Arrows to the precious target: A Concert of The Helicon Foundation

On October 4th 2009, I joined to the delicacy of the whole event that The Helicon Foundation's Symposium brought to the city. As usual, the event was preceded by a welcome pre-concert reception where chamber music lovers get together to chat on the experiences since the most recent symposium. Later, a triumphant walk upstairs leave to the heaven of the "intimate musical experience". In this case, an outstanding program in two parts with an intermission was put in beyond the hands of the concertgoers: exactly in the place where Cupido's arrows are supposed to target, in the softer part of the spirit.

The first half was a brilliant selection signaled by the mixtures of feelings from Richard Strauss and Anton Webern songs coming to life in the voice of Mrs. Miah Persson and pianist Ilya Poletaev. For this segment of the program, Persson's voice (and attitude) was like a blessing for the evening as well as her shy smile and shiny eyes completed her performance. Her connection with Poletaev through smiles, glaring , etcetera, inspired the most intricate thoughts about the the feelings that the composer expressed through their songs. This duo deserves to get together on stage again.

The second half was just a completion of the journey from love feelings to the most spiritual joy that the human being can have: Waltzes by Johann Strauss. With a subtle composition of titles, the program made the transfer from Roses through Lagoons up to the Emperor. At the most crucial moment of the concert ("The Waltz of The Emperor"), the performance made audience smile, smile and smile. Most of us reluctant to believe that this presentation was live just few steps before everybody attending. Incredible that music can be put together in a well organized frame where the link between passion and joy would never get lost.

This is the thought: Music shouldn't be lost in huge venues where people might be attending just for fun. Music needs to be brought to the audience thinking in them, in the feelings that it will elicit from the most stoic souls. Music in the intimacy is a great experience and that's what I have found in these Symposiums: I being surrounded by musical notes as angels whispering aloud to my ears. I can say that I am more than eager to live the experience that's going to be the next.