Bidaia, concerto for accordion and orchestra
(Bidaia, concierto para acordeón y orquesta)
An accordion concerto dedicated to Iñaki Alberdi
World Premiere: November 2022, Teatro Colón, Philharmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires
“Dedicated to the Basque accordionist Iñaki Alberdi, Bidaia takes its title from the Basque word to refer to the trip. And from there the recited text takes verses from a poem that exalts the figure of one of the most emblematic travelers of the culture of European tradition: Ulises.
In his poem Ithaca, Constantine Kavafis writes:
Keep Ithaka always in your mind
Arriving there is what you’re destined for
But don’t hurry the journey at all
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island
In the words of the composer, “
Bidaia is structured in five main movements: Inauteriak (carnival), Ontziz (sailing), Tximistak (sparks), Ilunak (shadows) and Makinak (machines). These five movements, which symbolize different journeys, are preceded and interspersed by solo accordion passages, ad libitum. Finally, in the coda, the orchestra ‘drinks’ from the material exposed by the soloist during his transits and develops it freely. For his part, the soloist improvises in counterpoint with these variations. Throughout this farewell, brief quotes of melodic, rhythmic or textural material from the previous movements are also heard, performed by small groups within the orchestra. Something like souvenirs, photos or postcards of the trips undertaken.”
