Tears of War

Tears of War is a neoclassical-inspired work that seeks to translate the drama and suffering of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine into music. This piece for guitar duo goes beyond the traditional boundaries of chamber music for guitar, transforming the instruments into a “soundtrack,” evoking powerful and harrowing images through a musical language that transcends simple composition and takes the listener directly into the heart of the conflict.

The piece is characterized by heart-wrenching dissonances, broken strings, clusters, and percussive effects that imitate the sounds of war—sirens, bombings—all created without the use of electronics. The two guitars, typically associated with a more intimate register, shed their traditional role to become expressive tools capable of depicting the devastation and turmoil of war. The music resonates with anguish, rage, and sorrow, while also seeking to capture the essence of something broken within the human heart.

Carmen Zangarà, discussing the genesis of the piece, states: “We always experienced war through the stories of our grandparents, in books, and in films about the Nazi horrors. It all seemed so distant from our modern times, made of social media and talent shows. But after the first attack, everything became terribly real. The drama that reached us left us stunned: talking about war in 2022? Has humanity learned nothing from the past?" The piece arose as a response to these questions and as an expression of the dismay and helplessness the composers felt.

Carmelo Imbesi adds: “Tears of War describes very particular emotions. We tried to recreate everything that resonated within us every time we saw images of the conflict and heard the testimonies of survivors. Two guitars telling the story of a war—a music filled with unease, rage, and sorrow. But we feel there’s more. There’s something broken in those dissonances, in the distorted bells at the end, accompanying the resignation of the final phrase built on harmonics. It’s as if, with Tears of War, we wanted to bear witness to humanity’s repeated failure in the face of life.”

On July 15, 2022, Tears of War received a letter of commendation from the Vatican, signed by Pope Francis, in recognition of its expressive power and its universal message of peace.