Fazil Say (1970)

Introduction:
Fazil Say was born on January 14, 1970, in Ankara, Turkey. Say was a child prodigy. He was able to do basic arithmetic with 4 digit numbers at the age of two. At a young age, his father found him playing the tune of "Daha Dun Annemizin" on a makeshift flute, with no prior training. his father turned to Ali Kemel Kaya, and oboist and family friend for help and guidance. His recommendation was to begin piano lessons, which his father agreed to. Fazil Say started piano lessons at the age of three under the tutelage of Mithat Fenmen.

At the age of 14 (1984), Say composed his first piece, which is a piano sonata, as a student at the Conservatory in his hometown. He followed up his sonata, with many chamber works. His opus 1, was a designated work that won him the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. The work shows his unique style which is explained as, "rhapsodic, a variable rhythm, often dance-like, with a vital driving pulse" [This source is Wikipedia]. The influence of his melody based music can be traced back to Turkish folk songs he listened to during his childhood. He went international in 1997, with his piece Black Earth.

After writing these small pieces, he turned to composing large orchestral pieces. He is influenced by the poets Nazim Hikmet and Metin Altiok. Suring each orchestration he composes, he deliberately uses instruments from his native homeland, including special drums and special flutes. He again got international recognition in 2007, with his piece 1001 Nights in the Harlem, which is a story that deals with the fate of seven women from Harem. He gained further success with his first symphony, Istanbul Symphony, which premiered in 2010. Since his symphony in 2010, he has composed other works, but none that amount to his symphony.

Honors and Awards:

 * Winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions (1994)
 * Paul A. Fish Foundation Awards (1995)
 * Le Monde Awards (2000)
 * Echo Klassik (2001)
 * German Music Critics' Best Recording of the Year Award (2001)
 * Ambassador of Intercultural Dialogue (2008)
 * "Echo" German Record Award (2009)
 * "ECHO" Klassik 2013 Special Jury Award with Istanbul Symphony Album
 * Prix International de la Laicite 2015 (Comite Laicite Republique, France)
 * Beethoven Prize 2016 (Beethoven Academy)

Works we Heard:
Black Earth (1997):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFSm5_4afro

Observations:
This piece is very different from the other pieces we have heard on the trip. It is dark and mysterious, and it has the piano being used in ways other than just playing the keys. It is very cool to listen to what a piece sounds like that was written from the same year that I was born. It has a very unique style, and it is clear that it is a modern piece. The piece has the pianist plucking the strings on the inside of the piano. This adds another layer of musical depth to the song. Now a piece written for piano, has a call and response happening between the strings and the keys. It is a very rhythmic piece that has a strict beat to follow. Though the notes sound random and spotty, it is the strict rhythm technique that creates the illusion of randomness. It also allows for his melody to be ominous, due to the placement of the beats.

Works Cited:
http://fazilsay.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faz%C4%B1l_Say

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Say-Fazil.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/arts/music/review-fazil-say-soloist-composer-and-even-conductor-with-orpheus.html