Ahmed Adnan Saygun 1907-1991

[Guido]

I have been enamoured with his cello concerto since the recording was released last year. I have just ordered the piano concertos and a fairly recent Naxos CD of the solo piano music. Any fans here?

[Harry]

I should think so, yes. I have all the CPO discs available with his music. One of my discoveries last year.

[Dundonnell]

Yes......ME

I bought the symphonies as they came out(surprise-me buying symphonies, whatever next? ). The couplings are Nos. 1 and 2, Nos. 3 and 5, and No.4 with the Violin Concerto.

Splendid works by a composer of great substance; a towering figure in Turkish music, of course, but one who merits discovery in the rest of the world. Saygun was a kind of Turkish Bartok, ie he spent a huge amount of time collecting Turkish folk music and incorporating some of it into his scores.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Oct02/Saygun_Ahmed_Adnan.htm

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/july04/Saygun35.htm

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2005/Aug05/saygun4_7770432.htm

The Musicweb review of the third disc says that those who like 'Berg, Hartmann and Alwyn' will enjoy Saygun Kind of odd mixture you might think but the modal passages in Saygun's music do sometimes recall some British composers while the more (gentle) dissonances are indeed reminiscent of early Hartmann.

Explore

[Bulldog]

I should think so, yes. I have all the CPO discs available with his music. One of my discoveries last year.

Same here.  I find Saygun fascinating.  My favorite recording so far is the CPO of his string quartets.

[Drasko]

Those who enjoy Bartok's piano music shoud try out Saygun's. Didn't know there is a Naxos disc, Sonatine is superb but my favorite would be Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms op.38 (aksak = crippled = irregular). Don't think they are included on Naxos, so here is one for those who are curious:

Ten Etudes on Aksak Rhythms Op.38 No.1
Hande Dalkiliç (piano) on Turkish label BMP
[mp3=200,20,0,left]http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/7/24/2018019/Saygun%20-%20Ten%20Etudes%20on%20Aksak%20Ryhthms%20op.38%20no.1.mp3[/mp3]

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thank you, Drasko. The first Saygun I ever heard. And certainly not the last.

[SonicMan46]

Well, starting to 'explore' this composer myself - have just two CPO discs, i.e. String Quartets & Cello/Viola Concertos; the Symphonies are on my 'wish list' but have not taken the plunge - will certainly follow this thread w/ interest - 

[vandermolen]

Here is my Saygun recommendation. A very enjoyable CD with its eastern and western influences:

[Sef]

I started off last night with Symphonies 3 and 5 (without researching first). I very much enjoyed them, but was a little dissappointed that I couldn't discern very much Turkish influence. In the same way that I had first heard Chavez (his fourth) and not recognize his nationality (in fact I was on the wrong continent), I had the same problem with this disk. Now that I have spent the time to read some of the notes on the links you have provided, I will go back to Symphonies 1 and 2. Don't get me wrong though, these are a treasure!

[Dundonnell]

I started off last night with Symphonies 3 and 5 (without researching first). I very much enjoyed them, but was a little dissappointed that I couldn't discern very much Turkish influence. In the same way that I had first heard Chavez (his fourth) and not recognize his nationality (in fact I was on the wrong continent), I had the same problem with this disk. Now that I have spent the time to read some of the notes on the links you have provided, I will go back to Symphonies 1 and 2. Don't get me wrong though, these are a treasure!

Glad you enjoyed them! That is the main thing

[Sef]

Glad you enjoyed them! That is the main thing

Listened to 1 and 2 today. You can hear the eastern influence more in the second, but it's subtle. The second movement of the first is wonderfully dark and threatening!

[Todd]

So far the only works I've heard from Saygun are his piano concertos (in an earlier Koch recording) and his string quartets.  All of them indicate that Bartok is a big influence, the piano concertos especially, but the works are all good.  Indeed, the string quartets are extremely good, and the Danel play them splendidly.  I believe I should check out his symphonies soon.

[vandermolen]

Thought he deserved a photo:
(slight Vaughan Williams resemblance)

[Sef]

So far the only works I've heard from Saygun are his piano concertos (in an earlier Koch recording) and his string quartets.  All of them indicate that Bartok is a big influence, the piano concertos especially, but the works are all good.  Indeed, the string quartets are extremely good, and the Danel play them splendidly.  I believe I should check out his symphonies soon.

Wondered whether you'd got round to this yet? Symphony 1 and 2 are quite the most often listened to CD in my house right now. Even my daughter (Cello player) professed a liking for the first symphony, saying that she'd love to play it. Not much chance of that I suppose!

[vandermolen]

Wondered whether you'd got round to this yet? Symphony 1 and 2 are quite the most often listened to CD in my house right now. Even my daughter (Cello player) professed a liking for the first symphony, saying that she'd love to play it. Not much chance of that I suppose!

Yes, this is a very good CD and your post has encouraged me to play it now. The haunting slow movement of Symphony No 1 is a particular favourite.

[Sef]

Yes, this is a very good CD and your post has encouraged me to play it now. The haunting slow movement of Symphony No 1 is a particular favourite.

Yes, that's the movement my daughter was listening to - sends shivers down my spine.

[Todd]

Wondered whether you'd got round to this yet?

Partially.  I picked up two Saygun discs, one with his violin concerto and Symphony 4 (which I mentioned in my "new" music thread), and his viola and cello concertos, which are both excellent.  I'll be gathering up some more Saygun CDs in the near future.

[Christo]

Another Saygun fan here. Some ten years ago, before CPO launched its series with the symphonies and concertos, Saygun's music was only to be found on a few odd Koch Schwan CDs - e.g. one with both piano concertos, as on the new CPO CD, and both highly enjoyable imho - some OUP Hungarotons (e.g. his epic oratorio Yunus Emre from 1946) and a few Turkish releases.

When in Istanbul, I even found some in bookstore Pandora, up in Taksim, including his first opera Özsoy (1934, the first Turkish national opera ever) written by the young composer at a special request by Atatürk on the occasion of a state visit by the Shah of Persia, another 'Westernizer' of that era.

In 1936 he worked as an amanuensis for Béla Bartók during his field trip to eastern Anatolia, collecting folk music. Both Bartók (much later) and Saygun published a book about the journey and their findings. I read both books, and learnt how much Saygun was indeed influenced by the Hungarian master, in the first stage of his career.

I admire his symphonies and concertos, especially. Would love to read about other people's experiences with them. 

[Daverz]

I've been very impressed with the CPO discs with the Symphonies and the Violin Concerto.  I guess the other concertos are next.

[Christo]

Another photo (slight Honegger resemblance  )