It is
commonly known that the accordion was invented in Austria, where
the instrument was used in traditional folk music. The diatonic
accordion was used in all village fairs and parades, and nearly
every family had one. The traditional stronghold of the accordion
was in the Alps, especially in Styrie. The date of its appearance
in folk music is unknown, but it did bring a certain colour
to folk music.
In the
19th century, Vienna was the capital of Austria, which was
also the world capital of classical music. This developed
into blues and jazz, from the United States. This traditional
urban music was later baptised "the Viennese Blues".
This tradition was continued from the 1920's to the 1940's
by orchestras recording records in which the accordion played
a major role.
Purists
cried scandal, and for a while there was great debate. The
guitar style accordion was well liked by the public and many
duos flourished, performing in the streets and for tourists
in the suburbs of Vienna. The years following have produced
many notable Austrian accordionists, including Hermi Kaleta,
who won the 1958 Coupe Mondiale World Championships. Today
there are many well known and respected Austrian accordionists.
|
