Among the most acclaimed and anticipated segment of this year’s IKSV Music Festival was the Mozart Marathon with Fazıl Say. The former, a legend of music; the latter, an internationally heralded virtuoso and an icon whose popularity at home rivals that of celebrities. The premise? Say would play every single piano sonata ever composed by Mozart, in a series of four recitals over the course of a week. The venues were just as enticing: The Süreyya Opera House beloved for its classical architecture; Boğaziçi University’s Albert Long Hall, which is renowned for its grand organ, cozy infrastructure and impressive musical programs; the Lütfi Kırdar Exhibition Center, the conveniently located, comfortably designed, regular host of classical music events; and the intriguing and exceptional setting of the Hagia Triada Monastery in Heybeliada. The series was an instant sell out.
I yearned to attend all four performances, but managed to curb my appetite down to the two that most interested me: The recital at the Monastery and the one at Lütfi Kırdar, on Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th of June, respectively.
As a summer resident of Büyükada, the commute to Heybeliada was but a ten-minute ferry ride. Well, that and the twenty minute or so it took to hike up the hill. In my anticipation, I ended up arriving there a good two hours ahead of time. I wasn’t the only one there, however. The Turkish audience, known arriving last minute to most events, had already begun turning up. The pre-concert scene was a phenomenon in itself. Those with tickets in hand proudly waltzed into the arena. In the meantime, dozens of people had braced the 90-minute ferry ride and the hike uphill just for a “chance” at getting in. One woman was holding up a sign asking for tickets. Long queues formed for last minute tickets that became available without seat numbers. The few people that had arrived with spare tickets sold them in an instant. And in this remote part of Istanbul, atop a hill on an island, I saw at least a dozen familiar faces, including friends I do not ever encounter at concert halls. But they had made the hike up for Fazıl Say. The time flew by as I watched and became a part of this spectacle. And at 9 p.m., we had all taken our seats and eagerly awaited the moment that Say would make his debut on stage.
By some miracle of luck, I was seated in the very first row of some perhaps fifty rows. And I was a couple of seats to the left of the center, i.e., the seat that has the best view of the pianist. First row seats are usually not to be desired, as they are too close to the stage, and more often than not, they provide a mere peek over the rim of the stage and a full view of the feet of the artist and the legs of the piano! But not this time. The first row was a good two meters away from the stage, and provided the perfect angle and the perfect distance from which to witness this once in a lifetime event.
Mozart piano sonatas, performed by Fazıl Say, in open air, on a summer evening atop a hill in the tranquil setting of Heybeliada… I can’t imagine a better evening. As backdrop to the stage, we had open air, pine trees, the sea, and the adjacent islands. Our watches showed the time to be 9 p.m., but in summertime the day is only just ending. So, we were treated to a sunset, which brought a crimson, orange, purplish hue to the sky and created colorful linings among the clouds. Another addition to the evening was the dog who seemed to start barking at every other crescendo. In the final two pieces, he got more psyched up and joined in with an occasional howl or two. In the magic of the summer sunset and in the grand space of the open air, this was not a cause of disturbance, however. Instead, it added to the evening’s color.
Say performed Sonatas 6-8 in D Major, C Major, and in A minor, and Sonatas 15 and 16 in F Major and C Major, respectively. The bonus of the evening was the 12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman,” the popular lullaby, interpreted in twelve different ways by Mozart. Twelve different ways that a prodigy hears what us humble ordinary humans hear as a mere lullaby. Then cheers, cheers, and more cheers. Yet as always, Say did his humble courtesy and walked off the stage, without returning for an encore. But what more could we have asked for anyway? It was one of the most memorable evenings of the season.
Featured Image Source: IKSV
