To understand the "Summertime Variations," one must first understand the artist behind them. Fazıl Say is not a typical classical musician. Trained in the rigorous German tradition (a student of the piano at the Robert Schumann Institute in Düsseldorf), he possesses the technical facility of a supreme concert artist. Yet, his musical soul is deeply rooted in the improvisational spirit of jazz and the rhythmic cycles of Turkish folk music.

The search for the

Research shows that Say himself often modifies the written score during live performances, encouraging other pianists to bring their own improvisational flair to the printed notes. Where to Find the Sheet Music

The piece begins quietly, meditating on the familiar theme with delicate embellishments and scalic "echo" passages.

The middle portion features a "swinging and extremely virtuoso"