Return to Turkey
Donald Macleod explores the opportunities the Turkish Five found after travelling home from their time abroad.
Donald Macleod explores the opportunities the Turkish Five found after travelling home from their time abroad.
In 1923 the Turkish Republic came into being. On the agenda for the founding father and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atat葪rk, was the aim to develop a new Turkish musical language, and to disassociate culturally with the Ottoman past. This new musical culture would be a blend of traditional Turkish music, in combination with Western classical music. The Republic funded musicians to study in Europe, who were then expected to return to Turkey and develop what they had learned. Through this cultural exchange, Western music began to be experienced more widely by audiences across Turkey, whilst Turkish music was also introduced to listeners around the world, including Europe and the USA.
A group of composers known as the Turkish Five were pioneers in this movement to form a synthesis between East and West. They included Cemal Re艧it Rey (1904-1985), Ulvi Cemal Erkin (1906-1972), Hasan Ferit Alnar (1906-1978), Ahmet Adnan Saygun (1907-1991) and Necil K芒zim Akses (1908-1999). The Turkish Five became hugely influential in their home country as composers, teachers, conductors and artistic directors, and also became well known abroad, receiving many honours.
During the 1930s all members of the Turkish Five returned home, and started to develop their careers as conductors and teachers. They also began to compose new music, fusing their native styles with what they had learned in Europe. Joining Donald Macleod is Prof. Mine Do臒antan-Dack, and Dr. Emre Araci, who explore what music tuition was like in Turkey, during this period. They also discuss how the rise of Nazism in the West led to a stream of European musicians heading to Turkey.
Hasan Ferit Alnar
Uyu艧uk Dans (8 Piano Pieces)
Beyza Yazgan, piano
Cemal Re艧it Rey
Feast (Instantan茅s)
Hungarian State Orchestra
Cem Mansur, conductor
Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Duyu艧lar (excerpt)
Beyza Yazgan, piano
Ahmet Adnan Saygun
Yunus Emre, Op 26 (excerpt)
Ibolya Verebics, soprano
脡va P谩ncz茅l, soprano
Gy枚rgy Korondy, tenor
S谩ndor Blazs贸, bass
Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Hikmet 艦im艧ek, conductor
Necil K芒zim Akses
Violin Concerto (Adagio 鈥� Allegro)
Cihat A艧k谋n, violin
NDR Radiophilharmonie
Rengim G枚kmen, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock
On radio
Broadcast
- Wed 26 Feb 2025 16:00大象传媒 Radio 3
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