1914
In his piece 1914, commissioned by the Orchestre National de Belgique, Fazıl Say calls the atrocities of the First World War to mind. The seven-minute orchestral piece was part of a project for which one composer from each of the countries involved in the
A 100 Year Old Child, Symphony No. 6
I named the work ‘A 100 year-old child’. I told the good and bad periods of the Turkish republic, which was founded on October 29, 1923, the times of struggling or developing, what it experienced in its personal and social history in during the
Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar depicts a variety of scenes from within the Bazaar, with sections of the score titled “walking in the dark streets of the Grand Bazaar”, “carpet sale dispute” and “evening atmosphere”. Say combines his idea of Turkish colours and rhythms with modern compositional
Hope Symphony, Symphony No. 4
I Largo esspressivo II Allegro energico III Andante tranquillo IV Adagio, drammatico Picc. · 2 (2. auch Altfl.) · 2 · Engl. Hr. · 2 · Bassklar. · 2 Sax. (1. Altsax, 2. Tenorsax.) · 2 · Kfg. – 5 · 4 (2.
Istanbul Symphony, Symphony No. 1 for Large orchestra & Turkish Instruments
Two of the European Cultural Capitals in 2010 – Istanbul and the Ruhr area – were united in the personality of the composer and pianist Fazıl Say. He lives in Istanbul and had a five-year residence as exclusive artist at the Konzerthaus Dortmund, the largest
Mesopotamia Symphony, Symphony No. 2
The country is reflected in the composition: the rivers Euphrates and Tigris have shaped the land of Mesopotamia between Southeastern Anatolia and the Persian Gulf. These rivers in combination with the sun and moon have also had a programmatic influence on extensive passages of
Mother Goddess
Picc. · 2 · 2 · 2 · Kfg. – 4 · 2 · 2 · 0 – P. S. (Vibr. · Röhrengl. · hg. Beck. · Tamb. · Bong. · Cong. · gr. Tr. · Bar Chimes) (2 Spieler) – Hfe. · Klav.
Symphonic Dances
His Symphonic Dances are strongly influenced by Turkish music, with Say using a typical alternating 8/8–7/8 meter in the first dance. The second movement features Say’s characteristic string glissandi, before a slow third movement and a wild and ecstatic finale. In the spirit of
Symphony No. 5
In contrast with his four previous symphonies (Istanbul, Mesopotamia, Universe and Hope), Fazıl Say’s Symphony No. 5 has no programmatic title. However, each of its three movements has its own subject: the first movement, Upheavals and Longing, reflects experiences during the Covid pandemic, lockdown,
Universe, Symphony No. 3 for orchestra
After the Istanbul Symphony, premiered in 2010, and the Mesopotamia Symphony, composed in 2012, Universe represents Fazıl Say’s third excursion into symphonic territory. In this work, he shuns any programmatic content with regional associations, instead focussing his attention on astronomical associations in a variety of