In his concerto for piano 4 hands, Fazıl Say takes up the ancient Persian saga of Simurgh, which shares similarities with the Western fable of the Phoenix. In the mystic legend, 1000 birds undertake a long journey, flying through seven valleys (symbolic for the steps of the Sufi path) to find their bird king, Simurgh. Only 30 of the birds reach their destination and realise that it is actually they who are king: ‘Si murgh’ means ‘thirty birds’. Say uses leitmotif to tell the story in his virtuosic concerto permeated by Eastern rhythms.
I Andante
II Romance
Picc. · Fl. · Kfg. – Trp. – S. (P. · Waterphone · Vibr. · Tomtoms · Congas · gr. Tr.) (2 Spieler) – Str. (10 · 8 · 8 · 6 · 3)
