Markku Lepistö - European Soirée (2021)

As a postgraduate student at the Sibelius Academy, Markku Lepistö began to study the early 19th century Finnish history of accordion, and became immensely interested in the repertoire played by Martin Paul. He has been the album’s biggest inspiration. As early as the 19th century, the German-Danish-Swedish-Finnish accordion artist Martin Paul pointed out the possibilities of the accordion for performing diverse music. His repertoire, unlike the repertoire of folk musicians, included 19th-century salon tunes and other popular music software of the era, such as popular little pieces and fantasies, i.e., potpourri from favorite 19th-century operas and operettas.
With her European Soirée album, Markku Lepistö has wanted to bring to the atmosphere what a 19th-century evening with accordion music might have sounded like. At that time, the accordion could be played not only in the market humors and corner dances of the people, but also in cafes, restaurants and concert halls favored by the fine people, as well as in private villas in Paris, Rome, Berlin, Vienna or even Tampere.
With accordion artist Markku Lepistö, the music is interpreted by Ilpo Laspas on piano and harpsichord.