DaleW wrote:
[]
> 1) First of all, is accordion really considered a particularly French
> instrument? My only accordio-centric CD is Polish (though of a French
> composer), a friend gave me because he knew I liked Erik Satie, didn't
> realize it was accordion till it was already purchased.
> If I had to put accordion is a national category, it would be Central
> European (polkas and such)
>

Good Lord yes. The accordion was studied as a "serious" instrument
by generations of French children.

What's more, there's Musette. It is extremely fashionable to detest
Musette among French intellectual circles -- and I expect a couple
to pipe up here! -- musical or otherwise. But among the bad there
is also some very good, and very evocative, original French work.
(I'm no student of it, but no doubt Musette has as many mongrel
influences and origins as any other form.)

I like Musette, although that is a dangerous admission to make.

There are a few very fine accordionists working in France.

> 2) I guess it's possible that buyers could distinguish German music
> (if beer garden oompah style). But is it really possible that the vast
> majority of buyers would then buy German wines? In UK? I know that in
> the old days they drank plenty of hock, but my impression now is that
> German wines are about as popular in UK as here. I find it hard to
> believe at any market outside Germany or its neighbors that a majority
> of wine purchased was German, no matter what the music.
> On the other hand 77% French doesn't seem out of realm of possibility,
> no matter what they played.

Yes, seems reasonable, although I thing percentage-wise the English are
drinking less French than that these days.

-E