Here’s a YouTube video of Accordion player Alexander Sevastian (apparently, R.I.P) masterfully performing Bach’s, perhaps, most famous work. Alexander’s Accordion sounds much akin to a pipe organ, minus the pedal notes. I must confess, that when I first watched this performance I sat transfixed. Never before realizing that an Accordion could sound good playing classical music. I had ignorantly thought them suitable only for polka. I don’t know what a virtuoso Accordion player sounds like, but I imagine they sound like Alexander does here. Although the video is from 10 years ago, I just now stumbled across it.
I heard a live performance of the toccata and fugue in D minor BWV 565 by two street musicians on accordeons years ago. I immediately bought their CD (that is, home recorded CD-R).
I hadn't heard that one before either. These Classical music Button-Accordion players exhibit a truly impressive manual dexterity.
I've heard Bach's toccata and fugue performed by "Mysteria" - tuba and accordion, I've just googled them but to no avail. They did release a CD. I used to play it in an electric organ, but I could only get half way through.
E. Powers Biggs and Helmut Walcha eat your hearts out!
That was amazing! He gets a very grand pipe organ sound out of that thing.
That was amazing! He gets a very grand pipe organ sound out of that thing.
By some miracle, Virgil Fox came to our little town when I was 17. Set up in the auditorium that was surprisingly good and performed for 2 hours. At some point, I had to just close my eyes to keep from being distracted by this man's total body movement. His legs, arms, hands and feet were all over that organ. I knew to keep the performance in memory the best that I could because it would be never... that I could hear anything like this again with the hearing that I had.
Funny to say though, I recently got a CD of him performing, and the recording is not even close to being acceptable for listening. Bass blunted, and right at that point, I have no interest in the whatever the rest is being offered.
Funny to say though, I recently got a CD of him performing, and the recording is not even close to being acceptable for listening. Bass blunted, and right at that point, I have no interest in the whatever the rest is being offered.
Perhaps they could have a third person playing gold fish bowls to get some low notes.
There’s metal, then there’s “metal”
Found the visuals a bit disconcerting, but hey, freedom of artistic expression, and no real zombies were hurt in the making of the video.
Found the visuals a bit disconcerting, but hey, freedom of artistic expression, and no real zombies were hurt in the making of the video.
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Back to the classical music on the accordion theme. You can download MP3 files of Leon Boellman's Suite Gothique, played by a Belgian accordion orchestra, at IMSLP: 3rd movement, Priere a Notre-Dame, and 4th movement, Toccata.
Have fun!
Have fun!