Madreperla
Navona, 2023
8/10
The composer, orchestrator, arranger and accordion extraordinaire Richard Galliano brings his diverse version of dance sounds from the pavane, the mazurka, the milonga, the forró, the waltz, which are fleshed out by the South Czech Philharmonic and Miran Vaupotić’s conducting.
“Petite Suite Française” opens the listen with Galliano’s accordion and the South Czech Philharmonic interacting with much grace and warmth across the calm versus jumpy moments of precise instrumentation.
In the middle, “Contrastes” allows Sébastian Giniaux flowing guitar and cello to emit an elegant intimacy that’s spread out across 7 agile chapters.
Close to the end, “Madreperla” makes great use of the Philharmonic’s dynamic abilities amid Galliano’s instrument, which are mesmerizing, hypnotic even, thanks to the tense bouts of booming percussion and ebullient strings.
A highly creative way to blend accordion with orchestra, Galliano expands on the capacities of the accordion via this unique chamber and orchestral listen.
Travels well with: Courtney Carey- I Wanna Be Ready; Sirius Quartet- Playing On The Edge 3