Italian ensemble Duo Hélios brings us on a musical trip around the world, from Japan to South America through Europe. Exploring faraway lands and sounds in one concert, carried by the notes of Marcello Nardilli’s guitar and Sofia Bevilacqua’s flute, we taste the typical musical characters and local traditions just by closing our eyes.
First we take a glimpse at 18th century Poland, through the brilliant and fresh work by E.G. Baron. Then we jump right into the 20th century with R. Gnattali’s Sonatina, characterized by musical themes inspired by both popular and more cultivated brazilian tunes.
Moving to Argentina we meet Astor Piazzolla, whose 100th birthday we celebrate this year. We hear two pieces from “Histoire du Tango: Bordel 1900,” a high-spirited tango which paints the picture of mediterranean bordellos and “Cafè 1930,” a very different form of tango characterized by slow movements and melancholy harmonies.
From South America to Japan is a nice flight. We present “Haru no Umi” by M. Miyagi. This piece was based on the composer’s childhood image of the sea of Tomonoura before he lost his eyesight at the age of 8.
Taking another quick flight to Italy with our imagination, we meet Ugo Raimondi, a very talented Italian composer, who dedicated to us his “Hèlios.”
As a finale, we would like to take you back to South America to discover the typical sounds of Puerto Rico and Brazil. Firstly you will hear “Fantasia Mulata” by E. Cordero – a very mysterious yet vibrant piece – and finally a very joyful “Samba Choro” by C. Machado.
About
Formed in 2019 by Sofia Bevilacqua (flute) and Marcello Nardilli (guitar), Duo Hélios was born in the Conservatoire of Novara (Italy), prompted by the opinion of Maestro Bruno Giuffredi and other teachers.
From the beginning, we have both appreciated the sound of the ensemble and we have thus decided to cultivate this experience, broadening our musical horizons as much as we could, seeking new sounds and stimuli. The first repertoire we faced has been the classic one, after which we approached the one characterized by popular and folkloristic influences, with particular interest towards the South-American area.
Our name is that of the Sun, intended as the star that illuminates every corner of the planet and gives warmth and vitality. We would like to convey the same concept through our music.
As a final touch, a small curiosity: we chose ancient Greek primarily because it is an extremely musical language, and then because it harkens back to an open civilization, that is part of our cultural identity.
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