Smirk if you must at the idea of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition transcribed for three accordions. In fact, I did when assigned this disc for review. After several hearings I have to admit that the tasteful arrangements by accordionist Heikki Jokiaho draw you into the composition rather than call attention to the novelty of the transcription. Lighter, faster movements especially lend themselves to accordion trio treatment. The Unhatched Chicks ballet sings as well as dances, and a slower than customary treatment of the Marketplace at Limoges allows the scurrying melodies to converse in the thick of the usual hustle and bustle. Accordion bellows add an appropriate breathiness to Bydlo’s trudging bass lines, and each Promenade is paced to perfection.
Inevitably, some of the original piano scoring’s resonant grandeur gets lost in the accordion translation, so to speak, such as the Great Gate at Kiev’s shattering climaxes. Some textual quirks may raise a few eyebrows, like inaccurate rhythms in Gnomus and an omitted grace note from Baba Yaga’s main tune. A beautiful arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s once-hackneyed Andante Cantabile brings the disc to a soft close. This should not be anyone’s primary Pictures, of course, but Alba’s excellent production values and stellar performers surely will attract accordion buffs who don’t mind paying full price for a 39-minute disc. [8/26/2004]
