The Turkish Five

Started by schnittkease, July 12, 2017, 09:48:02 AM

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schnittkease

The Turkish Five [Türk Beşleri] is a name used to identify the five pioneers of western classical music in Turkey. They were all born in the first decade of the 20th century and composed "their most outstanding music in the early years of the Republic of Turkey, especially during the presidencies of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü. They all shared contacts with the two presidents and were highly encouraged as such, both on a personal level and through the general drive towards Westernization in Turkey."

The Turkish Five composers are:
Ahmed Adnan Saygun (already has a thread)
Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Cemal Reşit Rey
Hasan Ferit Alnar
Necil Kazım Akses

"These composers set out the direction of classic music in the newly established Turkish Republic. The use of Turkish folk music and traditional/modal elements in an entirely Western symphonic style characterized [their]... music."


All 5 are completely unknown to me. ???
Any recommendations by those equipped?

pjme

I would love to see/hear this live!

Cemal Reşit Rey - The Conqueror (Fatih) Symphonic Poem

https://www.youtube.com/v/qj6CpqMGjG8?list=PLZJD_nDpl6JI_TN2u46OSeqlNuFOM-DjT

P.

Christo

Quote from: schnittkease on October 02, 1974, 02:22:48 PMAny recommendations by those equipped?

Only Alnar seems to have slipped out of sight, the other four are well represented on my CD shelves by labels like CPO, Hungaraton, some Turkish productions and now also - with a new CD devoted to Erkin - Naxos. Could be a nice place to start with: the Naxos with Erkin's Symphony No. 2 and some more orchestral music. Another option is the larger CPO series devoted to Saygun, for example the one with the first two symphonies or both piano concertos.
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

pjme

#3
https://www.youtube.com/v/gbbHSpf_PQ4

Lovely music (Bartok loved those rythms!) - and, yes, that sexy mustache à la Ramon Navarro!



https://www.youtube.com/v/kgW9Q3x5mtc

Alnar's Kanun concerto seems to be a popular work.

https://www.youtube.com/v/k1FmKUaqs5w



Thanks Christo for the tip...

schnittkease

#4
Quote from: Christo on July 18, 2017, 10:31:58 PM
Only Alnar seems to have slipped out of sight, the other four are well represented on my CD shelves by labels like CPO, Hungaraton, some Turkish productions and now also - with a new CD devoted to Erkin - Naxos. Could be a nice place to start with: the Naxos with Erkin's Symphony No. 2 and some more orchestral music. Another option is the larger CPO series devoted to Saygun, for example the one with the first two symphonies or both piano concertos.

Thanks, Christo. I ended up ordering the CPO of Saygun's 3rd & 5th symphonies. Several reviewers have called him an "oriental Bartók," so this should be interesting to see how much influence remains as his style matures. Saygun, while underappreciated in his own right, seems to be the most prominent of his compatriots; The Times called him ""the grand old man of Turkish music, who was to his country what Jean Sibelius is to Finland, what Manuel de Falla is to Spain, and what Béla Bartók is to Hungary".

pjme

"One wonders what he did special to set himself apart from the rest of The Five."

Talent, for sure, and possibly his status/position in Turkey's cultural world.

"Saygun furthered his involvement with the government by becoming a member of the Curriculum Board at the Ministry of Education in 1960, a position he held until 1965.  From 1964 to 1972, he taught composition at the Ankara State Conservatory.  From 1972 until 1978, he was a member of the board at the state-run Turkish Radio and Television. "

See: http://www.musicacademyonline.com/composer/biographies.php?bid=132

From what I was able to read about these composers, I could not conclude that they actualy formed a group or were close friends.

Wikipedia states: The Turkish Five (Turkish: Türk Beşleri) is a name used by some authors to identify five pioneers of western classical music in Turkey.

And at : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812016667

Turkish Five is a group name that some authors gave to Necil Kâzim Akses, Hasan Ferit Alnar, Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Cemal Resit Rey and Ahmet Adnan Saygun At first, each member of The Turkish Five started out with neo-nationalist perception and benefited the colours of our native music. This is a common aspect. Later on, however, the feature of taking advantage of our traditional music eventually decreased and each of our composers developed their own characteristic way of thinking and hearing, which was their different side.In this declaration, the works of these composers known The Turkish Five which was mentioned above were discussed with examples and their common and different sides were examined and it was aimed to introduce them to the contemporary Turkish music.


Cfr. the Russian 5 or les Six....

vandermolen

Saygun is VG, especially the CPO CD with symphonies 1 and 2 and the Franz Marc horse painting on the cover. Must listen to the Erkin on Naxos, which is in my collection.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Thanks to Roy Bland's recommendation, nowadays I am listening to the music of Ferit Tüzün.
For those who are interested, the list I made is below.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7uG3nzjmyODJyCB9BqOGNerwtDCTcv4V




Roy Bland

#8
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on March 23, 2022, 06:43:17 PM
Thanks to Roy Bland's recommendation, nowadays I am listening to the music of Ferit Tüzün.
For those who are interested, the list I made is below.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7uG3nzjmyODJyCB9BqOGNerwtDCTcv4V
I am delighted from your appreciation .IMHO best turkish symphony
https://youtu.be/ZvLdnwZw_QQ


Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Roy Bland on March 25, 2022, 08:56:02 PM
I am delighted from your appreciation .IMHO best turkish symphony
https://youtu.be/ZvLdnwZw_QQ


Yes, I own the disc from Naxos. Nice music!

Roy Bland

#10
Turkish  film music
Perhaps questionable choice but i post here being performed from a symphony orchestra :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osg1_lUnmrs

Hayati Yusuf Mantar

Aralardaki sunumları atlamak isteyenler için
04:21 -Aile Şerefi
08:11 -Neşeli Günler
11:56 -Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım
18:51 -Devlerin Aşkı
23:45 -Tosun Paşa (Şehnaz Longa)
28:49 -Çiçek Abbas
31:59 -Hülya
38:34 -Dila Hatun
45:08 -Umutsuzlar
51:36 -Süt Kardeşler (Kürdilihicazkar Longa)
57:03 -Hababam Sınıfı
01:02:54 -Bu Nasıl Dünya
01:10:00 -Güler Misin Ağlar Mısın
01:16:00 -Selvi Boylu Al Yazmalım
01:21:26 -Güler Misin Ağlar Mısın

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Nice music, Roy!
Now, I am enjoying listening to this album: Turkish Folk Songs Accompanied by Orchestra. Budapest SO.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Enjoying this album.

Beyza Yazgan: To Anatolia: Selections from the Turkish Five.






Roy Bland


Roy Bland

#14

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#15
Quote from: Roy Bland on December 07, 2022, 05:43:42 PMInteresting work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ojkK0zOl2

Multiple talented man
https://sofiaphilharmonic.com/en/authors/bulent-tarjan/

I am in South America now and the video is unavailable. I'm looking forward to checking the video when I return to my home. The Yalcin Tura above sounds very nice. I like it. Any studio recording of this composition?

Roy Bland

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on December 08, 2022, 03:47:38 PMI am in South America now and the video is unavailable. I'm looking forward to checking the video when I return to my home. The Yalcin Tura above sounds very nice. I like it. Any studio recording of this composition?





Dry Brett Kavanaugh

^ I listened to the Saygi via Spotify and I like it a lot. I'll get the album!

Roy Bland


Dry Brett Kavanaugh