At just twenty-five years old, Théo Ould sees musical expression as a total art form, and explores all the possibilities of his instrument, the accordion,...

At just twenty-five years old, Théo Ould sees musical expression as a total art form, and explores all the possibilities of his instrument, the accordion, which he champions with great pride: ‘When I entered the conservatoire and held the instrument in my hands, I was fascinated by the sound as much as the object itself, halfway between a typewriter and an extra-terrestrial contraption: a “playing machine” in every sense of the word … I also discovered what its sound was like and what you could do with it. I learnt what stops that sound from expanding and how to use my whole body as a soundbox.’ The programme of Laterna Magica blends the Baroque music of Bach and Rameau with melancholy melodies by Granados and Tchaikovsky, before moving on to the contemporary repertory with Campo and Gubitsch (including three new pieces for accordion and electronics). For this recording, Théo is joined by two guests, cellist Lisa Strauss (for the finale of Shostakovich’s Sonata for cello and piano) and violinist Luka Faulisi (for the finale of Mozart’s Sonata for violin and keyboard in E minor, K304).