Work of the Week – Fazıl Say: Symphony No. 6

His symphonic series is expanding: Turkish composer Fazıl Say has written his Symphony No. 6. The large-scale orchestral work is subtitled 100 Yaşında Bir Çocuk ("A 100-Year-Old Child") and will be premiered on October 12 in the Great Hall of the Zorlu PSM Cultural Center in Istanbul. The Borusan Istanbul Filarmoni Orkestrası will be conducted by Can Okan. 

Say's previous symphonies were noted for their strong programmatic content. The first symphony travels through the rich history of Istanbul, while the second portrays Mesopotamia. The third symphony is dedicated to outer space and the fourth to hope. Only the fifth symphony, written in 2022, Say composed as a work of absolute music, and thus it has no apparent references to content. 

Symphony No. 6 returns to the concept of program music. It was commissioned by the Borusan İstanbul Filarmoni Orkestrası to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and offers a multifaceted and intricate perspective into the composer's native country.

A 100 Year Old Child in Symphony No. 6 by Fazıl Say

At first glance, the formal structure corresponds to that of the classical symphony. However, the first of the four movements is a short introduction to the second movement, so that the two parts appear as one unit. Additionally, there are no pauses between the other movements, which creates the impression of a through-composed symphonic poem. In terms of content, the aspects of the Turkish state and its history gradually become clear in the four movements: Sad People - Anatolian Utopia - Rebellion Against Ignorance - Undaunted Spirits. Unlike other orchestral works, Say does not use instruments of Turkish folk music in his symphony. This is because he is not interested in a traditional or sentimental representation of a region, but in a personal view of a political project:

I named the work ‘A 100 year-old child’. I told the good and bad periods of the Turkish republic, which was founded on October 29, 1923, the times of struggling or developing, what it experienced in its personal and social history in during the century, as if describing a human life. In the 6th symphony, I think I have created a musical language that is narrated from a personal and at the same time realistic point of view. (Fazıl Say)

Say's works are regularly performed in concert halls around the world and are popular with audiences for their stirring rhythms and appealing sounds. On October 15, for example, the concerto Phoenix for two pianos and orchestra can be heard at the Mozarteum Salzburg. The violin concerto 1001 Nights in the Harem will be performed in Biel on October 8, in Essen on October 22, in Madrid on October 24, and in Vilnius on October 29. The orchestral rhapsody Grand Bazaar will be heard in Berlin on November 1 and the Chamber Symphony in Wrocław on November 12. You can find many more performances via Fazıl Say's composer profile.

Links:

Fazıl Say: Composer Profil   

Symphony No. 6: Werkdetails und Online-Partitur

Website Borusan İstanbul Filarmoni Orkestrası 

Photo: Fethi Karaduman