Grieg... on the accordion?!?

When I first heard about this album I immediately remembered Arthur Honegger's crack about "vile belchings from lunatic accordions" in his book I am a Composer. The concept sounded so odd--the Lyric Pieces played on the accordion sound as appealing as hearing Bruckner's 8th arranged for hurdy-gurdy. But that's what I love about independent labels like BIS, Hyperion, Channel Classics et al. That willingness to take a risk be it through recording unusual repertoire or recording unusual interpretations of well known music. BIS certainly doesn't disappoint here and, mirabile dictu, the arrangement and playing are a triumph. This album would have been an interesting curiosity at best, but the musicianship of Mie Miki, as arranger and accordionist, make this album a must listen for fans of Grieg's music and for the musically open minded.

Mie Miki was born in Tokyo in 1956 and begun to study the accordion at the age of 4. In 1973 and 1974 she won the first prize in the junior division of the International Accordion Competition Klingenthal. Today she is a professor of accordion at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. She has recorded several albums for BIS, including works from the Baroque era, Japanese music, and works by Sofia Gubaidulina.

Miki's arrangement of these works is no mere exercise in willful sonic revisionism. The sound of the accordion helps bring to life the deep bond and love that Grieg felt for the folk music of his native Norway. Throughout this recital one hears the echoes of the Hardanger fiddles, the peasant dances, the scent of the Norwegian soil. Butterfly glides by caressingly and played with a light, almost silken sound. The Waltz from the first book of Lyric Pieces dances along with great charm. But it's in the more introspective pieces that this recital really makes an impact. The Watchman's Song is almost like a glimpse into a long forgotten world. One can almost feel the cool breeze wafting through a quiet Scandinavian village; the cobblestones beneath one's feet. The album closes with a beautifully poignant and effective arrangement of Ase's Death from Peer Gynt. The best thing that I can say about this album is that one never misses the sound of the piano and that the music sounds expressly as if it were written for the accordion.

I'm really looking forward to hearing more of Mie Miki and hope that BIS will record her arrangements of piano and even orchestral repertoire in the future. Below is a couple of videos of her from YouTube. Oh--you may be wondering about the pic with the cat I posted above. I found that on Mie Miki's blog (Japanese only) which you can find here. A masterly musician and she loves cats? What more could you want?

Mie Miki in recital at Dusseldorf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX8JeqnYqOM&feature=related

Mie Miki plays Piazzolla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwyCFYufQ8&feature=related