Evaluation of Fazıl Say’s VII. Achilleus

The Troy Sonata was a tremendous work of art. Fazıl Say’s Troy Sonata is a musical rendition of Homer’s Iliad’s story of the Trojan War. The sonata is divided into 10 parts and chronicles the events leading up to and following the offering of the Trojan Horse, with leitmotifs symbolizing individuals from Homer’s epic as well as notions linked with the work. Given Mr. Say’s symphonic works’ cinematic aesthetic, virtuosity as a pianist, and wide variety of influences, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Troy Sonata accomplishes its noble goal with great passion. Between epics, the ten movements stretch approximately 40 minutes, seamlessly moving from one to the next and blending an incredible lyrical and melodic variety with music of the highest dramatic flair.

Homer; Bard Recounts opens the work with a sad motif depicting the heavy heart of the storyteller as he began to soften his story. Tensions quickly rise and the delicious stuff that accompanies the jazz harmony is replaced by a darker, longing chord cluster that fluently emphasizes the sad portrayal of the fallen trojan. And the story begins. The Aegean wind manifests itself as a delicate and striking arousal of the voyage to Troy, but as the wind and waves swell, it introduces a horrifying motif that reappears throughout Sonata. The Heroes of Troy are the best pianistic portrayals of the action heroes I’ve come across, and their passionate syncopation never loses their grip. As I have seen Agamemnon motif, which uses advanced techniques within the instrument itself, suggesting both its terrifying power and its fragmented state of mind. The fifth section, Helen. As expected, love offers some of Sonata’s most lyrical and melodic moments. The style here reveals the influence of modern jazz pianists from Herbie Hancock to Keith Jarrett, but as fate merges with the natural order to bring the conflict closer, the work revives the Aegean breeze. Will collapse. Unleashing the shocking violence of the Trojan War requires the highest levels of pianistic courage, so the music is, as expected, exaggerated when it finally reaches the war itself after a few more intercourses. In contrast, Trojan horses are horrifying and ultimately the end of a horrifying story. The farewell epilogue skilfully interweaves Homer, Helen, Troy, and fate (theme-related) motifs, then disappears with the night motif and whispers. This is certainly an energetic task in many respects, not only for performers, but also for listeners who are increasingly drawn to stories and characters. The fact that these movements are musically fused (in fact, even without a story, this is a fascinating piece with its own internal logic) is evidence of Say’s craftsmanship victory.

Commenting on Mr. Say’s VII. Achilleus, it progresses from a swift style to furious and vengeful, just like Achilleus’s soul and his progressive time-frame in the Trojan war. The swift style of Achilleus continued in Mr. Say’s music until his friend, Patroclus has died because of him. With the help of Apollo, Trojan prince Hector found Patroclus and killed him. On this time, the music began to play aggressively, from playing Major notes to Minor melodies. Just like Achilleus’s soul, the melodies on this chapter are full of adrenaline but bitter-sweet. As I aforementioned above, Mr. Say explained the soul of Achilleus in his music perfectly by this piece.