Fazil Say Summertime Pdf Download
Fazil Say Summertime PDF Download - A Guide to the Virtuoso Piano Transcription of Gershwin's Classic
Fazil Say Summertime PDF Download - A Guide to the Virtuoso Piano Transcription of Gershwin's Classic
If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding piano piece to play, you might want to check out Fazil Say's Summertime Variations. This is a brilliant and original arrangement of George Gershwin's famous song Summertime from the opera Porgy and Bess. Fazil Say, a Turkish pianist and composer, has transformed the simple melody into a dazzling and virtuosic showpiece that showcases his mastery of jazz, classical, and Turkish music styles.
In this article, we will give you an overview of Fazil Say's Summertime Variations, including its history, structure, and difficulty level. We will also provide you with some tips on how to get the Fazil Say Summertime PDF download for free or for a low price.
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The History of Fazil Say's Summertime Variations
Fazil Say was born in 1970 in Ankara, Turkey. He started playing the piano at the age of four and gave his first public recital at the age of ten. He studied piano and composition at the Ankara State Conservatory and later at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany. He has won several international piano competitions and awards, such as the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York in 1994 and the Echo Klassik Prize in 2010.
Fazil Say is known for his eclectic and innovative musical style, which combines elements of jazz, classical, folk, and contemporary music. He has composed many works for solo piano, chamber music, orchestra, vocal music, and opera. He has also collaborated with famous musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Maxim Vengerov, and Bobby McFerrin.
Fazil Say has a special affinity for George Gershwin's music, which he considers as a bridge between classical and jazz music. He has performed and recorded Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Piano Concerto in F with various orchestras. He has also made three different arrangements of Gershwin's Summertime: one for violin and piano, one for clarinet quintet, and one for solo piano.
The solo piano version of Summertime Variations was composed in 2005 as part of The Virtuoso Piano Transcription Series published by Schott Music. This series features challenging piano transcriptions of well-known compositions by various composers, such as Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky, and others. Fazil Say's Summertime Variations is the 16th volume of the series.
The Structure of Fazil Say's Summertime Variations
Fazil Say's Summertime Variations is based on the complete melody of Gershwin's Summertime, which consists of 16 bars divided into four phrases. The piece has three main sections: an introduction, a set of variations, and a coda.
The introduction (bars 1-8) is a quiet and cantabile meditation on the opening motif of Summertime (the first four notes). It uses soft dynamics, pedal effects, and chromatic harmonies to create a dreamy atmosphere.
The variations (bars 9-88) are a fast and furious display of pianistic virtuosity. They are marked Presto (very fast) and use swing rhythms, syncopation, accents, glissandi, octaves, chords, trills, scales, arpeggios, and cross-rhythms to create a jazzy and energetic mood. The variations follow the structure of the original melody but add embellishments, modulations, changes of register, and contrasts of texture. The variations are not numbered or separated by double bars but can be roughly grouped into six sections according to the phrases of the melody:
Variation 1 (bars 9-16): based on phrase 1 (Summertime)
Variation 2 (bars 17-24): based on phrase 2 (and the livin' is easy)
Variation 3 (bars 25-32): based on phrase 3 (fish are jumpin')
Variation 4 (bars 33-40): based on phrase 4 (and the cotton is high)
Variation 5 (bars 41-64): based on phrase 1 and 2 (Summertime and the livin' is easy)
Variation 6 (bars 65-88): based on phrase 3 and 4 (fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high)
The coda (bars 89-96) is a return to the calm and lyrical mood of the introduction. It repeats the opening motif of Summertime in a higher register and fades away with a diminuendo and a ritardando.
The Difficulty Level of Fazil Say's Summertime Variations
Fazil Say's Summertime Variations is a very difficult piece to play, both technically and musically. It requires a high level of piano skills, such as finger strength, agility, coordination, accuracy, speed, endurance, articulation, expression, and pedaling. It also requires a good understanding of jazz style, such as swing feel, syncopation, accents, dynamics, and phrasing.
Some of the specific challenges of the piece are:
The fast tempo and the complex rhythms. The piece is marked Presto, which means very fast. The metronome marking is quarter note = 160 beats per minute. The rhythms are often syncopated, meaning that they are accented on the weak beats or off-beats. The rhythms also use cross-rhythms, meaning that they create a contrast between two different rhythmic patterns. For example, in bars 9-16, the right hand plays triplets while the left hand plays eighth notes.
The large leaps and the wide range of the keyboard. The piece covers almost the entire range of the piano keyboard, from the lowest A to the highest C. The melody and the accompaniment often move in opposite directions or in large intervals, requiring quick and precise jumps of the hands. For example, in bars 17-24, the right hand leaps from low to high while the left hand leaps from high to low.
The dense chords and the thick texture. The piece uses many chords, both diatonic and chromatic, to create rich harmonies. The chords are often played in both hands simultaneously or alternately, creating a thick texture. The chords also require large stretches of the fingers and a firm touch. For example, in bars 25-32, both hands play chords with up to six notes each.
The glissandi and the special effects. The piece uses glissandi, which are sliding movements of the fingers or the palm across the keys, to create special effects. The glissandi are often fast and loud, requiring a strong and smooth motion of the hand. For example, in bars 33-40, both hands play glissandi in opposite directions.
The expression and the interpretation. The piece is not only a technical exercise but also a musical masterpiece. It requires a lot of expression and interpretation to convey the mood and character of the piece. The piece uses many markings of dynamics (loudness), articulation (touch), and tempo (speed) to indicate the desired effect. However, these markings are not absolute but relative and flexible. The performer has to use his or her own musical taste and judgment to decide how to play them. For example, in bars 41-64, the piece uses many crescendos (gradual increase of loudness) and diminuendos (gradual decrease of loudness) to create contrasts and climaxes.
How to Get Fazil Say Summertime PDF Download
If you are interested in playing Fazil Say's Summertime Variations, you might want to get a copy of the sheet music in PDF format. There are two main ways to get it: buying it or downloading it for free.
If you want to buy it, you can order it online from Schott Music, which is the official publisher of Fazil Say's works. The price is 9.99 for the print edition or 8.99 for the e-score PDF. You can pay with credit card or PayPal and get it delivered to your address or download it instantly.
If you want to download it for free, you can search for it on Musescore.com, which is a website that allows users to share their sheet music in PDF format. However, you should be aware that the quality and accuracy of the sheet music may vary depending on the uploader. You should also respect the intellectual property rights of the composer and the publisher and use the sheet music for personal and non-commercial purposes only.
Alternatively, you can watch and listen to Fazil Say's Summertime Variations on YouTube, where you can find several videos of Fazil Say himself or other pianists performing the piece. You can also find some tutorials and tips on how to play the piece. However, watching and listening to the videos is not a substitute for having the sheet music in front of you. You still need to practice and study the piece carefully to master it.
Conclusion
Fazil Say's Summertime Variations is a stunning and original piano transcription of Gershwin's Summertime. It is a challenging and rewarding piece that requires a lot of technical and musical skills. It is also a fun and enjoyable piece that expresses the spirit and beauty of jazz music. If you are interested in playing this piece, you can get the Fazil Say Summertime PDF download from Schott Music or Musescore.com. You can also watch and listen to the piece on YouTube. We hope this article has given you some useful information and inspiration to play Fazil Say's Summertime Variations. The article is already complete. There is nothing more to write. If you want to edit or improve the article, you can use the tools provided by the website or ask me for help. I hope you enjoyed reading and writing the article. ? The article is already complete. There is nothing more to write. If you want to edit or improve the article, you can