On Saturday, April 12, the concert Opmaat naar Innsbruck took place in Hoofddorp: a dress rehearsal for the World Music Festival in Innsbruck, in which accordion teacher Robert Baas will participate with his orchestra at the end of May. With a composite accordion orchestra called MADE Amstelveen - consisting of his ensembles MDA I (Platform C, Amstelveen) and AE2000 (Hoofddorp) - he is preparing to participate in the highest category of the festival, which focuses on symphonic repertoire.
The World Music Festival in Innsbruck (May 29-June 1) is the most important festival for accordion orchestras in Europe. Ensembles from all over the continent travel to Austria to play before a professional jury. Only orchestras that achieve a high musical level are admitted to the large Tirol Hall in the conference center. Robert Baas is no stranger to this stage: he has already participated several times as conductor and initiator.
For Robert, the concert in Hoofddorp was not only a dress rehearsal for his own ensemble, but also an opportunity to bring together a number of Dutch participants in the festival. Among others accordion ensemble Feroce, Gilde Ensemble, Kwintissimo, Tinto Quintet and Trio Krommenie performed during the afternoon. This allowed the various groups to hear each other's programs in advance - something that is often not possible during the busy festival schedule in Innsbruck.
Robert's ensemble plays an entirely acoustic program - deliberately without additions such as percussion or electronics. "We stay close to ourselves in this," he says. During the festival, the orchestra will play, among other things, three movements from a suite by Spanish composer Gorka Hermosa, written for accordion and symphony orchestra. Also on the program is a transcription of the first act from Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka, based on the version for two pianos. "A challenge to edit, rehearse AND conduct," Robert said. The ensemble has been preparing for over a year now and after the successful dress rehearsal is all set to leave for Innsbruck soon.
For Robert Baas, this project is extra special: it is the last time he will participate in the festival as conductor and catalyst. Still, he does not rule out participating again in the future - but as a player. "Just participating in an orchestra, that also seems like fun again."
