WORK OF THE WEEK – FAZIL SAY: SYMPHONY NO. 5

29 Aug 2022

An abundance of themes but no epithet: Fazıl Say's Symphony No. 5 which, unlike his previous symphonies, has no additional title, but is dedicated to ideas surrounding humanity. Nil Venditti is conducting the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in the premiere of this three-movement work on 04 September 2022 at the Glocke in Bremen as part of the 33rd Bremen Music Festival.

The light at the end of the tunnel

Fazıl Say's Symphony No. 5

In the first movement, Upheavals and Longing, Say addresses current events: The Coronavirus pandemic, experiences during lockdown, the Russian war against Ukraine. The desire to find peace in the chaos of these experiences comprise the basic motifs of this Symphony. With pizzicato sounds reminiscent of rain, Say paints an atmospheric picture of the damp morning of 6 September 1955, the opening hours of the violent two-day Istanbul pogrom. The second movement pays tribute to the thousands of victims. However, Symphony No. 5 does not end after these two heavy themes. Completing the musical circle of the first movement, Say dedicates the third movement, Tree of Life, to those who have retained a positive attitude to life despite everything:

This final piece is dedicated to those who love and know how to live life. I chose an irregular rhythm to reflect life's ups and downs, joys and woes... It's full of juxtapositions, and - as a personal journey of sorts - wanders a bit into two worlds: one of fantasy, and the one after death. Both it and the entire symphony close with the rhythm of the first movement. Fazıl Say

The performance material of Say's Symphony No. 5 as well as his first four symphonies are available in the online shop of Schott Music.