STARTING POINT: Listening to Istanbul premier of Fazıl Say and BIPO
Listening to Turkish pianist Fazıl Say has always aroused excitement, and at a recent three-day festival Say played new compositions with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, or BIPO.
Say performed the songs “Nirvana Burning,” “Istanbul Symphony” and “Nasreddin Hoca” while other compositions were performed at the festival by the Borusan Quartet and other talented musicians.
Even though the compositions did not feature lyrics the notes briefly spoke to the audience, with Say weaving a story into the notes of his music.
The music first told the story of heaven and hell in “Nirvana Burning,” which he performed on Dec. 23 at the Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center. Nirvana, according to the composer, is the heaven we all have inside us, however as time passes we turn it into a hell with our fears and envies. His piano composition started with soft and easy tones, depicting the voices of beautiful birds in heaven. Then the notes give way to the hard and violent tones of piano, depicting human fears.
It is really worth watching Say while he performs, as he visibly encounters the violence and beauty as he plays.
Say loves composing in Turkish musical traditions. In his “Nasreddin Hoca,” it is possible to hear old-style Turkish music in the contemporary refrains. However nothing seems more real than Say’s “Istanbul Symphony,” as the pianist portrays the various areas of the city thematically.
Hearing Fazıl Say perform has never been more fun. The tunes, the themes, instruments – every aspect of the festival was special, with the encore performed at the Borusan Music House on Dec. 24 a particular treat, with Say and the Borusan Quartet playing a humorous interpretation of “Flight of the Bumblebee,” making the audience laugh.