Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Mozart's 'Requiem in D minor' (K. 626) must be one of the most recorded works in the classical repertoire so one would be right to ask whether we need another version. Fazil Say, the Turkish-born pianist and composer, clearly thinks we do and, on hearing this splendid recording, I am happy to agree. He has followed the Sussmayr completion, a decision he explains in the interesting booklet notes, and assembled a multinational line up of soloists in Fatma Said an Egyptian soprano, Marianne Crebassa a French mezzo-soprano, Pene Pati a tenor from the Pacific island of Samoa, and Alexandros Stavrakakis, a Greek bass. The four are individually outstanding and collectively blend extremely well. The Luzerner Sinfonieorchester under conductor Michael Sanderling play very well and collectively singers and orchestra give a great account. Even if you have another Mozart Requiem in your collection this is still well worth hearing. What makes the disc outstanding is the companion piece written by Say to utilise the same line-up of singers and players. He decided to write a celebration of the love and friendship between East and West by combining texts by Mevlana Rumi with musical quotes from Mozart within a fluid musical space. Beyond that, he integrates instruments, metres and harmonies from Anatolian culture. Closely associated with Sufism, a spiritual and mystical path within Islam, are the ney - a reed flute that holds an important place in Middle Eastern music - and the kudüm, a pair of small, hemispherical drums. The combination of Mozart and Turkish mysticism might seem unlikely but I suspect the genius who wrote 'The Magic Flute' would immediately understand what Say is attempting to achieve. It may sound unlikely, but 'Mozart & Mevlana' is a combination that works. The new recording of the Requiem from November 2024 is a welcome addition and the premiere of 'Mozart & Mevlana' is also well worth hearing.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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