Works for Classical Accordion.

Works for Classical Accordion. Geir Dragsvoll, accordion; Lise-Lotte Nielsen, soprano; Soren Kaas Claesson, violin. Marco Polo 8.224028.

If the phrase "classical accordion" seems like an oxymoron to you, you're not alone. I'm not really recommending this disc so much as I am simply informing you that it exists; it's really fascinating, but it's definitely not for everyone. I'm not sure how the classical accordion differs from a regular accordion or whether it is just a regular accordion on which one plays classical music, but in the compositions represented here it sounds like a lightweight organ, with all the range of expression that implies. Each work was written especially for the classical accordion by modern Danish composers Ejnar Kanding, Leif Kayser, Ivar Frounberg, Mogens Windel Holm, Klaus Jorgensen, and Any Pape. They are almost all on the slow, heavy, brooding side, with the exception of some charming, albeit quirky, waltzes by Lief Kayser. The sound is uniformly excellent, rather like a good recording of a small jazz ensemble, with ample air and space around the instruments and voice. I'm not sure who the audience is for this program: maybe accordion fans who have heard everything; maybe Scandinavian music buffs; maybe just you or I looking for something different. It's different, all right, and fits the bill.