duo yūgen
Bio
DuoYūgen was founded by Eleni Dafeka and Laertis Kokolanis in 2013, making its debut at the Athens State Orchestra Chamber Music series. In addition to performing in various concert halls throughout the years, they have collaborated with the Benaki Museum to offer unconventional performance experiences at the Museum of Islamic Art and Ghika Gallery. They have since continued to perform throughout Greece, receiving enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences alike. The duo focuses their repertoire on "restless and highly ambitious programs," bringing listeners into contact with original and rarely performed works. It has stood out for its perfect stylistic interpretations, and the honest approach to each composition
DuoYūgen’s mission is to bring their audiences closer to the greatness of classical music, inviting them to discover a path of deeper understanding and respect of the human condition through art.
“The given modesty of Kokolanis and Dafeka - who consider themselves only 'participants' in a musical event - should not lead to misunderstandings: the osmosis of the two artists is a direct result of in- depth preparation, a sharp perception of each note, its content and musical style.”
Reviews
Challenging works of chamber music of the 20th century
By Yannis Svolos
The two musicians dared with too much confidence to propose a program exclusively of works of the 20th century.
Completing a decade of musical collaboration this year, "Duo YūGEN", consisting of violinist Laertis Kokolanis and pianist Eleni Dafekas, presented to the packed hall of "Parnassos" an unusually interesting program of chamber music compositions (11/3/2023).
In Greece, where the reception of the historical repertoire of classical music remains incurably atrophied, stuck in all kinds of anti-modernist reflexes, the two musicians dared with too much confidence to propose a program exclusively of works of the 20th century: Bartók, "Rhapsody No. 1", Grazina Batsevic , "Partitas for violin and piano" and Bloch, "Sonata for violin and piano no. 2, Secret poem".
The evening left excellent impressions and was a welcome change from the boring, safe monodiet [monotony?] of classical and romantic compositions; even though the performers titled their concert in English "Unorthodox 3B" (3B by Bartok, Bacewic, Bloch in opposition to the established Bach , Beethoven, Brahms)…
The two musicians gave an excellent performance of the four-part "Partita" (1955) by the talented Polonia Batsewicz: with impeccable technique, clear articulation and cultured expression that perfectly supported the contemplative, traumatic introversion (Preludium, Intermezzo) on the one hand, and the aggressive, anxious sharpness and the explosive energy à la Shostakovich (Toccata, Rondo) of a music of modernist moods, written in decidedly adverse historical circumstances.
A work written under the influence of an intense, lucid dream, the Swiss Ernest Bloch's "Secret Poem" ("Sonata no. 2", 1924) is a feverish, prolonged reminiscence of a better world, pulsating with feelings of exultation, which demand playing of the highest quality verbal fluency, perfect orthotony and deep musicality. The interpretation of this neo-classical/neo-romantic piece was given with overwhelming, noble emotion, finely finished phrasing, which at times took on vocal melody, and wonderfully subtle use of transitions of dynamics and timbre of sound.