As part of the Tallinn Fringe Festival, I headed to Heldeke! to catch Metamorphosis, a solo piano concert by Cypriot composer and pianist Hüseyin Kırmızı.
Kırmızı began by propping open the upright piano’s lid, allowing the sound to resonate unfiltered throughout the room. While some might find this raw projection slightly abrasive (And I know some poeple who do), I find it visually striking and more importantly, more expressive and pure in it’s sound.
The music was captivating. Kırmızı is a master of his craft, navigating complex arpeggios, intricate scales, and rapid technical passages with fluid ease. He brought an undeniable sense of control to the keyboard, making the instrument respond effortlessly to his command.
Style-wise, his sound echoes the cinematic, neoclassical world of Ludovico Einaudi and Yann Tiersen, yet it carries a distinct regional flavor. Kırmızı seamlessly fuses Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean elements, utilizing augmented seconds and rhythmic patterns reminiscent of Turkish, Arabic, and Persian traditions, with classic Western harmonic structure.
The nine-piece set began on a sentimental note, blending exotic melodic intervals into a warm, accessible frame:
- Breath With Me
- Hope Is Still Here
- Harvest Time
- Angst (a moody standout from his upcoming album)
- Years Passing By
- Norwegian Wood (The Beatles cover)
- The Road Inside Us
- Mae Le Pa (meaning “parents” in Thai)
- Mediterranean Shadows
The evening closed with Mediterranean Shadows, a sprawling four-part folk dance suite. Dynamic and full of rhythmic energy, it provided an exhilarating finale to an evening of vibrant, cross-cultural storytelling.
