Maverick, mercurial, outspoken, charismatic, Fazıl Say (b1970) is the composer-laureate of Turkey, as works such as the oratorio Nâzım (2001), Istanbul Symphony (2009) and Hezarfen Concerto (2011) vividly attest. His relationship with his homeland, not least its religious and political establishments, has been often uneasy, reflected in pieces such as Gezi Park (2013-14), for example, inspired by the suppressed protests in the Istanbul park of the same name, or his 2013 conviction for blasphemy, later overturned.

The element of protest is present in the opening – and most recent – work here, the substantial three-movement Second Violin Sonata, Mount Ida (2019), inspired by the ecological disaster at Mount Ida caused by gold-mining. The movement titles indicate his outrage – ‘Decimation of Nature’; ‘Wounded Bird’ (with its haunted, mutilated evocations of birdsong) – though the culminating ‘Rite of Hope’ is as much about solidarity with those opposing the destruction as the destruction itself.

It is fervently played by Friedemann Eichhorn, for whom it was written. His immersion in Say’s violin-writing pays strong expressive dividends, notable in the unaccompanied test-piece Cleopatra (2010), a volatile portrayal of the last pharaoh. The First Sonata (1997) is probably Say’s most recorded work and Eichhorn has its measure, relishing its vibrant blend of influences from central Europe as much as Turkey. His version compares well with Laurent Korcia’s and Patricia Kopatchinskaja’s, if not quite matching the latter’s at times hothouse intensity. I like Eichhorn’s cooler approach, especially in the highly atmospheric and virtuoso Violin Concerto, 1001 Nights in the Harem (2007). This is arguably the most Turkish work here with its use of Turkish folksong and exotic percussion, brilliantly performed by another regular Say collaborator, Aykut Köselerli. Christoph Eschenbach and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie audibly enjoy themselves. Naxos’s sound is excellent, making this fascinating and recommendable in equal measure