English And Duet Internationals

[Alan Day]

Background instruments are okay to me as long as they are supportive to the solo instrument. Like soft piano chords and may be an enrichment to a concertina solo. For many accompianists and accompianists the 2 biggest problems seems to be to keep in the background and to play in a supportive way. I guess that in a concertina project, the concertina remains the main instrument on all tracks.

marien

 

I wouldn't dissagree in principle... For me making music with others is a collaboration with the goal ballance and interplay. Many recordings I've heard are very heavy on the "solo" instrument even to the point of hearing the action clacking away like a typewriter or in the case of the voice clearly hearing the vocal folds buzing. I've at times felt I was down the chaps throat.... .

Nobody argues that a recording should be done right etc.

I think a Concertina Compilation CD is different from mainstream. Even from "Violin Interantional'. Concertina is rare and needs to be heard in a different way. It needs to be introduced. If not, why call a CD "Concertrina International"? Call it "Dream Haze", or "Stomping Crawfish". The Project is less an Entertainment Enterprize, but more popularizing. A Violin International would have been the same in principle, but much more difficult in execution. I would actually expect more solo-ish pieces from such a CD, that stand by their own.

Another aspect is having a Duet Concertina, accompanied by a piano or played the melody only in a band. What is the reason for playing Duet then and how it differs from EC? It defeats the purpose in such a CD.

I would also wish for less Irish or English Traditional Music. I understand inclinations of the Antrepreneurs, due to their place of birth, culture and upbringing, but everybody agrees that ITM and Concertina have welded. It would be very useful to take Concertina out of Britain and see the results.

Just my opinion (whose else?).

 

A very interesting posting.When starting these compilations I ask advice and I am given advice by many and I go Worldwide for players.Nobody can be expected to find a little known concertina player in a foriegn country unless that name is suggested. If a name is suggested I follow it up however and request to hear their playing.Some decline,some do not have the necessary playing skills or the time to do recordings which would justify thier inclusion,some however are given time and encouragement to meet the levels required.These are not my levels they are set by other players skills on the instrument. Neither Graham or I would like any player to be singled out as wrong to be included.The other point is of course some would like certain music and others will not.Graham tries to obtain a balanced collection based on people enjoying the playing who are not nessessarily concertina players.I can quite happily listen to four hours of concertina playing (I almost have to do it daily ), but many will not, unless it is entertaining.

Finally the compilation and major content will be down to what recordings I am sent or archive recordings I receive.English players have traditionally used the piano as backing and a lot of concertina music is written as such.So you will find a lot of piano on this compilation.Do not let this put you off English International will be representative of how the instrument was played,is being played now and possibly a few will point a direction to the future.

Thanks for your confidence Woody.

Al

[Dirge]

Bl**dy right. What sort of girls blouse duet player needs accompaniment. (as opposed to playing in a band, which I see as completely different)

 

Sorry; Editted to add that I forgot the quote that made sense of this. But the whole point of the duet is that it stands alone.

Edited August 15, 2007 by Dirge

[Woody]

the whole point of the duet is that it stands alone.

Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!! Too many punchlines! Too many punchlines! <System Overload>

[Dirge]

sorry

[Alan Day]

Bl**dy right. What sort of girls blouse duet player needs accompaniment. (as opposed to playing in a band, which I see as completely different)

 

Sorry; Editted to add that I forgot the quote that made sense of this. But the whole point of the duet is that it stands alone.

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

Played well the Duet is something special.

Al

[Paul Woloschuk]

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

 

Should that not be "I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing Solo"

 

 

....I'll get me coat!

Edited August 16, 2007 by wolosp

[Woody]

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

 

Should that not be "I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing Solo"

 

Blimey!

 

....I'll get me coat!

I'll ring for your cab

[Chris Drinkwater]

Al, after all the 'names' concertina players have contributed to the various International CD compilations projects, how about a CD compilation of tunes played by ordinary C.net members, as in the recorded tunes index? We have some very good players of all the different types of concertina and types of music amongst our membership, who are not so well known, but whose playing is nonetheless very good and selected contributions from some of them would make a lovely CD or two, I'm sure.

 

Chris

Edited August 17, 2007 by Chris Drinkwater

[m3838]

Al, after all the 'names' concertina players have contributed to the various International CD compilations projects, how about a CD compilation of tunes played by ordinary C.net members, as in the recorded tunes index? We have some very good players of all the different types of concertina and types of music amongst our membership, who are not so well known, but whose playing is notheless very good and selected contributions from some of them would make a lovely Cd or two, I'm sure.

 

Chris

 

I already made such a pilot CD. It's 80 minutes long, 50% classical EC stuff, some 40% English/European and a little Irish.

Sound idea! I was listening to it for a month before it started wearing on me.

The sound quality is your homemade mp3, not at commercial level.

I'd be very interested in such a CD, done right.

[David Barnert]

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

Played well the Duet is something special.

Al

Certainly true, and a Duet playing with a piano, guitar, or other chording instrument presents certain problems. But I find playing my Hayden with a fiddle, flute, recorder, or voice (or other melody instrumet) to be a very nice combination.

[JackWoehr]

Hmm You could add Pity the Stranger to a concertina album. The intro is actually a Garmoshka and the instrumental break is a Stagi Hayden Duet.

[Alan Day]

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

Played well the Duet is something special.

Al

Certainly true, and a Duet playing with a piano, guitar, or other chording instrument presents certain problems. But I find playing my Hayden with a fiddle, flute, recorder, or voice (or other melody instrumet) to be a very nice combination.

I suppose this argument first applied to the Harpsichord and Piano where it was initially a solo instrument , sounding lovely without any accompaniment, but now the piano forms part of bands and orchestras and it is the musical arrangement that provides the space for it to be appreciated.

When Henk first formed the tune page initially the quality of recording and in some cases the odd mistake was not important.It was really to provide a section where we could hear new tunes and existing tunes played by the members of this site and on different systems.The fact that perfection was not the criteria it encouraged other players and even beginners to provide recordings. I like the idea of a compilation album, but it would need someone fairly strong or even a number of players to put it together.Someone has to make decisions as to what is included and what isn't.The final decision has to be accepted by all who participate. If it was a free download I can see no arguments regarding payment to artists and royalties etc but these thing must be taken into consideration. I would happily subscribe, but I have no extra time to put it together.

Al

[m3838]

I cannot think of anything better than a Duet playing alone.

Played well the Duet is something special.

Al

Certainly true, and a Duet playing with a piano, guitar, or other chording instrument presents certain problems. But I find playing my Hayden with a fiddle, flute, recorder, or voice (or other melody instrumet) to be a very nice combination.

I suppose this argument first applied to the Harpsichord and Piano where it was initially a solo instrument , sounding lovely without any accompaniment, but now the piano forms part of bands and orchestras and it is the musical arrangement that provides the space for it to be appreciated.

When Henk first formed the tune page initially the quality of recording and in some cases the odd mistake was not important.It was really to provide a section where we could hear new tunes and existing tunes played by the members of this site and on different systems.The fact that perfection was not the criteria it encouraged other players and even beginners to provide recordings. I like the idea of a compilation album, but it would need someone fairly strong or even a number of players to put it together.Someone has to make decisions as to what is included and what isn't.The final decision has to be accepted by all who participate. If it was a free download I can see no arguments regarding payment to artists and royalties etc but these thing must be taken into consideration. I would happily subscribe, but I have no extra time to put it together.

Al

 

 

Would it be useful if I will (upon finding the file) provide CD of my compilations to whoever wanted? It's for free, except the shipping. (Even the shipping may be dropped if it's only a few bucks).

Untill better times, when someone will do the proper work.

[Alan Day]

Once again I have to report that English International has been held up due to techinical problems.

As soon as I have a DEFINITE delivery date I will inform you here.

I am sorry there has been so many promises made and not kept.It is a very complicated compilation to put together and is taking far longer than predicted.

Al

[fiddlerjoebob]

ON the other hand I've heard violin players that make me wish for a baseball bat.

 

 

Ouch!

[Dirge]

Well only you know if you're safe or not!