Homer’s masterpiece The Iliad inspires Turkish pianist/composer Fazil Say’s dazzling musical homage to Troy. Each of its bold movements depicts an aspect of Homer’s ancient world: “Aegean Winds,” “Heroes of Troy,” “Sparta,” “Helen, Love”... Say’s love of jazz, Eastern music, and Rachmaninoff, plus his nods to Hollywood, make for a sonata packed with twists and turns. His equally eclectic The Moving Mansion piano suite, played with a gorgeous fluidity, fondly remembers Turkish leader Kemal Atatürk’s decision in 1930 to shift his house four meters rather than cut the branches of a neighboring tree that were damaging the property. The evocative “Winter Morning in Istanbul” serves as an entrancing coda.
- Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon & Frank Braley
- Mariam Batsashvili
- Anastasia Kobekina & Paloma Kouider
- Belle Chen
- Vanessa Wagner
- Xavier de Maistre, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov, Isabelle Faust, Javier Perianes, Antoine Tamestit, Tanguy de Williencourt & Magali Mosnier