Quotes
"Juliette's CD is quite magical."-Chris DRINKWATER
"Juliette, you can do things with an English that ordinary mortals can only dream of." - Daniel HERSH
Let me commence by saying why I think this recording to be significant. Traditionally, musicians learned tunes from other musicians, in their own environment, over a passage of time. Nowadays, we refer to this as the “folk” process. The musician, having then learnt a tune, would make it their own by adding their personality to the playing. Back in the 1960’s, Juliette’s father, William, arrived in Europe in search of a guitar tutor. His travels eventually took him into Spain, where he met the virtuoso guitarist, and composer, Bartholomé Calatayud. William studied with the “master”, and, years later, when Juliette was born, it was this repertoire which provided some of her earliest musical memories.
In an era when younger people rebel against many things which their parents hold dear, I think it speaks volumes of Juliette that she has continued to love the music with which she grew up, and, more importantly, wanted to incorporate it into her repertoire, and her soul. The music written by Bartholomé, played by William on the guitar, has now been interpreted, by Juliette, on the concertina. We, as listeners, can be sure that Juliette’s interpretation, of virtuoso guitar music, is authentic, since William has been on hand to give advice. So, while Juliette plays in a “classical” style, she is truly carrying on the “folk” process with this music.
So; “Mallorca Dulce y Picante”. Juliette has given us not one CD, but two; a choice of recordings on 56 key Tenor/Treble and 64 key Bass/Baritone Wheatstone English concertinas. I guess that it’s a bit like offering a wine connoisseur the choice of an outstanding vintage white, or equally good red. They would not wish one to follow the other in the same glass. So, I’m glad that Juliette resisted the temptation to produce a composite CD.
As a musician, the mark of genius is to take a complex piece of music, and make the playing of it appear relaxed and easy. It is this which Juliette does with the compositions by Calatayud; she is at one with the music, whilst weaving her magic with the concertina. Let me assure you, these are not easy pieces of music, by any means. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of hearing Juliette working on some of these pieces, bar by bar, to work out just how she would finger particular passages. This part of the learning process Juliette does in her head, since any kind of notation would prove almost impossible. On a daily basis, I could hear the tunes being gently moulded into shape, as a craftsperson would work a piece of metal. Now the final polish has been added; Calatayud’s compositions have become Juliette’s tunes, which she is sharing with the world.
Of the compositions, I liked, in particular, “Cancion de Cuna”, and would urge the listener to seek out Juliette’s recording on YouTube – well worth watching. Also, “Boceto Andaluz” where I found the bass runs, and the way in which melody and chords appear to switch between octaves, fascinating. Then “Caramba!”, with its catchy melody, got stuck in my head and refused to leave. Such a variety of compositions, influenced by the folk melodies of the environment. Some are gentle and relaxing; others clearly dance tunes, the clue being in the title. Repeat playing certainly rewards the listener as there is “a lot going on” within the music.
However, I think that Juliette saved the best for last. “Sonata Typica de Mallorca” is absolutely superb; a tune of great beauty. It is worth buying the CD if only for close on eight minutes of pure magic. The melody twists and turns, with changes to tempo, mood, and even continent! It’s like listening to a concertina band of several different voices. Whilst hearing the ever changing composition, at various points I felt compelled to ask myself “How is Juliette doing that?”. I look forward to a live performance of this piece, in particular.
I hope that, at some stage, Juliette will be able to share the playing of these tunes with other musicians; what I call her “legacy”. I am certain that other concertina players will marvel at her ability to play such complex material, as will others in the wider musical world.
As to which of the two CDs I preferred, it was a very close call. I love the “pure” concertina sound of the Tenor/Treble, but, equally, I marvel at the slightly “moody” and organ-like sound of the Bass/Baritone, which dictates that the music be played at a slightly slower tempo. I would give the nod to the Bass/Baritone, if only because this instrument enabled Juliette to play the compositions as written, rather than an octave higher.
Now, I wonder what Juliette has planned for us next…………..
Peter Trimming
When I introduced the work of Juliette Daum in the last Newsletter, the content of her disc “Juliette et le Concertina” led me to speculate whether she might be a guitarist undergoing transmogrification to concertinist in the steps of Giulio Regondi.
In fact, Juliette tells me that the guitarist is her father, (who is also her recording engineer). The influence has been very strong and effective. Juliette’s second disc, Juliette’s Bachs of Truffles, is made up of Bach pieces, of which the well-known Bach Chaconne appears in three separate versions. This is a seriously long and demanding piece, to which Juliette brings an amazing technique and sensitivity. In my view she has (at her tender age) probably distinguished herself as one of, (if no the) finest Bach players on the concertina.
Juliette Plays two large Wheatstone Aeolas – one a 64 button “tenor- treble” (which I suppose is probably actually a Baritone- Treble) and a 64 button Bass- Baritone. These look seriously heavy instruments in her hands but obviously provide a powerful musical range to cover baroque applications. Here I must appeal to you not to become dissatisfied with your trebles concertinas which still provide the backbone for concertina in this country.
Michael Perry
EKCP
What to say about Juliette et le Concertina? It's lovely! Lovely music and lovely playing.
Historically, very little music has been written specifically for concertina, but listening to Juliette's playing, one could easily believe that all of these pieces had been. She has taken music written for lute, baroque keyboard, accordion, guitar... and made it sound "native" to the (English) concertina.
I praise Juliette not only for her playing, but for her composition, as I understand that these arrangements and interpretations are her own. She understands her instrument and its capabilities, and whether she has made significant adjustments to the originals or almost none, to me each arrangement sounds "just right".
I must say that I usually prefer chamber music to symphony orchestras, and Juliette's playing reminds me why. Oh, I love great orchestras and large church organs... but in moderation, not all the time. They lack the intimacy and clarity of the small ensemble, where you can not only hear the individual instruments, but feel how they respond to each other. The unaccompanied soloist takes this one step further, providing a sense of ensemble from a single instrument.
And that's Juliette. Her harmonies are neither too heavy nor too delicate, but it's more than that. She uses the ringing warmth of her instrument's voice with an expression that complements each individual arrangement, treating the "notes" neither as masters to be obeyed nor as servants to be controlled, but as equal partners in artistic endeavor. As just one example, her playing of Regondi's Leisure Moments No. 2, one of the few pieces actually written for concertina, is not as brisk as Douglas Rogers' interpretation and abandons the piano accompaniment, but as she plays it, it doesn't seem to be lacking anything. Juliette's interpretation is different from Douglas', but equally beautiful and "complete".
I admire Juliette's taste as much as her artistry. Her selection of pieces is beautiful and varied, but not chaotic. Her arrangements are beautifully suited to both her instruments and her own style of playing. And the technical quality of the sound is excellent.
I understand that Juliette plans more CD's in the near future, starting with one that will be entirely of pieces by J.S. Bach. I can hardly wait!
Jim Lucas
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It was in June 2006 that I first became aware of Juliette Daum, when she made some very interesting postings on the Concertina.net Forum. With my "working" knowledge of the English concertina, I understood Juliette's playing technique to be very advanced. Early sound recordings, which Juliette posted on Concertina.net, confirmed this, and Juliette advised that a CD was "in the pipeline". After the delivery of suitable recording equipment, Juliette spent the next few, sometimes frustrating, weeks in her recording studio (Templar Church). Finally, at the end of August, "Juliette et le Concertina" was ready.
Juliette had sent me some advance recordings, both for inclusion on this CD, and for the forth-coming "English International" CD, but I still awaited the delivery of the finished CD with great excitement. I was not disappointed.
In total, there are 17 tracks, covering a wide variety of music, with Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic and Modern composers represented (Dowland, Regondi, Ponce, Calatayud, etc.). Much of the selection comes from Classical guitar and lute repertoires, which Juliette has specifically arranged, for solo playing, on a 48 key instrument. Could it be that some of these pieces have now been recorded, for the first time, on concertina?
Juliette plays in a style which reminds me of Dave Townsend, in that the melody is supported by chords, and bass runs. There are many "gems" here, but, if I had to pick out two favourite tracks, they would be L'Enfant Demon (Claude Thomain) and Mrs. Winter's Jump (John Dowland). It was L' Enfant Demon which initially showed Concertina.net Forum members just what an amazing talent is emerging from Juliette's adopted country of France.
Juliette plays with such sensitivity, and a lightness of touch, that most musicians do not achieve in a lifetime of playing. Listening to the music, you can hear Juliette's passion, for what she is doing, in her playing. Even if you are not a fan of music in the "Classical" style, it is worth buying a copy just to listen to the playing technique. If you do enjoy Classical music, then "Juliette et le Concertina" will be a regular visitor to your CD player.
For the recordings, Juliette uses two 48 key Wheatstone concertinas, an Aeola treble which dates from the 1930's, and a baritone, dating from 1854, which has an interesting history. The sound of both is superb.
Not content to rest on her laurels, Juliette is already working on further CDs.
Peter Trimming
September 2006