Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Fazil Say Releases New Album

Released on Alpha Classics, the acclaimed violin-piano duo reunited to record sonatas by Janáček, Brahms, and Bartók

Moldovian-born Austrian violin virtuoso Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Turkish pianist Fazil Say have been playing together as a duo since 2004. After returning from performances in Europe of their new album in December 2022, the duo will resume the tour in June 2023.

The album comprises Bartók’s Violin Sonata No.1, Brahms’ D minor Sonata, and Janáček’s Violin Sonata. This recording marks the duo’s third recording together — the first two albums were both released on Naive Classique and were recorded in 2008 and 2009, respectively. 

“The rehearsal process for chamber music is always going to be difficult,” Say said in an interview. “You have to work together and find each other through sound. We do this through intensive work that takes up not only hours and entire days, but also complete weeks. We’ve worked particularly long and hard on the sonatas on this recording...”

“I have to be strong when performing with [Say], so that we’re in balance. [He’s] like a volcano, a source of unimaginable strength and energy,” added Kopatchinskaja. “[He] never play[s] simply: every time it’s different, always alive and endlessly creative. Everything can be put into play, literally!”

To purchase and listen to the album, click here. An introduction to the album can be viewed below.

“Our conversations happen during the concert — nothing has been set in stone beforehand, and so we can play various works in ways that we’ve never done before,” Kopatchinskaja continued. “We hardly say a word when we’re rehearsing. We’re on the same energy level, on the same track; at some point we know when we’re ready to bring a piece to the concert platform.”

“We’ve given hundreds of concerts together, recorded albums, and [Kopatchinskaja] also gave the first performance of my violin concerto,” Say explained. “For me, [she’s] one of the most interesting artists of our time; whenever I perform with [her], every single moment is full of excitement and adrenaline.”

The duo recently completed their European tour in December 2022, where they performed across cities in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria. They will continue their tour in June 2023, visiting Baden Baden and Essen in Germany, and Spain’s Madrid and Barcelona.