2024-10-07 09:25:34
A crowded hall of the International Mugam Center, endless applause, a sea of flowers… This is a concert of young Turkish musicians participating in the string quartet “LAGOM” from Ankara. Formed in 2021 from graduates of Bilkent University, the quartet has already gained fame not only in Turkey, but also in the countries of Turksoy. Led by a wonderful Azerbaijani violinist Guseinali Guseinaliev the team consists of a Kyrgyz violinist Aliya Okeyeva and two Turkish musicians Semih Terdzhan (alto) and Yasar Koroglu (cello), Day.Az reports.
At their concert in Baku, the quartet presented works by composers with Turkic roots – Frangis Alizade (Azerbaijan), Kamrana Ince (USA) and Fazilya Saya (Türkiye). The concert began with the famous hit of modern quartet music – “Muğam Sayağı” by Frangiz Alizade, which immediately captivated the audience not only with stunning music, but also with unusual theatrical effects.
As you know, this work was written at the request of the American quartet “KRONOS”, and since then it has entered the repertoire of dozens of string quartets and has been repeatedly recorded on discs in different countries – from America (Nonesuch) to Japan (Sony classical). It is no coincidence that this work is included in the educational program of conservatories in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The performance of the Turkish musicians was greeted by the Baku public with delight and shouts of “bravo”.
The quartet of K. Ince, a famous American composer with Turkish roots, “Curve” recreated in the minds of listeners the character of nostalgic experiences and bright memories of the past, exciting pictures of the ups and downs experienced… The intonation and general atmosphere of the work are reminiscent of the style of Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer, as if building a bridge between East and West, telling about the commonality of human thoughts and feelings.
String quartet by Fazil Say, a famous Turkish pianist who in recent years has increasingly leaned towards composing, a three-part work with a clearly defined dramaturgy of the classical type. Despite some techniques of modern quartet writing, F. Say’s music is an example of a clear adherence to the traditions of European instrumental music.
At the end of the successful encore concert, “LAGOM” presented a sparkling performance of F. Alizadeh’s brilliant composition – “RƏQS”. The delight of the audience knew no bounds – exclamations of “bravo”, a flurry of applause and a procession of bouquets and baskets of flowers onto the stage completed this wonderful evening of Turkish musicians.
The “LAGOM” quartet was invited to Baku on the initiative of the Azerbaijan Composers Union, with the support of the Turkish Embassy, as well as the Yunus Emre Institute. Music lovers of Baku, who have not yet lost their interest in classical music, are grateful to both the initiators of the invitation and the musicians themselves for an unforgettable evening.