In our performance we always try to tell the listener a story. Joy and despair, feelings of love and rejection, music can express it all and this is what we are aiming for.
We work in great detail on preparing exciting and colourful interpretations of pieces, but also we love to experiment with space and acoustic of the venue, as well as incorporating elements of instrumental theatre. Mixing the music of composers we love with our own compositions and improvisations makes every concert a unique experience. During our concerts we love to communicate with each other and with the audience as well, trying to „break the wall” and take them on a journey with us.
Being able to play different instruments, we enjoy combining them within a program, this enhances our repertoire and enriches the pallet of sounds we can use. Apart of classical music, we also love different styles like jazz, tango, folk music, incorporating them can give to our programs unexpected twist. Semion has a great experience in electronic music and he loves to use ambient textures and synthesized sounds in his compositions for the Duo.
Here are a few of our concert-programs. The presented repertoires last approximately 60-70 minutes. We would be happy to provide repertoire proposals for longer concerts as well, and we are open to creating new concepts that fit the theme of your festival.
For more programmes feel free to contact us.
Great Dionysia
Semion Gurevich – baroque violin
Agnieszka Skorupa – harpsichord
Duration – about 70 minutes
Program
Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg – Rondeau La Nymphe Marine from Suite No. 5 in G Major for harpsichord, Arr. for violin and harpsichord by Duo Agion
George Frideric Handel – Aria Wou’d you gain the tender Creature from Acis and Galatea HWV 49 for violin and basso continuo
Michel Corrette – Sonata in A Major op. 25 No. 3 Le Jardin des Hespérides
Semion Gurevich – Fantasia Narcissus and Echo on themes from Händels Sonata in D Major
George Frideric Handel – Sonata in D Major HWV 371
Jean-Philippe Rameau – Les Cyclopes for harpsichord
Michel Corrette – Sonata in e minor op. 25 No. 4 Les Amusemens d’Apollon chez le Roi Admète
Description
The Agion Duo invites you to ancient Greece to celebrate the Great Dionysia, a festival dedicated to the god Dionysus that embodies themes of wine, joy, sorrow, love, and ecstasy. Much like Greek drama, the audience will encounter mythical figures — nymphs, cyclopes, the god Apollo, Narcissus, and Echo.
Baroque composers often drew inspiration from ancient Greek themes, including Handel in his operas, Marpurg in his harpsichord suites, and Michel Corrette in his violin sonatas. Alongside works by these composers, the program features a unique piece by Semion Gurevich, inspired by a Handel sonata. This piece, titled “Narcissus and Echo,” is a fantasia that blends improvisation with electronic music.
The entire program is infused with instrumental-theatrical elements that evoke the spirit of ancient Greek festivals, during which numerous theatrical performances took place.
The duo won first prize at the Göttingen Handel Competition in 2023 with this program.
Sandro Botticelli – Primavera (fragment)Straight on the Drum of the Ear – English music between Purcell and Handel
Semion Gurevich – baroque violin & viola
Agnieszka Skorupa – harpsichord
Duration – about 70 minutes
Program
Henry Purcell – Ground in c ZD 221
Francesco Geminiani – Violin Solo in C IFG 25
George Frideric Handel – Sonata for harpsichord and viola in C Major IGH 543
Henry Purcell – Prelude in G minor for violin ZN 773
George Frideric Handel – Sonata in G minor for violin and basso continuo, HWV 364a
Semion Gurevich – Prelude in E minor
George Frideric Handel – Suite in e minor for harpsichord HWV 438
Duo Agion – Ground in A Major
Richard Jones – Sonata in A minor for violin and basso continuo op. 2 No. 4
David Teniers – Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in his gallery in Brussels, c. 1647–1651Description
“Straight on the Drum of the Ear” takes you on a journey through English music from the late 17th to the early 18th century. During this period, England enthusiastically welcomed prominent musicians from across Europe, which significantly influenced English music through the incorporation of French, Italian, and German styles.
The program features not only compositions by English composers but also works by those who inspired local musicians during their time in England. Among these influential figures, George Frideric Handel stands out as a beloved composer in England, known for masterfully blending various styles in his music.
Short pieces, such as preludes and (partially improvised) grounds, weave throughout the program like a common thread, serving as introductions to the sonatas of various composers. The diverse musical colours of these styles continually intermingle, providing the audience with a captivating panorama of the rich diversity of English music.
Gottfried van Swieten and his Protégés – Music by Haydn, Mozart and the Bach Family
Semion Gurevich – classical violin
Agnieszka Skorupa – fortepiano
Duration: about 60 minutes
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach – Largo from Sonata in C minor BWV 1017
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Sonata in C minor Wq 78
Joseph Haydn – Sonata in G Major Hob. XV/32
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Sonata in C Major K. 296
Description
The concert offers a unique insight into the musical life and influence of one of the 18th century’s most intriguing figures: Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Not only a diplomat, van Swieten was also a major patron of music, playing a key role in promoting and shaping the works of some of the era’s greatest composers.
His connections with Berlin and Vienna positioned him as a crucial bridge between these two significant musical centres. Van Swieten’s passion for the baroque music of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, along with his relationships with classical composers like Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, significantly influenced the development of classical music.
In addition to generously funding composers, the Baron commissioned transcriptions of works by Bach and his contemporaries into contemporary musical idioms. Inspired by this practice, the Duo Agion will perform the first movement of a J. S. Bach sonata on the fortepiano in a style more common during Mozart’s lifetime.
This concert is not only a journey through the diverse musical styles of the 18th century but also a tribute to Gottfried van Swieten, whose passion and support for music helped shape the soundscape of his time.
Beethoven’s Echoes – Violin Sonatas by Beethoven, Ries and Schubert
Semion Gurevich – romantic violin
Agnieszka Skorupa – fortepiano
Duration: about 60 minutes
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata D Major op. 12 No. 1 (1799)
Ferdinand Ries – Sonata in C-sharp minor op. 71 (1812)
Franz Schubert – Sonata in G minor D 408 (1816)
Description
“Beethoven’s Echoes” features Beethoven’s first surviving violin sonata alongside works by significant composers from his circle. Beethoven was an immensely visionary composer who charted his own course, exploring new directions that profoundly shaped the trajectory of music history. His influence inspired many contemporaries, including Ferdinand Ries and Franz Schubert.
Ferdinand Ries, not only a student of Beethoven but also his secretary, copyist, and friend, shared a complex relationship with his mentor — one that, despite its challenges, was enriching for both. The program includes his rarely performed dramatic sonata for violin and piano in the unusual key of C-sharp minor.
The concert concludes with Schubert’s G minor violin sonatina, one of only four works he composed in this genre. While it remains uncertain whether Schubert and Beethoven ever met in Vienna, it is documented that Schubert served as one of the pallbearers at Beethoven’s funeral. What is certain, however, is Schubert’s deep admiration for Beethoven’s work, which he knew intimately. This reverence may have even prevented him from approaching the great master in person.
Ecstasy or madness?
Semion Gurevich – baroque violin
Agnieszka Skorupa – harpsichord
Duration – about 65 minutes
Program
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber – Sonata in g minor No. 10 from Rosary Sonatas
Duo Agion – Meditation about Corellis Sonata in F Major
Arcangelo Corelli – Sonata in F Major op. 5 No. 4
Steffan Nau – Fantasia for violin solo
George Frideric Handel – Aria Ombra mai fu from Xerxes HWV 40 (arr. Duo Agion)
Johann Philipp Kirnberger – Fugue in F minor, EngK 28 for harpsichord solo
Duo Agion – Meditation about Tartinis Devil’s Trill Sonata
Giuseppe Tartini – Devil’s Trill Sonata in G minor
Description
Where does genius end and madness begin? At what point does artistic revelation transform into delirium? In this program, we invite the audience to navigate the narrow path between ecstasy and madness.
We will explore various facets of ecstasy, from the religious fervour of Biber’s Rosary Sonata to the almost fanatical madness found in the music of Tartini and Kirnberger, as well as the yearning calm in Handel’s “Ombra mai fu.” The works of these composers guide us on a journey that probes the limits of the human mind, allowing us to delve deeper into the mysteries of artistic inspiration.
As 21st-century musicians, we also question our relationship with these works, infusing them with meditative elements that incorporate electronic music. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is said that the apparent madness of the title character is “the pure ecstasy of love.” These words reflect the inseparable connection between deep emotional arousal and the loss of rationality. We, too, wish to draw inspiration from this connection, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur.
An optional version of the program without electronic music is also available.
Concerto in the Italian taste
Semion Gurevich – baroque violin
Agnieszka Skorupa – harpsichord
Duration – about 70 minutes
Program
Tomaso Albinoni – Sonata in A minor for violin and basso continuo op. 6 Nr 6
Johann Sebastian Bach – Sonata in A Major for violin and harpsichord BWV 1015
Antonio Vivaldi – Sonata in C Major for violin and basso continuo RV 4
Johann Sebastian Bach – Sonata in C minor for violin and harpsichord BWV 1017
Johann Sebastian Bach – Italian Concerto in F Major for harpsichord BWV 971
arr. for violin and harpsichord by Duo Agion
Description
Italian composers played a crucial role in popularising instrumental forms such as the sonata and concerto, as well as in the development of violin music. Their works significantly influenced composers across Europe, including Johann Sebastian Bach.
During his time in Weimar (1708-1717), Bach immersed himself in the music of Italian masters, studying, copying, and transcribing works by Vivaldi, Albinoni, Caldara, Bonporti, and others. This deep engagement allowed him to incorporate Italian elements into his own compositional style. A highlight of the program will be the performance of Albinoni’s sonata with figured bass, realised by Heinrich Nikolaus Gerber and later corrected by Bach.
The final piece of the program is Bach’s Italian Concerto, originally composed for solo harpsichord. The Agion Duo will present their own arrangement for harpsichord and violin, honouring the Baroque tradition of reinterpreting and transcribing music, a practice that Bach himself embraced.