Borusan Philharmonic triumphs on Salzburg Festival stage

Placed up front at one of the most respected musical festivals, BİFO joined the list of such established names as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic and the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, so this performance represents an official European debut on a level of global artistic acceptance.

I could hear German composer Paul Hindemith applauding in his grave. More about him, and why, later.

The Austrian connection

This auspicious debut also represented other important professional markers. The orchestra’s conductor, Sascha Goetzel (who is Austrian), got his chance to present his pride and joy -- the Borusan Philharmonic -- after two years of fine-tuning it to his own country and to the world.

His esteemed soloist in the program was none other than Fazıl Say, who had also composed a piece for the occasion. Say and Goetzel also chose to include a Mozart piano concerto on the program. Playing Mozart in Salzburg -- Wolfgang’s hometown where every person undoubtedly knows every note of his music -- is like taking coal to a coal miner, and/or subjecting it to the most arduous scrutiny. The courage paid off: The Austrians’ hearts were won over by the Turks’ warm interpretation.

But from a larger view, the event wasn’t, in fact, an ordinary booking through a music agent; it was the tip of the iceberg of a much larger philanthropic project by Borusan Holding and its executive board chairman Ahmet Kocabıyık. The industrialist’s love of music has compelled him to become a sponsor of orchestras on a global scale. The organization will provide support for the next three years, for one orchestra per year, to perform at the Salzburger Festspiele. Another connection to Austria is Borusan Holding’s contributions to an ongoing Austrian archaeological excavation in Ephesus. To recognize the scope of Kocabıyık’s generosity and artistic perspective, he was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art in a ceremony after the intermission. “Music is the only language without borders,” said Kocabıyık upon accepting the award, “and it’s the best tool to bridge cultures and bring our spirits together.”

The concert: passionate music-making

The program itself bridged cultures and brought spirits together, too. It was an assortment of Turkish, German, Italian and Austrian composers’ works, all of which were highly descriptive and intensively evocative. Beginning with Ulvi Cemal Erkin’s entertaining “Köçekçe -- Dance Rhapsody for Orchestra,” and followed by the world premiere of Fazıl Say’s “Nirvana Burning” for piano and orchestra, the audience was immediately enveloped in an impetuous Turkish energy before the comparatively sweet and classic Mozart Piano Concerto in A Major (K. 414).

Say is an idiosyncratic player, but he’s a robust and fearless artist, passionate yet clear. He’s well matched by Goetzel, whose podium presence is luminous and imbued with seeking the fire within.

Oddly in English rather than Turkish, the title “Nirvana Burning” nevertheless suggested (no explanation was given) a heaven-hell juxtaposition, or possibly a dreamy evening sail on the Bosporus being suddenly threatened by impending conflagration. Say’s tonal materials for much of it were quite diatonic, using ambient noodling and moments of jazzy rhythms in familiar modes, until foreboding solo notes by the contra-bassoon signaled a distant doom. The sounds of battle ensued. The effect of a jagged crescendo leading to a sudden silence, as a stark ending, was the most original moment.

Paul Hindemith’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Weber” received a powerful performance that ably captured this composer’s adventure into dazzling orchestral colors. This almost cinematic epic is in four sections that take the listener on a journey through all the clever ways to take one theme and play around with it. There were ample opportunities to show off several first-chair players, notably the fine flutist Bülent Evcil, in the mesmerizing Chinese-influenced melodic lines in the Andantino. The final March was an exciting ride with full-throttle percussion leading everyone through a parade of brass fanfares and drum artillery to its glorious conclusion.

As I promised above: Hindemith was chosen by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to help set up the new republic’s music conservatory system and the State Opera and Ballet in the 1930s. Now, as a result of decades of conservatory education, Turkey is reaping the rewards: The country’s finest music graduates populate orchestras like BİFO.

Ottorino Respighi’s “Belkis, Queen of Sheba” is a deliciously exotic description of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon’s splendid palace, starting with “The Dream of Solomon” and ending with “Orgiastic Dance,” depicting the erotic union of the two monarchs. Çağ Erçağ’s passionate cello solo in the first section and a later solo by violinist Pelin Halkacı Akın added more dripping sensuality and finesse to the orchestra’s exuberant performance.