Notes and Editorial Reviews
HAYDN
Piano Sonatas: No. 50 in D; No. 35 in A?; No. 48 in C; No. 46 in E; No. 6 in C
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Fazil Say (pn)
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NAÏVE
5070 (69:17)
Fazil Say is a young firecracker (now 37, I see) who has reaped success everywhere he has touched down, including recording Gershwin with the New York Philharmonic. He writes a page of his thoughts about Haydn in the notes, mixing wise, trenchant observations with outrageous reaches. Much the same could be said of his performances. Playing a modern
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steel-framed Steinway, he tears into Allegros with rippling scales, ringing tones, and a gigantic dynamic range. I love his enthusiasm, which reminds me of Rudolf Serkin playing Mozart. So does his humming, unfortunately. Others may think of Glenn Gould, but his Haydn sounded nothing like this. Say’s slow movements can be thoughtful and beautifully balanced. Every passage is subject to original interpretation, which results in both shocks and revelations. There is a great “feel” to everything he does, and he makes it all sound totally spontaneous. Technical matters like playing the notes simply don’t exist for Say. He is so good that I can’t decide if I want him to mature into a great artist or whether such maturation might cost him his originality and fire. This is piano-playing in the grand manner, superb music-making for all its political incorrectness—and I must warn purists that this is the wildest excursion from period sensitivities I have experienced: you
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be shocked, you
will
be outraged. Say’s Steinway is an unusually fine one, with no diminishing of tone in the highest register Haydn calls for. Naïve’s microphones could be stuck under the lid. I wouldn’t want much of my Haydn listening to be like this, but there’s no way I’m letting this disc out of my sight. Wow!
FANFARE: James H. North
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Works on This Recording
1.
Sonata for Keyboard no 50 in D major, H 16 no 37 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:
Fazil Say (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1780; Eszterhazá, Hungary
Length: 10 Minutes 22 Secs.
2.
Sonata for Keyboard no 35 in A flat major, H 16 no 43 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:
Fazil Say (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1783; Eszterhazá, Hungary
Length: 15 Minutes 52 Secs.
3.
Sonata for Keyboard no 48 in C major, H 16 no 35 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:
Fazil Say (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1780; Eszterhazá, Hungary
Length: 11 Minutes 37 Secs.
4.
Sonata for Keyboard no 46 in E major, H 16 no 31 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:
Fazil Say (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: by 1776; Eszterhazá, Hungary
Length: 9 Minutes 47 Secs.
5.
Sonata for Keyboard no 6 in C major, H 16 no 10 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:
Fazil Say (Piano)
Written: before 1767
Length: 9 Minutes 1 Secs.
Sound Samples
Keyboard Sonata No. 50 in D major, Hob.XVI:37: I. Allegro con brio
Keyboard Sonata No. 50 in D major, Hob.XVI:37: II. Largo e sostenuto
Keyboard Sonata No. 50 in D major, Hob.XVI:37: III. Finale: Presto ma non troppo
Keyboard Sonata No. 35 in A flat major, Hob.XVI:43: I. Moderato
Keyboard Sonata No. 35 in A flat major, Hob.XVI:43: II. Menuetto - Trio
Keyboard Sonata No. 35 in A flat major, Hob.XVI:43: III. Rondo: Presto
Keyboard Sonata No. 48 in C major, Hob.XVI:35: I. Allegro con brio
Keyboard Sonata No. 48 in C major, Hob.XVI:35: II. Adagio
Keyboard Sonata No. 48 in C major, Hob.XVI:35: III. Finale: Allegro
Keyboard Sonata No. 46 in E major, Hob.XVI:31: I. Moderato
Keyboard Sonata No. 46 in E major, Hob.XVI:31: II. Allegretto
Keyboard Sonata No. 46 in E major, Hob.XVI:31: III. Finale. Presto
Keyboard Sonata (Divertimento) No. 6 in C major, Hob.XVI:10: I. Moderato
Keyboard Sonata (Divertimento) No. 6 in C major, Hob.XVI:10: II. Menuet - Trio
Keyboard Sonata (Divertimento) No. 6 in C major, Hob.XVI:10: III. Finale: Presto
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