Helix

“Helix” is dedicated to the accordionist Nepomuk Golding and was premiered in September 2025. The title Helix (Greek for “spiral”) refers to a structure that winds upward in a continuous rotation. This image serves as the foundation of the piece: music as a spiral line that develops continuously and strives up­ward.

The musical progression consistently applies the principle of the helix: from the lowest registers of the accordion, a steady ascent begins, unfolding like a screw-like motion upward. Rhythmically distinctive sections alternate with brief, spiraling gestures pushing upward and convey the impression of a spiral that tangibly draws the listener along. Shortly before the re­capit­u­la­tion, the note B is sustained across several octaves, each reached from above to below, holding the previously built-up energy in place. From there, the recapitulation begins, intensifies in a crescendo, and leads the piece into a determined, highly charged for­tis­simo.

­From a technical perspective, the piece may be regarded as virtuosic—not because of extreme tempi, but due to the high demands on articulation and bellows technique. Polyphonic textures, an organic sense of tempo, precise articulation, and dynamic gradations shape the in­ter­pret­a­tion. Timbres shift between massive and voluminous and delicately spacious, and transitions must occur organically. Special techniques, such as fermatas with bellows stop, require exact execution. Chords should sound powerful yet simultaneously dense. The piece invites the performer to vividly demonstrate the diverse possibilities of the accordion and to captivate the audi­ence.

­premiere: September 21st, 2025, Stuttgart, Nepomuk Golding