Accordionist Richard Galliano - album 'Around Gershwin' - CD Review, 7^th of October 2024

Works by George Gershwin, Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel and Gabriel Fauré.

On September 27th, the newest album of the French accordionist Richard Galliano was released, at Pentatone House. The title of this CD is Around Gershwin, a tribute brought to the composer who revolutionized the musical arts during the first decades of the past century, in North America. Among works by George Gershwin, the recordalso includes musical compositions of French compositors of the same era - Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel and Gabriel Fauré, in orchestrations for accordion by Richard Galliano himself, as well as two short compositions of his own.

The album opens with the most famous work of George Gershwin - Rhapsody in

Blue, celebrating its centenary this year. The famous French musician states that he wanted to play Gershwin's masterpiece since he was a child. He saw his dream come true for the first time when he was 17 years old and he was immediately fascinated by the intensity and the beauty of the musical work. Now he has released it on record too, in a fascinating version, truly original, with unprecedented jazztimbre effects adapted to this work that had its first audition in February 1924, during an event entitled "Modern Music Experiment", in New York.

Richard Galliano, one of the most famous accordionists in the world, has always had, according to his own declarations, "the desire to give his instrument the role it deserved in the world of classical music". He studied at Paris and he collaborated with great musicians like Jo Baselli, Chet Baker and Michel Portal. He has started his discographic activity in 1979, he recorded his own musical compositions as well as compositions by Couperin, Ravel and Debussy, and a few years later, he had the chance to meet Astor Piazzolla and to have a tight friendship and musical collaboration with this great Argentinian artist. Between 2010 and 2016, Richard Galliano has dedicated himself again to some exceptional discographic projects, recording works of Bach, Vivaldi, Nino Rota and Mozart. The musicianalso has an impressive concert career,he performed at the Radio Hall in Bucharest, and on other prestigious stages in countries like Argentina, France, Brazil, Columbia, Canada, Ukraine and Spain. During that time he gave a series of musical recitals called "Passion Galliano" in Switzerland, France and Italy, performing also some of the works included on this new album - "Around Gershwin".

Thierry Sola and Marion Galliano comment in the record presentation brochure: "Away from constraints and labels, this album celebrates artistic liberty and creative audacity. Music becomes a privileged mediator, a genuine connection between two artists, a thread that guides an intimate and living dialogue. Around Gershwin is more than just an album, it is an invitation to dream. Richard Galliano gives us an inspiring vision of the world, full of poetry, in which the artistic expression becomes a mirror for the soul and a bridge between generations. This album can be relished as a sweet melody, carrying us to faraway lands where the imagination and creativity meet no limits".