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| Post Concert Dessert |
As a former accordion (and trombone) player, I knew you could play tangos, tarantellas, waltzes, sea shanties, obereks, czardases, mazurkas and polkas, especially polkas, on the accordion, But it took me all these years to find out you can also play Bach and other classical music on the instrument.
I discovered the new use of the accordion last evening when I went to hear the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra at the Palace Theater in Greensburg. My main draw was to hear how well the WSO would perform Holst’s “The Planets,” a work I am especially fond of. But to my surprise and listening amazement, I also got to see and hear young Moldovan accordionist, Radu Ratoi, perform with the orchestra Bach’s “Concerto in D minor.”
Surprise! Surprise! I was delighted to see the accordion put to such a good use and with such emotion, passion and proficiency by Ratoi, who WSO executive director, Michael Rozell, called a rising young star. His performance was amazing, and he followed up with another composition from his native Moldova that showed off his dexterity, proficiency and artistic expertise even more.
My concert companion, Bill, who loves the Two Cellos, the acclaimed Slovenian-Croatian cellist duo consisting of Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser, said Ratoi should meet up with the cello duo and go on tour together.
After the Bach piece on accordion piece and intermission, I really enjoyed “The Planets,” conducted by WSO director, Daniel Mayer. Because I didn’t see any female singers on stage, I wondered how the symphony was going to pull of the Neptune segment that concludes the piece. I did hear the singers and wondered if it may have been a recording that meshed with the orchestra. Modern technology and all that.
Later, while paying for the parking in the garage, I saw a musician in front of me and asked about the choral accompaniment. It seems the WSO female chorus got into the act standing somewhere behind the stage out of view.
Because I knew how long it takes for the Palace Theater crowd to exit the parking lot, I suggested to Bill that he and I head over to the old train station to the Olives and Peppers restaurant and wait out the crowd. Because he was in such a good mood he treated me to a chocolate mousse cake (from the Oakmont Bakery no less) while he sipped on a glass of DAOU Cab from Paso Robles, California. II got to try a sample the bartender so graciously served up and it is delicious. I highly recommend it if you’re in the vicinity of Olives and Peppers or whereever.
Below, I’ve included links to a videos of Radu Ratoi, Two Cellos and the Jupiter segment of The Planets. Plus our "dessert."
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