natoli says, pausing while he runs through the song list in his mind. “No, I don’t think so.”
Accordion festival boastsinternational performers
Where: Hyatt Lisle, 1400 Corporetum Dr., Lisle, IL 60532
Tickets: $15
Information: (630) 852-1234 or accordions.com. Workshops and exhibits during the day, nightly concerts.
Thursday: 7 p.m. preconcert music by Jerry Cigler.
7:30 p.m. concert: UMKC Ensemble, Elena & Gregory Fainshtein, Nick Ballarini, Mirco Patarini, China’s Tianjin Angels Art School.
Friday:7:30 p.m. gala concert: Orchestre Polyphonia, Joseph Natoli, Martynas Levickis (accordion) and Abraham McWilliams (violin).
Saturday: 7:30 p.m. gala closing concert: ATG Festival Orchestra, Stas Venglevski, ATG Board Members and Friends Orchestra and Contest Winners.