Was The Accordion In Existence 300 Years Ago?

Unless you're planning on being on the next space shuttle launch or in the middle of a massive migration of whales, you will not see anything cooler this week than the video below. I know that Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" has basically become aural wallpaper at this point, used for ads, film soundtracks, and snowy afternoons in front of the fire, but this rendition of "Summer" from Aleksandr Hrustevich makes you listen again with new ears. If you look away, you might not believe that all these sounds are coming from just one accordionist. It's a long way from "Mary Had a Little Lamb", that's for sure. (Hat tip: Alex Ross)

Aleksandr Hrustevich - "Summer," from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" [YouTube]

Comments

[Jeff]

my head just exploded. that's some rad accordion playing.

[Stringman]

I think I held my breath the whole time. And who invented those accordian keyboards?

[Charles Johnson]

I once spoke to an accordian player about those buttons. They said that the piano keyboard might be good for pianos, but the button keyboard is actually easier for accordian.