Fazıl Say music to to depict Anatolia

Internationally acclaimed Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say will depict the beauties of the seven-hill city of Istanbul and four cities of Anatolia with Turkish melodies. Say, who has composed a symphony as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, will depict Sivas, Malatya, Diyarbakır and Artvin’s Hopa district with a sonata.

Say, who was in Ankara last week for the premiere of his violin concerto "Haremde Binbir Gece" (1001 Nights in Harem), said the world premiere of the concerto was held on Feb. 20 last year in Swiss city of Luzern. He said famous violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed as a soloist in the concert, adding that the concerto would also be performed In Istanbul, İzmir and French city of Montpellier.

"We will continue to travel. Kopatchinskaja will take the stage for more than 15 concerts. I am very happy that the concert is played everywhere and receives much interest from musicians and audiences.

Old Istanbul song

Say said an old Istanbul song "Katibim" was also included in the concerto in a ballad style, and that Turkish instruments were used in the work. He said particularly foreign audiences were impressed by it.

Say said there were concerts in France, Japan and Switzerland. "There are parts that the violin can emulate like a reed flute or a lute. That’s why this work is like an intercultural bridge. Because the concerto also includes elements from the Ottoman music and classical Turkish music, and of course contemporary music." Say added that the concert would also be performed in Hamburg, Paris, Vienna, Italy and Dortmund.

Say said he was currently working on his first symphony named "Istanbul Symphony," adding that he thought of adding a canon, reed flute and Turkish percussion. He said the premiere of the symphony would be March 20 in Cologne and then in Istanbul as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture.

He said the symphony had Turkish elements. "The symphony will have four or five parts. The name of the first part is Nostalgia. It starts with a known Istanbul melody. It will take you back to old times."

Say said he went on tours in many countries throughout the year and some of them really impressed him. He said his composing was inspired by those cities.

"I add things that impress me about the cities I travel to for my work. For example, there is a sonata for cello-piano on my mind. I want to add scenes from four Anatolian cities for this work. They are Sivas, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Artvin’s Hopa. I have been in these cities and played there. I will compose something depicting these cities. I am working on it."

Say, who was on stage last week for a concert called "Uğur Mumcu meets with his friends," said, "Uğur Mumcu, who was a well-known Turkish journalist assassinated in January 1993 and he was a friend of our family. He is commemorated every year. I will attend for the first time because I was always on a tour on the anniversary of his death."

Performing with CSO

Say said as part of the "Turkish Year" events held in Moscow, he and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, or CSO, performed his work called "Nazım Oratorio," and that he had not performed in CSO hall for a long time.

He said he saw the hall after the renovation. "We have performed with CSO in various places. I have not performed in the CSO hall for 12 years. The hall is now chic and comfortable."

Say will be the guest of the capital to perform a concert on April 10.