A new book published by ZZ Music in conjunction with UKAAT (United Kingdom Association of Accordion Teachers)
The long-awaited translation of Paolo Picchio’s book that will be invaluable for composers wishing to write seriously for the accordion and for accordion teachers and students wishing to deepen their understanding of the kind of repertoire that is taught in conservatoires all over the world.
Paolo Picchio was for many years, the much respected organiser of the Premio Internazionale della Fisarmonica di Castefidardo – the world-famous competiton and festival which takes place in Castelfidardio, Italy every Autumn. In this 342-page softback tome he analyses 40 compositions for accordion since 1960s by 40 different composers including Luciano Berio, Sofia Guabidulina, Magnus Lindberg, Arne Nordheim, Davide Anzaghi, Yuji Takahashi, Per Norgard, Vladimir Zubitsky, Franco Donatoni, Vladislav Zolotariov and many more. He studies in depth their musical language and the way they wrote for the accordion taking also int account the technical feasibility of what they wrote and the difficulties encountered by the performer. Here is the full list of composers their compositions covered by the book:
- 1960 Ole Schmidt: Toccata No.1 – Denmark
- 1964 Niels Viggo Bentzon: In the zoo – Denmark
- 1965 Torbjörn Lundquist: Metamorphoses – Sweden
- 1967 Jindřich Feld: 4 Intermezzi – Czech Republic
- 1967 Per Nørgård: Anatomic Safari – Denmark
- 1968 Vladislav Zolotariov: Partita – Russia
- 1972 Poul Rovsing Olsen: Without a title op.72 – Denmark
- 1973 Georg Katzer: Toccata – Germany
- 1976 Ernst Křenek: Accomusic op225 – USA (Austria)
- 1976 Bruno Bartolozzi: Madrigale – Italy
- 1977 Juraj Hatrík: Pulzácie I – Slovakia
- 1977 Lukas Foss: Curriculum vitae – USA (Germany)
- 1977 Jukka Tiensuu: Aufschwung op.20 – Finland
- 1978 Sofia Gubaidulina: De Profundis – Russia
- 1978 Krysztof Olckzak: Phantasmagorien – Poland
- 1979 Ton de Leeuw: Modal Music – The Netherlands
- 1979 Toshio Hosokawa: Melodia – Japan
- Erkki Jokinen: Alone – Finland
- 1980 Lothar Klein: Esercizi – Canada (Germany)
- 1982 Zbigniew Bargielski: Gemalte Wolken – Poland
- 1985 Yuji Takahashi: Like a water buffalo – Japan
- 1985 Arne Nordheim: Flashing – Norway
- 1985 Nicolaus A. Huber: Auf Flugen der Harfe – Germany
- 1986 Vladimir Zubitsky: Sonata No.2 “Slavjanskaja” – Ukraine
- 1986 Leo Samama: Grand Slam op28 – The Netherlands
- 1991 Uroš Rojko: Whose Song – Slovenia
- 1992 Adriana Hölszky: Miserere – Romania
- 1993 Dieter Schnebel: Medusa – Germany
- 1993 Klaus Huber: Winter Seeds – Switzerland
- 1993 Mauricio Kagel: Episoden, Figuren – Argentina
- 1994 Mogens Winkel Holm: Troglodyt – Denmark
- 1994 Vinko Globokar: Dialog über Luft – France (Slovenia)
- 1995 Boris Porena: Quasi – Italy
- 1995 Luciano Berio: Sequenza XIII – Italy
- 1995 Edison Denisov: Des ténèbres à la lumière – Russia
- 1996 Claude Ballif: Solfeggietto op. 36 No.17 – France
- 1996 Davide Anzaghi: D’Ance – Italy
- 1997 Franco Donatoni: Feria IV – Italy
- 1998 Younghi Pagh-Paan: NE MA-UM – Korea
- 1998 Salvatore Sciarrino: Vagabonde blu – Italia
Picchio also looks at the history and the construction of the instrument, the various systems which are commonly in use today along with their possibilities and looks at how technical developments have brought us towards the modern classical instrument and the possibilities that technical development have opened up to the modern composer and which make it particularly attractive to them.
The book has been faithfully translated by Romano Viazzani and edited by Ben de Souza.
£2 from the sale of each printed copy of the book will go towards UKAAT (United Kingdom Association of Accordion Teachers) in order to forward the aims of raising the standard of teaching and playing accordion in the United Kingdom.