Madreperla
Richard Galliano composer, orchestrator, arranger, solo accordion
South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić conductor
The accordion surely is an evocative instrument, its mere timbre conjuring mellow images of the Italian Riviera or cobbled Parisian streets. One would expect it to be quite out of place in the relatively formal environment of the classical concert hall – and be sorely mistaken, as far as Richard Galliano is concerned. The versatile French composer and accordion virtuoso sets out to elegantly shatter expectations – and his new album MADREPERLA proves him right.
MADREPERLA’s brilliance stems not only from the sheer audacity of juxtaposing the accordion with a full orchestra, nor from the fact that it succeeds spectacularly in doing so. What’s most intoxicating is Galliano’s fusion of symphonic writing with eclectic styles of dance – the pavane, the mazurka, the milonga, the forró, the waltz – whose particular zest, allure and élan pour forth torrentially from these compositions. A triumph.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Petite Suite Française: I. Prélude | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 1:37 |
| 02 | Petite Suite Française: II. Aubade | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 3:37 |
| 03 | Petite Suite Française: III. Espiègle | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 3:28 |
| 04 | Petite Suite Française: IV. Interlude | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 1:35 |
| 05 | Petite Suite Française: V. Waltz | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 2:20 |
| 06 | Contrastes: I. Milonga | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 3:23 |
| 07 | Contrastes: II. Lento | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 3:45 |
| 08 | Contrastes: III. Valse | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 2:46 |
| 09 | Contrastes: IV. Adagio | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 3:03 |
| 10 | Contrastes: V. Pavane | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 2:44 |
| 11 | Contrastes: VI. Fugue/Tango | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 1:42 |
| 12 | Contrastes: VII. Forro | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; Sébastien Giniaux, guitar and cello; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 2:44 |
| 13 | Madreperla: I. Tango Ostinato | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 7:12 |
| 14 | Madreperla: II. Balade mélancolique | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 6:49 |
| 15 | Madreperla: III. Mazurka Antillaise | Richard Galliano | Richard Galliano, accordion; South Czech Philharmonic | Miran Vaupotić, conductor | 5:59 |
Recorded February 7-8, 2022 at Jihočeská filharmonie (South Czech Philharmonic Concert Hall) in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Producer Jan Košulič
Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing, Mixing & Mastering Jan Košulič
Manager of Richard Galliano Thierry Sola
Overall coordination RGM Marion Galliano
SCP Director Otakar Svoboda
Orchestra Coordinator Linda Neumanová
Concertmaster Martin Týml
Executive Producer Bob Lord
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Miran Vaupotić
VP of Production Jan Košulič
Production Director Levi Brown
Production Manager Jean Noël Attard
Production Assistant Martina Watzková
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Aidan Curran
Artist Information
Richard Galliano
“Richard Galliano has changed the course of accordion history. Today we can speak of ‘before’ and ’after’ Galliano.” — Yasuhiro Kobayashi, accordionist and musician accompanist of the singer Björk It was my dearest wish: to give a fair place to this instrument, unjustly qualified as the “poor man’s piano,” whereas my accordion has always been a Steinway with braces. I was determined to restore the image of my instrument, so I left my native village and “went up to Paris” like many others. There I had the chance to meet artists who quickly put their trust in me: accordionists like Jo Basile, singers like Claude Nougaro, Serge Reggiani, Barbara, and jazzmen like Chet Baker, Charlie Haden, Ron Carter and Michel Portal.
Miran Vaupotić
Acclaimed as “dynamic and knowledgeable” by the Buenos Aires Herald, Croatian conductor Miran Vaupotić has worked with eminent orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Russian National Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV, Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Argentina, and others, performing in major halls around the globe such as Carnegie Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Berliner Philharmonie, Rudolfinum, Smetana Hall, Victoria Hall, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Dubai Opera, Tchaikovsky Hall, International House of Music, CBC Glenn Gould Studio, and more.
South Czech Philharmonic
Originally known as The South Bohemian State Orchestra, the South Czech Philharmonic, based in České Budějovice (Budweis), was founded in 1981. Today, it comprises 39 artists and remains the only professional philharmonic orchestra in the South Bohemian region.
