A theatrical double bill that took place at the Stadttheater Kempten (Germany) on 8 February 2022, initiated and staged by theatre director Silvia Armbruster, tells Homer's myth of Troy from two perspectives: the play Cassandra by Christa Wolf and the Troy Sonata Op 78 by Fazil Say. A combination that visibly deeply impressed the audience. The war theme, seeming so old and yet so topical, also left musically emotional moments behind.
Following numerous acknowledgements from the audience, the idea for this recording was born: such music, which "gets under the skin", must also be recorded on CD. The recording of the Troy Sonata was made shortly afterwards in the theatre's main hall. At a later date, the 3 Ballads Op. 12 and the piano piece Black Earth Op. 8 were recorded.
Nataliya Tkachenko chose two different pianos for the Sonataand the Ballads, in keeping with their differing characters. The large-format Troy Sonata demanded the unfathomable, deep bass sound of the Steinway D-274 grand, while the 3 Balladsand Black Earth sounded more convincing with the lyrical sound of the Steinway O-180.
With his extraordinary pianistic talents,Fazil Say has been moving audiences and critics alike for more than twenty-five years in a way that has become rare. As a pianist, Say gives performances in countless countries on all five continents; the French newspaper Le Figaro called him "a genius and the greatest artist of the 21st century." As a composer, Say receives a large number of commissions. His oeuvre includes five symphonies, two oratorios, various solo concertos, and numerous piano and chamber music works.
The pianist and musicologist Nataliya Tkachenkowas born near Dnipro in Ukraine and began her music studies at the Sergei Prokofiev State Conservatory in Donezk. She continued her piano studies in Germany at the Wurzburg University of Music and then studied music education at the Julius-Maximilians-Universitat of Wurzburg. There she graduated with a M.A. (Master of Arts). Alongside radio and television productions she has played concerts in Italy, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Luxembourg, and numerous cities in Germany. The last few years have seen an intensive cooperation with the Kempten Theatre (Germany). She teaches piano at the Julius-Maximilians-University in Wurzburg and lives in Germany.
