Hanzhi and the Magic Accordion
I got to meet Hanzhi Wang, the Accordionist? The accordion player? One who is wise in the way of accordion? I’m not sure what the accepted phrase is. … at UCSB. I had no idea that the instrument was capable of the arrangements she played. I was captivated by her emotional expressiveness. She breathed and swayed with the phrasings so dramatically that at one point I thought she might rise up and start waltzing. I wanted to dance, too, and I’m surprised I didn’t spring to life myself. I have a tough time keeping still when music is playing, especially live. Hanzhi talked about the need for motion while she played; someone else was intrigued as I was about how much she moved to her playing, and commented if the instrument required breath, as they had noted the sound of sharp inhale the way a wind instrument might require. Hanzhi related how important breathing was in her connection not just to the music, but with her entire being into the expression of the piece that she was performing. Breathing is part of the song.
I’m sure this is just the American in me speaking, but accordions make me think of monkeys- little monkeys with fez hats, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and gypsies. I certainly don’t think of Chopin or fully orchestrated Brahms into 4-hand accordion. Hearing her play brought a whole new insight into the versatility of the instrument. I like the way the keys sound, for instance. There is a percussive element to the performance, as you can hear the ‘click-clacking’ of her fingers on the keys, somewhat like the way one might hear hands on a drum. It has a tactile quality to it that at first seemed distracting, until its rhythm and syncopation became inseparable from the concert. The tonality is akin to a reed organ, and I found myself looking for comparisons. Phish’s “Esther” and Steve Winwood’s “Give Me Some Lovin’” came to mind. For some reason, Bach didn’t come up.
In doing some reading about reed organs this morning, I came across a fascinating instrument called the pyrophone. I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently invented in the mid-19th century and based on Michael Faraday’s experiments with combustible hydrogen tones produces from the open end of test tubes, the pyrophone is a musical instrument based on internal combustion, as opposed to the external combustion principles of the calliope. How this instrument isn’t being used in every single heavy metal band is beyond me. I was shocked that I had never heard of it. Spell check didn’t even know about it.
Wendelin Weißheimer composed Five Sacred Sonnets for Voice, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Pyrophone and Piano in 1880. I would love to hear these, but I was unable to find a recording. If anyone is able to source this material, please drop me a line, as I would love to experience this music. I did manage to find some samples of the gas organ here, and I found it to be some of the most incredible sounds I had ever heard. The words haunting, somber, ethereal, and dark come to mind. If this is your particular brand of poison, I highly recommend giving it a listen.
I love discovering new music. I especially enjoy finding new ways to appreciate instruments in approaches I had not thought of before. Hanzhi is an incredible person I am forever grateful that she takes the time to perform for students and share her great gift. If you ever get a chance to see her live, I highly recommend it. Here is a clip of her playing Moritz Moszkovski: Etincelles:
Visit Hanzhi’s webpage here for more information on her: