Mesopotamia Symphony

The country is reflected in the composition: the rivers Euphrates and Tigris have shaped the land of Mesopotamia between Southeastern Anatolia and the Persian Gulf. These rivers in combination with the sun and moon have also had a programmatic influence on extensive passages of Fazıl Say’s new symphony in ten movements, but Say goes far beyond the mere illustration of a landscape in the mould of a Romantic symphonic poem with his greater focus on cultural perceptions of the Near Eastern region through the application of constructive and deconstructive elements.

‘I jumped over my own shadow with this symphony. I exterminated some of my routines by moving in the opposite direction. I was free when I was composing and not shackled by something. And I said to myself: Why should I choose the way I already know. Let’s try a new way.’ (Fazıl Say)