Bach: Goldberg Variations

‘Playing Bach on an accordion is often met with surprise and scepticism. Can the accordion leave this masterpiece intact, technically, musically and in terms of sound? How far can I go in the dynamic differences of such a baroque work, taking into account the nature and the scope of the accordion? Do I aspire to a simple tone such as that of the harpsichord or do I actually want to play out the characteristics of the accordion and then to what extent? How realistic is it to aspire to a plucked harpsichord sound? How do I express the transparency between different voices, what adaptations to the score are needed to achieve this? The result of my quest: the passionate temperament of the accordion (and accordionist) must be tempered. There is only one guideline: Bach’s music.’ –Philippe Thuriot