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Fazil Say (1970 - ) is a Turkish pianist and composer of numerous works for large and small ensemble. He was gifted at math by the age of 2, began studying and playing music by the age of 3, and composed his first music in his early teens. Grand Bazaar is a colorful piece of music for full orchestra, inspired by the markets of Turkey and of the Silk Road. Fazil Say has also brought the musical sounds of Turkey into his violin concerto “1001 Nights in the Harem” and the “Istanbul Symphony”. This is the Colorado Symphony's first performance of Grand Bazaar and the music of Fazil Say.
RESOURCES
A 2018 recording of Grand Bazaar by Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
HIGHLIGHTS
Fazil Say’s Grand Bazaar is a rhapsodic virtuosic work for orchestra which draws on the sounds and rhythms of Turkey and the cultural influences of the Silk Road.
Some of the meters - the grouping of beats in the flow of time - may seem more complicated than you might be expecting in a concert of western european derived music. This is due to the equal flow of beats being divided into unequal groupings.
The very first music you hear is marked “Walking in the dark streets of the Grand Bazaar”. It has a mysterious gliding and dancing quality to the ‘feel’ or timing. This is because it’s written in 12 equal beats divided into groups of 3+3+2+2+2. It’s a bit like two waltz step patterns followed by three march step patterns.
Later this 12 pattern shifts into a 7 pattern grouped as 3+2+2 marked periodically as “fulminant”, “sarcastic”, “forward-pressing”, and “ironic”.
Things get groovy when we settle into a more standard rhythmic pattern of 4 beats. You can especially hear the groove in the lower strings. This music is overlayed by chattering conversational interplay between the bassoon and the horn, depicting some haggling going on. It’s even marked “carpet sale dispute”.
After a bright trumpet call we're launched into the most complicated sounding meter of 3/4 + 9/16. These aren’t fractions! But… it’s still math. 😎 This pattern is expressed as 3 groupings of 4 quick notes followed by 3 groupings of 3 quick notes. Konnakol syllables can be helpful here: TaKaDiMi TaKaDiMi TaKaDiMi + TaKiTa TaKiTa TaKiTa. This gives a wild whirling ecstatic sound to the orchestra.
After all this the music calms down with some “discussions again” followed by “evening atmosphere”.
Fazil Say’s very colorful sounding score calls for: 2 Flutes and piccolo, 2 Oboes and English horn, 2 Bassoons and contra bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (xylophone, vibraphone, bass drum, tenor drum, guiro, 2 congas, bongo, marimba, tambourine, 2 tomtoms, bar chimes), harp, and strings.
A typical performance of Fazil Say’s Grand Bazaar lasts about 10 minutes.
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