Review in ‘De Stentor’.

In the newspaper ‘De Stentor’ we found this review of Carel Kraayenhof’s concert at the Accordion Festival in Deventer, together with the Orchestra van het Oosten, director Jan Willem de Vriend.

Fraternization at closing concert of Deventer Accordion Festival.After the interval there was time for folklore and sentiment. The Accordion Festival!Our national ‘tanguero’ steps onto the stage alone. As the born entertainer he is he explains amiably chatting his exquisite anthology.For instance ‘Gabriel Kondor’ by Dino Saluzzi: an equally refined as well as heartbreaking scenery-painter, with the delicate wingbeat of the bird-angel above the massive rocks of the Andes.In the concert for bandoneon and orchestra by Astor Piazzolla the orchestra has an accompanying function, although a wonderful violinsolo does not stay unnoticed.And what a cooperation!A beautiful timing, a perfect volume-balance with the (slightly amplified) bandoneon. Everybody participates in the boyish smiles of understanding between De Vriend in his dress-coat and Kraayenhof in his Bohemian silk Mao-jacket. Because music fraternizes – really!

By Margaretha Coornstra