Fazil Say; Robert Schumann - Ballads & Quintets (Fazil Say; casalQuartett)

Information

Composer: Fazil Say; Robert Schumann

• Say - 3 Ballads, Op. 12 (arr. for Piano Quintet)
• Say - Yürüyen Köşk, Op. 72b
• Schumann - Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44

Fazil Say, piano

casalQuartett

    Felix Froschhammer, violin

    Rachel Späth, violin

    Markus Fleck, viola

    Andreas Fleck, cello

Date: 2020

Label: Solo Musica

https://solo-musica.de/fazil-say-casalquartett-ballads-quintets/

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Review

Fazil Say is a renowned concert pianist (see a review of his Beethoven sonatas) who has expanded his horizons into composition, including a number of works for full orchestra (review ~ review). The two works presented here are arrangements of solo piano pieces, quite contrasting in their nature, the Ballades soulful and full of melodies, The Moving Mansion much more dramatic and in places acerbic, though still tuneful. They do, however, betray their origins in that they can’t be described as piano quintets, more piano with string quartet accompaniment.

I very much enjoyed the Ballades in their piano and strings guise, and whilst not having heard the originals, I suspect this new arrangement would be my preference. There is a hint of cocktail lounge jazziness throughout, but in a good way (I am aware of having used this term in a recent review in a negative sense). Say has an evident gift for melody, and the three short movements – I wished they had been longer or that there had been more of them – are awash with lovely tunes. They aren’t deep or complex, but I think I’m safe in saying that they aren’t intended to be.

The Moving Mansion relates to a story surrounding the founder of the modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and a plane tree that grew near his house on the shores of the Sea of Marmara. Over time, the tree began to damage the house, and Atatürk’s gardener suggested cutting the tree back. Atatürk could not accept that the tree should be damaged, and ordered that the house be moved instead. It was placed on rails and transported four metres to the east. The house is now a museum, and the tree still stands. The four movements tell this story, though as the notes only relate the basic events, I am giving you my interpretation. The first movement, Enlightenment, opens with rippling piano, signifying the water, and birdsong in the strings. The music becomes more nervous and strained, and then angry and dissonant as the second movement – Struggle Against Darkness – begins. I take this to be depicting the tree‘s impact on the house and possibly the wish of the gardener to cut the tree back. Peace returns in the third movement – Believing in Life. The final movement – Plane Tree – is the longest of the four by some margin, and has episodes of jazz-inflected stillness, interspersed by a more violent outburst, before we return to the waters and birdsong. My first impression was not especially positive, but a few more listens have changed my mind entirely. I also feel that the extra colours supplied by the strings in this arrangement have surely made it a much more effective piece, and in the final movement, there is a genuine sense of it being a true piano quintet.

With Schumann, we move to Say as performer only, and to one of the greatest works written for this combination. As a cornerstone of the repertoire, there is a lot of competition, and everyone will have their favourite version: mine is by Joyce Yang and the Alexander String Quartet (review), which supplanted that of Leif Ove Andsnes and the Artemis Quartet. While this new version is perfectly satisfactory, it doesn’t leap out of the speakers to grab one’s attention like the others do. The opening piano chords are quite restrained, and that mood seems to pervade much of the performance, which only really comes to life in the Finale which is marvellous. Had the whole work been so vibrant, then it might have been a contender.

The booklet notes are satisfactory, though as I’ve said, it is left to the listener to work out their own ideas about The Moving Mansion; perhaps that’s a good thing. The sound is rich and warm, not too closely miked, so that we don’t hear Say’s vocalisations which other reviewers have remarked upon.

I have been very impressed by Fazil Say as composer, and will seek out some of his orchestral music. The Schumann is what might draw prospective purchasers to this release, but I think it is Say’s pieces that will leave more of an impression.

-- David Barker, MusicWeb International

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Fazıl Say (born 14 January 1970 in Ankara) is a Turkish pianist and composer. He began studying piano at age 3 and wrote his first piece – a piano sonata – at the age of 14. Say attracted international attention with the piano piece Black Earth (1997), and since then has increasingly turned to the large orchestral forms. In 2007 he aroused international interest with his Violin Concerto 1001 Nights in the Harem, and after that scored further great successes with his symphonies. On 15 April 2013, Say was sentenced to 10 months in jail for his crime of "insulting religious values". The conviction was reversed on 26 October 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fazıl_Say

https://fazilsay.com/

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Robert Schumann (8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856) was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era, and left an array of acclaimed music in virtually all the forms then known. Schumann's published compositions were written exclusively for the piano until 1840; he later composed works for piano and orchestra; many Lieder (songs for voice and piano); four symphonies; an opera; and other orchestral, choral, and chamber works. Schumann suffered from a lifelong mental disorder, and died in 1856 without having recovered from his illness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann

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The casalQuartett is a classical string quartet from Switzerland, founded in 1996 by students of the Carmina Quartet and the Alban Berg Quartet. The quartet performs classical music from the 17th century to the present day. Since 2008, the casalQuartett has also regularly played on historical instruments by Jakob Stainer from the 17th century, primarily devoting itself to the string quartet genre of the 18th century. The casalQuartett has given many concerts all over the world and has worked with musicians such as Martha Argerich, Fazil Say, Sol Gabetta, Giora Feidman, Clemens Hagen and Nikolaj Znaider.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casal-Quartett

http://casalquartett.ch/

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