Customer Reviews

Fazil Say Plays Bach

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The word "exquisite" came to mind as I started to record my impression of this performance by Fazil Say. I'm an awful speller, so I stopped by m-w.com to look up that word and found it's definition so perfectly descriptive of the qualities of this recording - my review was just about accomplished! This piano playing is: marked by flawless craftsmanship, by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, and elaborate execution, .... marked by fine discrimination, deep sensitivity, and subtle understanding. Indeed, in a universe of many, many great pianists, the touch of Fazil Say floats on the very crest of them all. In keeping with all other reviewers of this CD, I have also been utterly captured by the Bach-Busoni transcription. I eager await further releases by this truly rare artist.

Fazil Say's Bach recital is amazing for it's variety and breadth: it begins with the lucid, intimate beauty of the 6th French Suite (in which Say's playing is unusually sensual, with the recording balance just warm enough to match his playing style) and climbs to the mountainous Liszt and Busoni transcriptions. The Liszt is wonderfully colorful and dramatic, an underrated work that is smashing in Say's tense and fiery reading. Say ends the disc with the the famous C major Prelude and Fugue from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier, a move that could seem pat but works very well; the tender arpeggios of the Prelude dispel the epic anguish of the Bach/Busoni "Chaconne" and close the disc in innocent wonder.

I look forward to another Bach recital from this delightful artist; perhaps next time he can push the Bach-playing envelope with recomposition/improvisation? Or a transcription of his own?

He is one of the most talented and gifted pianist and composer of our generation.His concentration and achievement at Chaconne BWV1004, striked me as a commendable achievement all around. He plays Bach with a genuine fire with a personal approach. I would strongly recommend any Classical Music lover to follow this Gentelman as a great pianist and more over, a very talented composer with his Piano Concerto 1 - Silkroad.

His performances of the French Suite and the Italian Concerto are a revelation--crisp, forceful, even gutsy, all the inner voices coming out strongly and clearly. I like to compare and contrast Say's performance of the Chaconne with those of Jorge Bolet and Awadagin Pratt; it's interesting to see which harmonies each pianist emphasizes, but it's obvious all three are in the same league!

What a find this pianist is. His new Bach recording hits you from the opening bars. I never tire of listening to it. This is one of my favorite recordings.

I have to say that in the twenty years that I've been listening to classical music, especially the music of Bach, I have never heard the liking to that of Fazil Say, even in the hands of Glenn Gould. The Bach - Busoni Chaconne is such a tour de force that I find it very difficult to play any other piano works by different performers after it. The piece makes them seem pale in comparison. Some purist may say that Bach's keyboard works were never intended to be played on the piano, I included. And that ol' Bach must be turning in his grave with what is happening to his music. But in the hands of Fazil Say I say he (Bach) is, for he is taking notice!

I began to listen the music of Bach, with this album and I realized that Bach was the top, especially 12. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV. 543 and 13. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV. 543 shows you what really music is. They make me feel like they must be the best compositions I have ever listened. They are not shouting or happy or angry but flows in its way with great depth, like it accepted everything in life with a touch of sadness.. and the feelings want to reach to the top without any urgency and Fazil Say is feeling this emotion the best. I have most of his albums and this is one of the albums that changed my music taste.

The only negative thing about this CD is if you don't have it. Then you are missing big, very big. Faz'l Say can play Bach in many ways: as an intellectual exercise, as a toccata, and a heart-felt great melody. This album has examples of all three of them.

Italian Concerto is an absolute masterpiece of toccata playing. J.S.Bach is all about dance and rhythm and Faz''l Say makes your soul dance with great exuberance and joy. The Well Tempered Clavier C major Prelude and Fugue is a demonstration of a virtuosic performance of the highest caliber. Lizst and Busoni transcriptions are played as revelations you'd wish you heard them before.

If you want to hear how The Chaconne in D minor -the last part of the second Violin Partita BWV 1004- sound on the piano you got to listen to this album.

Faz''l Say! You must do the Goldberg Variations! Can't wait to hear it.

He doesn't play piano only...He knows nearly everything about piano and shows his intelligence in this record and also in Mozart...

The first time I listen to a Fazil Say CD, I have to admit that I thought I was dreaming.What can be more perfect than Bach/Busoni Chaconne played by Fazil Say? The next time he'll come for a concert in my city, believe me : I'll buy the first tickets.He's just great.He's music is smooth, well-played and not boring at all.