Presto Editor's Choice
August 2020

Friedemann Eichhorn (violin), Fazıl Say (piano)

Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Christoph Eschenbach

Say: Violin Sonata No. 2, Op. 82 'Mount Ida'
Say: Cleopatra, Op. 34
Say: Sonata for Violin & Piano, Op. 7
Say: Violin Concerto “1001 Nights in the Harem”

Fazil Say is one of the world's most prominent pianists but he is also a much-admired composer with a substantial catalogue of works. He combines both these accomplishments in his two Violin Sonatas, the first of which is suffused with Turkish motifs and dances, such as the horon. The second sonata takes as its theme the abuse of nature and the need to resist despoliation. His Violin Concerto is subtitled 1001 Nights in the Harem and is full of rich melodies and atmosphere, and features an array of Turkish percussion instruments.

"Say has certainly availed himself of every sonic possibility which the instrument offers, particularly in the Second Sonata - an angry but often strikingly beautiful response to the destruction of Mount Ida, which incorporates an array of extended techniques such as striking the body of the instrument. Cleopatra (for solo violin) has all the infinite variety which the name suggests, while the concerto 1001 Nights in the Harem could easily be the soundtrack for a big-budget, old-school Hollywood epic." - Katherine Cooper, Presto Classical, August 2020.