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Madreperla

Richard Galliano composer, orchestrator, arranger, solo accordion
South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić conductor

Release Date: April 14, 2023
Catalog #: NV6518
Format: Digital & Physical
21st Century
Chamber
Orchestral
Accordion
Orchestra

The accordion surely is an evocative instrument, its mere timbre conjuring mellow images of the Italian Riviera or cobbled Parisian streets. One would expect it to be quite out of place in the relatively formal environment of the classical concert hall – and be sorely mistaken, as far as Richard Galliano is concerned. The versatile French composer and accordion virtuoso sets out to elegantly shatter expectations – and his new album MADREPERLA proves him right.

MADREPERLA’s brilliance stems not only from the sheer audacity of juxtaposing the accordion with a full orchestra, nor from the fact that it succeeds spectacularly in doing so. What’s most intoxicating is Galliano’s fusion of symphonic writing with eclectic styles of dance – the pavane, the mazurka, the milonga, the forró, the waltz – whose particular zest, allure and élan pour forth torrentially from these compositions. A triumph.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Petite Suite Française: I. Prélude Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 1:37
02 Petite Suite Française: II. Aubade Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 3:37
03 Petite Suite Française: III. Espiègle Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 3:28
04 Petite Suite Française: IV. Interlude Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 1:35
05 Petite Suite Française: V. Waltz Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 2:20
06 Contrastes: I. Milonga Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 3:23
07 Contrastes: II. Lento Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 3:45
08 Contrastes: III. Valse Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 2:46
09 Contrastes: IV. Adagio Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 3:03
10 Contrastes: V. Pavane Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 2:44
11 Contrastes: VI. Fugue/Tango Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 1:42
12 Contrastes: VII. Forro Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 2:44
13 Madreperla: I. Tango Ostinato Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 7:12
14 Madreperla: II. Balade mélancolique Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 6:49
15 Madreperla: III. Mazurka Antillaise Richard Galliano Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor 5:59

Recorded February 7-8, 2022 at Jihočeská filharmonie (South Czech Philharmonic Concert Hall) in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Producer Jan Košulič
Engineer Aleš Dvořák

Editing, Mixing & Mastering Jan Košulič

Manager of Richard Galliano Thierry Sola
Overall coordination RGM Marion Galliano

SCP Director Otakar Svoboda
Orchestra Coordinator Linda Neumanová
Concertmaster Martin Týml

Executive Producer Bob Lord

A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Miran Vaupotić

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Production Director Levi Brown
Production Manager Jean Noël Attard
Production Assistant Martina Watzková
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Aidan Curran

Artist Information

Richard Galliano

Accordionist, Composer

“Richard Galliano has changed the course of accordion history. Today we can speak of ‘before’ and ’after’ Galliano.” — Yasuhiro Kobayashi, accordionist and musician accompanist of the singer Björk It was my dearest wish: to give a fair place to this instrument, unjustly qualified as the “poor man’s piano,” whereas my accordion has always been a Steinway with braces. I was determined to restore the image of my instrument, so I left my native village and “went up to Paris” like many others. There I had the chance to meet artists who quickly put their trust in me: accordionists like Jo Basile, singers like Claude Nougaro, Serge Reggiani, Barbara, and jazzmen like Chet Baker, Charlie Haden, Ron Carter and Michel Portal.

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Miran Vaupotić

Conductor

Acclaimed as “dynamic and knowledgeable” by the Buenos Aires Herald, Croatian conductor Miran Vaupotić has worked with eminent orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Russian National Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Argentina, and others, performing in major halls around the globe such as Carnegie Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Berliner Philharmonie, Rudolfinum, Smetana Hall, Victoria Hall, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Dubai Opera, Tchaikovsky Hall, International House of Music, CBC Glenn Gould Studio, and more.

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South Czech Philharmonic

Orchestra

Originally known as The South Bohemian State Orchestra, the South Czech Philharmonic, based in České Budějovice (Budweis), was founded in 1981. Today, it comprises 39 artists and remains the only professional philharmonic orchestra in the South Bohemian region.

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Notes

This work was composed in the early 2000s, and is articulated harmoniously in five movements:
I. Prélude
An impressionist piece for string ensemble, written in the pure French classical tradition, including Debussy, Fauré, and Ibert, to name but a few.

II. Aubade
Inspired by a Parisian waltz tempo improvised on the accordion and a strong evocation of the “musette style,” supported by a harmonic and aerial setting.

III. Espiègle
A playful and humorous piece in the form of a nod to Erik Satie, available with minor chords.

IV. Interlude
Another impressionist piece written in homage to Claude Debussy. The accordion becomes the flute. Note also a harmonic structure close to jazz.

V. Waltz
Valse scherzo, virtuoso, and playful, rhythmically alternating between 3/4 and 6/8. The magic of Paris in a dirigible balloon!

Contrastes reflects a musical adventure organized in seven scenes, a thwarted life path evolving against reality. Sadness and melancholy at birth, lightness, carelessness, and drunkenness at the end of life.

I. Milonga
A sad, haunting melody, fueled by an intuitive and premonitory thought, dedicated to my friend Astor Piazzolla shortly before his death.

II. Lento
An evocation of a vanished world evolving through the tribulations of a tightrope walker.

III. Valse
The waltz musette suddenly sublimated by joy and rediscovered freshness.

IV. Adagio
A celestial song rising to infinity with the lightness and subtlety of a cat’s step.

V. Pavane
Tenderness, fragility, meditation, and vision of the beyond.

VI. Fugue/Tango
The Art of Fugue in the image of a peasant dance abandoning itself to a proud and provocative Tango.

VII. Forro
A wild dance and finale filled with hope.

Madreperla (Nacre) is a symphonic suite composed in 2018, resulting from a musical commission initiated by Victor Pulh, Conductor and Musical Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Trier (Germany).

Madreperla (mother-of-pearl) is the basic material used by luthiers to make buttons, an essential support for the construction of accordions and bandoneons.

Through this work articulated in three movements, I wanted to pay tribute to three great musicians and their respective instruments who have inspired me throughout my musical journey.

I. Tango Ostinato
Tango Ostinato, dedicated to Astor Piazzolla and the bandoneon.

II. Balade mélancolique
Melancholy ballad, dedicated to Toots Thielemans and the harmonica.

III. Mazurka Antillaise
Caribbean Mazurka, dedicated to Eddy Louiss and the hammond B3 organ.

The writing of the work highlights the melody, the rhythm and its involvement in the dance, in perfect harmony with the tango, the slow waltz, and the West Indian mazurka.