The World Accordion to Haltli

If checking out a rising young Norwegian accordionist isn’t part of your November plans, reconsider. Frode Haltli’s sophomore effort, Passing Images (on Manfred Eicher’s legendary ECM label) is a hypnotic work that challenges everything you thought you knew about chamber music, folk music, and the accordion itself. When Haltli and his quartet arrive November 10 at the Walker Art Center’s McGuire Theater, they will be performing pieces from the album.

Already well regarded for his performances of contemporary composed music, Haltli took a different approach this time out, turning to traditional melodies as inspirations for new compositions. Though these sources—which include psalms, waltzes, and lullabies—are old, the final product is surprisingly fresh.

“I don’t try to hide the fact that I used traditional tunes as a starting point for most of the compositions on the CD,” Haltli says. “On some tracks, though, it’s not possible to hear the original tune anymore, so I felt it was better to call them my compositions.”

This kind of melodic evolution is common in folk music, but it would be a disservice to call Passing Images simply a folk album. Haltli and his quartet—accordion, violin, clarinet, and vocals—interpret this music through an intimate chamber music lens, giving it classical nuances. The quartet continually pushes the melodies, sometimes reveling in their beauty and other times unraveling them into dissonant passages. The result is music that feels truly alive, spontaneous, and new. Nov. 10. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-375-7600