ERICA SAYS SO! by Erica Soderholm, The Monthly Herald Contributor and Guest Writer
THE ACCORDION IS HERE TO STAY!
SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST VIRTUOSI AND BEST ACCORDIONISTS.
Photo:
World accordion champion, Herwig Peychar
One of my readers at World
Art Celebrities Journal wrote :"Dear Dr. Erica: The accordion is here to stay.
What an unexpected surprise to see two articles on two fabulous accordion
players... Myself and my wife enjoyed reading the articles. I have been
playing the accordion for 20 years. I have two. One is Scandalli and the other
is Hohner. It is pity to see the accordion fading in the United States while
it is prospering all over the world. Last year I visited Omsk, Odessa, Kiev,
Tblisi and Belarus. How surprised and happy I was to see 4 and 5 year old
children playing the accordion in school and at home. I made a trip to a
remote area in Azirbajan and Kurdistan, same story young kids and old people
in the mountains, at home and under tents were playing the accordion. Your
magazine is a great asset and a great medium to promote accordion in the
States. Keep writing more and more about accordion players. The more you write
about us accordion players, the more new students and people of all ages will
begin to get interested in the accordion. Your publication is powerful and as
I learned it is read everywhere in the world. My English is not so great, so
you have to excuse the mistakes I make. Do you have favorite accordion
players? Who you suppose are the best in the world today. Do you have pictures
of them? What do you think about the commercial championships of accordion
playing in the United States. One million thanks for you, from me my wife and
my children.
Pietro Frosini
(Italy) Frank Marocco (USA) Carlo Venturi (Italy)
Charles Camilleri (Malta) Dermot O’Brien (Ireland) Rahman
Assadollahi (Azerbeijan)
Alain Musich (France)
Charles Magnante (USA) Myron Floren (USA)
My dear Igor. I love
accordion. It was my favorite musical instrument when I was at school, some 70
years ago. I am 82 or 83 (I forgot) year old. I am not an authority on
accordion. However, I follow accordion events and occasionally attend
accordion recitals in Tivoli, Bavaria, Munich, Montmartre and even Magyar
(Hungary). I am absolutely certain that it is quite impossible to select or
nominate accordionists (this one or that one) as the world’s best. Naturally,
those who entered competitions and win are to be considered as champions and
accomplished accordionists. However, they should not be considered as the sole
“world’s best”. There are so many splendid accordionists we have never heard
of before who play the accordion in distant lands who rival the virtuosity and
excellence of world known accordionists. It is just like entering a beauty
contestant. The elected winner (Queen of Beauty), in my opinion of course is
not necessarily the most beautiful woman in the world or in her country. She
is just the most beautiful woman elected from the circle of contestants who
took part in the election/contest. The same applies to world accordion
championships. Many of the greatest accordionists of all time never entered
any competition. In my opinion, some of the greatest accordionists of all time
are or were (to name a few): Heinz Gengler, Herrmann Schittenhelm, Curt Mahr,
Hans Rauch, Rudolf Würthner, Hugo Herrmann, Hubert Deuringer, Albert Vossen,
Willi Glahe, Willi Gräf, Yvette Horner, Alain Musich, Pietro Frosini and some
of those I have posted their photos on this page. There are dozens of world
accordion organizations which organize national and international
championships and contests. Each organization has its own rules and criteria.
Therefore, I am not in an authoritative position, not it is my place to give
an opinion on commercial or non-for-profit contests and championships. Keep me
out of troubles, Igor. I have two big things in my possession: My age (83) and
my mouth! So, please let me depart in peace!