Collectible, classical concertina

PT musician has rare talent

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Otto Smith is one of only a handful of concertina musicians capable of both transcribing and performing modern classical music on the squeeze box.

“Smith is considered one of the foremost classical concertina players,” said Maestro Tigran Arakelyan of the Port Townsend Community Orchestra.

Smith, 72, of Port Townsend, will be featured in the West Coast premiere of James Cohn’s “Concertina Concerto” as part of the Spring Chamber Concert Series.

“There aren’t a lot of concertos for the concertina,” Smith said. “The one I am doing this time is a modern one. It was written in the 1960s and has a very modern sound to it.”

While there are many concertina players at the amateur level who play folk songs and other things, especially in England, not many can perform classical, Arakelyan said.

“There are probably three or four people in the world that can play this concerto. Not many people would have the opportunity to hear a concertina with a chamber orchestra.”

The chamber will also perform “Holberg Suite” by Edvard Grieg and “Tico Tico” by Zequinha de Abreu during two shows.

The first performance is at 6:30 p.m. June 7 at Finnriver Cidery, 124 Center Road in Chimacum. The second is at 2 p.m. June 9 at Port Townsend High School, 1500 Van Ness St. in Port Townsend.

Both concerts are free to the public.

“I really want to take classical music to unconventional venues,” Arakelyan said of the performance at Finnriver. “Most people don’t expect a chamber orchestra, but we are going to be there to reach more audiences.”

Smith discovered Cohn’s 1966 Concertina Concerto a few years ago and has been getting to know it since.

At 90 years old, Cohn is still active, writing new music and getting new commissions, Arakelyan said. His music, described as accessible, tuneful and authentic, spans a wide range of instrumentation from his recent Suite for Solo Double Bass to his eight symphonies.

To prepare for “Concertina Concerto,” Smith met with Cohn, Arakelyan said.

“He has had a close relationship with him.”

Smith discussed how to address certain passages to get the most out of his instrument and interpretation, Arakelyan said.

The concerto consists of three movements: an Allegretto Capriccio, an Andante Romanza and a rollicking Rondo labeled Presto con fuoco.

Smith transcribed the concerto for the other musicians in the chamber, Arakelyan said.

“The other players really appreciate that because when a composer hand-writes a score it can be tough to read. Otto did a lot of work for this.”

The piece is rarely performed, and has never been heard live on the West Coast before, Arakelyan said.

“There are a lot of fast passages and a lot happening. It is a really tough concerto.”

Smith considers the piece modern classical.

“There is a classical tradition on the concertina,” he said. “It is not very common in the U.S. There are some people in England who play more traditional concertina music.”

Smith even purchased an antique concertina in England for the show.

“It was written for this particular kind of concertina,” he said.

A special concertina

The concertina is a rare 56-button instrument built in 1926, Smith said.

“Normally they have 48 buttons and are basically the same range as a violin. This extends by about a half an octave.”

The concertina was purchased at Barleycorn Concertinas of London, which is owned by Chris Algar, who has been restoring and selling antique concertinas since 1974.

The history of the instrument is hard to determine, Smith said, but there is one clue.

“The case it came in had a little slip of paper that had Alf Edwards on it and his address.”

Edwards was a well-known concertina player who wrote, “I’ll Go No More A Rovin,” for the 1956 movie, “Moby Dick,” starring Gregory Peck, according to IMDB.com.

No matter the origin, Smith said he greatly enjoys performing on the 93-year-old instrument.

“I know how to play it. That makes a big difference. It sounds good playing with a lot of other instruments. It is always in tune. I don’t have to keep tuning.”

Decades of practice

Smith said he picked up a concertina for the first time in his mid-30s. He started out with Irish folk tunes, contra music and swing, and later learned the more intricate classical style.

“There aren’t a lot of people to take lessons from, so you kind of end up doing a lot of self-teaching,” Smith said.

In turn, Smith has taught many pupils the skills he learned, he said.

Smith enjoys the concertina because it is a very logical instrument.

“It was invented by an engineer, this particular fingering system,” he said. “It is well-designed so it is adept at playing in any key.”

Because it has the same range as a violin, Smith said he is able to perform duets with his wife, Kristin, a violinist.