Grand Bazaar depicts a variety of scenes from within the Bazaar, with sections of the score titled “walking in the dark streets of the Grand Bazaar”, “carpet sale dispute” and “evening atmosphere”. Say combines his idea of Turkish colours and rhythms with modern compositional and instrumental techniques.
“I myself was raised as more of an Occidental, influenced by my parents, the conservatory in Ankara, and my life in Germany and the USA. In this respect I am nearly a Westerner, but cultures are merging more and more, because people intermingle more and more. We should strengthen these bridges and develop a greater openness to other cultures.”
Fazıl SAYPianist & Composer
Fazıl Say composed this virtuoso and ironic concert piece for orchestra in 2015 and it takes its inspiration from one of the emblems ofIstanbul and the Silk Road: the Grand Bazaar. This is an enclosed district of shops and streets, humming with tourists and colour, a magnificent “oriental” building which has been standing proud for centuries. From spices to jewellery, leather goods to antiques, from its status as a Turkish bourse to its housing of small businesses, the Grand Bazaar is a centre where trade of all kinds is conducted. One of things that most readily spring to mind about the Grand Bazaar is the protracted and lively arguments that take place between the sellers and buyers.
In this work, Fazıl Say, as in his previous works of this style such as the “Istanbul Symphony” and the “1001 Nights in the Harem” violin concerto, endeavours to portray the oriental colours and Turkish rhythms with modern music techniques and a new language for orchestration. The first thing to catch the attention of the listener will be the irregular time signatures (such as 7/8, 21/16, 12/8). The work is written as a virtuoso piece for orchestra and with its diverse themes and changeable tempos, takes the form of a rhapsody.
World Premiere
February 25, 2016
Sevilla (S) Teatro de la Maestranza
John Axelrod, Conductor · Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla