Black Earth

At the moment, Black Earth is the only recording of Fazil Say's own music that is officially available in America. The title composition is an homage to Turkish "minstrel" (we need a better word here!) Asik Veysel and the sound of his stringed baglama. Say's use of hand damped strings to create the sound of a folk instrument not only led him to bridge the gap between "world music" and "classical music" genres, but also becomes the basis of his pizzicato string and orchestral percusssion effects in pieces like Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring."

This recording may appeal to a diverse audience. First are the fan's of this young virtuoso's rising career (see Amazon customer reviews of his Stravinsky recording for an example, or count the hits on You Tube). Next are students of classical music composition who have already taken note (including world premiers with the Boston Symphony Orchestra). I would also include those who may have given up hope on classical music written after about 1940 but may now awake from a long slumber. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, a new generation looking to the future and a new art form.

This recording is a great introduction to Fazil Say's music, but you will probably want to hear much more. As a first step, try the videos of his oratorio "Nazim" on You Tube. (approaching a quarter million views!) If this work is any indication, we may be heading forward into a second "golden age" of classical music. It's been a while since the days when one might have expected a contemporary composer to reduce an audience to tears. Three Cypresses, My Country, Sunday, and the other excerpts on You Tube show why this piece is performed each summer in an ancient Roman theater in Anatolia to crowds of thousands. Strangely, the piece was specifically commissioned by the Turkish minister of culture ... the same government that forced poet Nazim Hikmet to spend his life in Turkish prisons and then to die in exile. He is still listed as an enemy of the people, while at the same time being Turkey's most popular poet.

The You Tube Nazim excerpts are from the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra's DVD (see below) of the entire performance which includes extensive bonus features about Nazim Hikmet, the subject of the oratorio. English subtitles are provided on both You Tube and on the DVD, which is not available in the US. If you are able to locate a copy, realize that it is not designed for play on DVD players in the US. It may be playable on your computer, but proceed with caution as Windows XP may permanently reset your "region" selection to Turkish! A serious Windows geek may be able to help you through this dilemma until a US version is available. And then, there's always You Tube.

A second DVD, "Fazil Say, Alla Turca" has been released by the German company, Art Haus Musik. This will play without problem in the USA. Although the interviews with Fazil Say are conducted in German (I believe he is also fluent in English, among other languages) there are subtitles for most EU languages, including English. In fact, the box is entirely in English. This DVD is worth the trouble to locate: excellent live performances of his major compositions including Black Earth, The Silk Road Concerto, and excerpts from a different performance of the Nazim Oratorio featuring a spontaneous cadenza by Say. The background information and interviews are truly helpful. Say's performance here of Busoni's transcription of the Bach Chaconne is heart stopping. Pianists may enjoy the opportunity to hear Say perform on several Steinway Ds, a Bosendorfer concert grand, as well as a C. Bechstein studio grand and wonderful Pleyel upright in his home. Some viewers have complained about the"creative" cinematography, but I enjoyed it for the most part. (OK, a few too many traffic jams!) It's not bad as a Turkish travel DVD! The cinematography seems to be necessary to understand the context of the Silk Road Concerto and Black Earth, especially as Say explains his intentions in superimposing a pianistic rendering of the sound of a boy playing a folk song on a shepherd's flute high in the hills while listening to the sounds of bombs and AK-47s in the distant valley. While the Black Earth CD is a great intro to the music of Fazil Say, the DVD brings understanding to the titles of the music, such as "Massacre." The DVD also features a live performance of Beethoven's Apassionata Sonata.

However, to really understand his masterpiece, the Nazim Oratorio, you'll have to locate the Turkish DVD ("Fazil Say, Nazim" on the imaj DVD Gold Collection) to access the background information necessary to understand the profound depth of the poetry/ music and the reason for its importance in the world today. Warning: your You Tube introduction may leave you with an insatiable curiosity!

Say has been performing with most of America's best known orchestras, and is a regular in the EU. So far, American releases have focused on fairly traditional repertoire, but Black Earth and the Stravinsky CD both hint at the presence of a major force in classical music that is best revealed in the two DVDs.

This is some of the best new music of the 21st century. The music has mystery and adventure while staying in the classical world. I don't hear much of Turkey in the music, Fazil Say's home truf but I do hear a budding classical composer. Of course his playing is first rate and the sound is clear and upfront. Highly recommended. After purchasing this CD, I also checked out his "1001 Nights in teh Harem" and his classical recording of Beethoven, Bartok and Ravel with Patricia Kopatchinskajs on the violin. You should also check out these wonderful CD's.

a must listen for real music lovers, say`s piano is talking from anatolia and europe through the new world. you can taste modern jazz to classical music with a brilliant performance.

What can one say about Fazil Say that hasn't already been said. He is great, great, great.

danke