JANUARY 1959 35 Cents

Review of fhe World's Music Published since 1880

TURKISH mUSIC I I I THE UJESTERn UJORLD

Hv K M K L KSIN

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Pr.Errıel Esin K Ü T Ü P H A N E S İ

Detnirb. 000İ3 no:

000İ3 Tasnif A r esîN.C no: TÜH

my

Left, a player of the Ut (Lute) in an illustration from an Eighth Century manuscript in Turkestan. The script

is Old Turkish.

TURKISH mUSIC 111 THE UJESTERn UJORLD

|{v EMEL ESİN

IN the course of the g r ea t m i g r a t ions o f peoples, the ancestors of the i n h a b i t a n t s o f T u r k e y left t h e i r C e n t r a l A s i a n abode o f T u r k e s t a n ( t h e w o r d m e a n s " c o u n t r y of t h e T u r k s " ) , to se t t l e i n t h e o u t s k i r t s of E a s t e r n Europe i n the first t e n centu r i e s a f t e r C h r i s t , and in the N e a r Eas t a f t e r the T e n t h C e n t u r y .

These T u r k s b r o u g h t w i t h t h e m the anc i en t h e r i t a g e of C e n t r a l A s i a n c u l t u r e , o f w h i c h m u s i c was a componen t . T h e h i s t o r y of m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t s t races t h e o r i g i n o f c e r t a i n o f t h e i r i n s t r u m e n t s to C e n t r a l A s i a — s u c h as some f o r m s o f t r u m p e t s , d r u m s , f lutes a n d v i o l i n s . T h e m u r a l p a i n t i n g s o f T u r k e s t a n , d a t i n g f r o m t h e first cent u r i e s o f t h e C h r i s t i a n era, show ea r l y f o r m s of t h e l u t e (see first i l l u s t r a t i o n on t h i s page ) , o f the o r g a n f lu t e (second i l l u s t r a t i o n ) , o f t h e g u i t a r , t h e ha rps , a n d o t h e r i n s t r u m e n t s .

I n C e n t r a l As i a b o t h t h e nomads and t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f c i t i es c u l t i v a t e d mus i c . I n the first c en tur i e s o f the C h r i s t i a n e ra , w h i l e the n o m a d danced i n t h e steppes to he ro i c tunes ,

c i t y i n T u r k e s t a n — K u t c h a — was r e n o w n e d f o r t h e re f ined b e a u t y o f i t s r e l i g i o u s a n d s e cu la r mus i c . T h e B u d d h is t r e l i g i on , w h i c h t h e n was acqu i r ing , in T u r k e s t a n , i t s t r a d i t i o n a l f o rms of express ion i n p a i n l i n g and scu lpture , also a p p r o p r i a t e d the ancient mus i ca l i n s t r u m e n t s of C e n t r a l As ia and spread t h e m l a t e r i n t o o the r lands of B u d d h i s t c u l t u r e .

W h e n , i n t h e Seven th C e n t u r y A .D . , the I s l a m i c f a i t h p e n e t r a t e d i n t o T u r k e s t a n , t h e mus i ca l t r a d i t i o n t h a t we have been desc r i b ing con t inued . U s k e n d i n K h a r e z a t h e n a t t a i n e d t h e r e p u t a t i o n o f b e ing "the c i t y o f m u s i c i ans . "

• F a r a b i - E l - T u r k i ( F a r a b i the T u r k ) , a ph i l o sopher and m u s i c i a n , w h o is

sa id to have deve loped the i n s t r u m e n t ca l l ed the " k a n u n , " a f o r m of psa l t e r y , i n his w o r k s prov ides some de ta i l s a b o u t the t h e o r y a n d i n s t r u m e n t s o f C e n t r a l A s i a n m u s i c i n the T e n t h C e n t u r y .

T h e in f luence of C e n t r a l A s i a n m u sic was f e l t i n the I s l a m i c w o r l d at severa l j u n c t u r e s , such as the conquest o f the N e a r Eas t and of N o r t h e r n I n d i a i n the T e n t h C e n t u r y by t h e T u r k s ; and at the final p e n e t r a t i o n o f t f ic T u r k s i n t o I n d i a a t t h e t i m e o f the M o g u l T i m u i d s , i n the beg i n n i n g o f the 16 th C e n t u r y . Some C e n t r a l A s i a n i n s t r u m e n t s , a m o n g t h e m t h e l u t e , the rebec a n d t h e t a m b o u r i n e , came to E u r o p e e i t h e r t h r o u g h the A rabs i n S p a i n o r d u r i n g the Crusades .

T h e anc ient mus i c o f T u r k e s t a n , i n i t s sacred, s ecu la r o r p o p u l a r ' f o rms , has s u r v i v e d and is s t i l l h e a r d i n T u r k e s t a n and i n T u r k e y .

T u r k i s h m u s i c has no t unde rgone h a r m o n i z a t i o n and the r e f o r e has never become po l yphon i c . B u t ef fects of s u b t l e t y a r e s t r i v e n f o r and achieved t h r o u g h t h e fact t h a t the oc tave is d i v i d e d i n t o 24 p a r t s o f unequa l l e n g t h , and thus m a n y nuances of sounds m a y be p roduced . T h e r e are seve ra l modes, u s u a l l y b e a r i n g names t h a t p r o b a b l y we re g i v en by those w h o first devised t h e m .

T u r k i s h mus i c has been a source of i n t e r e s t t o s tuden t s o f m o d e r n a t o n a l schools. The i n s t r u m e n t s used a re the " u t " ( l u t e ) , t h e " t a n b a r " ( a n anc i en t f o r m of g u i t a r ) , t h e " k a n u n " (a f o r m o f psa l t e ry , as we sa id bef o r e ) , t h e " k e m e n c e " ( r ebec ) , the " n a y " (a r eco rde r made o f r e ed ) , t h e " d e f " ( t a m b o u r i n e ) , and v a r i o u s d r u m s , t r u m p e t s , be l ls a n d the l i k e (see t h i r d i l l u s t r a t i o n ) .

I f these i n s t r u m e n t s p l a y t oge ther , they p e r f o r m the same me lody , s i m p l y

A player of the organ flute and a dancer, in a mural painting of the Sixth- Century

in Turkestan.

a m p l i f y i n g t h e effect o f a s ing le i n s t r u m e n t .

Conce r t s o f e i t h e r sacred or s e cu la r mus i c f o l l o w c e r t a i n c o n v e n t i o n a l o r ders o f precedence. F o r ins tance , a

(Continued on following page)

A concert of Turkish music, from a miniature by the 18th Century Turkish painter

Lcvni.

JANUARY, 1959

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New York Festival To Mark the

Bicentary of Handel

conce i t o f s ecu la r m u s i c s t a r t s w i t h pre ludes, con t inues w i t h modes i n s l ower tempos , a n d ends w i t h l i v e l y dance tunes .

• I t is sa id t h a t the c o u n t r y m u s i c a n d dances o f T u r k e y , p e r f o r m e d t o the sound o f t h e d r u m s and the s h r i l l " z u r n a " ( a n i n s t r u m e n t t h a t is some-w h e r e be tween the c l a r i n e t and the oboe) echo the epic a n d r e c i t a t i v e s t r a i n s to w h i c h the C e n t r a l A s i a n nomads moved 2,000 years ago.

I n the "Ne fes , " the usua l expres-s ion of T u r k i s h r e l i g i ous fee l ings ( "Ne f es " m e a n i n g " s o u l " or " b r e a t h " ) we are c o n f r o n t e d w i t h an a l l u s i o n to the K o r a n i c image of the c r e a t i o n o f m a n t h r o u g h the B r e a t h o f God. T h e "Ne f e s " is a m o n o l o g u e per-f o r m e d by a s ing l e i n s t r u m e n t . T h e r e m a y , however , be an a c c o m p a n i m e n t , w h i c h consists o f a peda l ef fect p l ayed by one o r m o r e i n s t r u m e n t s , r epea t -i n g l i k e an echo the final no te o f each phrase of the "Ne f es . " T h i s e f fect is ca l l ed " s i g h i n g . "

• I n the 17 th C e n t u r y , w i t h such e m -i n e n t composers as I t r i , N a c i S a d u l l a h o r Z a k i r i , T u r k i s h m u s i c r eached a new phase. I t m u s t have been 17 th C e n t u r y examp l es o f t h i s m u s i c t h a t M o z a r t a n d Bee thoven h e a r d a n d l a t e r evoked i n t h e i r c ompos i t i ons . One m a y i m a g i n e t h a t T u r k i s h mus i c was per-f o r m e d in the presence o f i l l u s t r i o u s E u r o p e a n composers at some C e n t r a l E u r o p e a n C o u r t , pe rhaps i n Schwe t -z ingen or V i enna , by an o r ches t ra of p r i soners o f w a r , s i m i l a r to the T u r k -ish o r ches t ras represented i n fig-ur ines o f 18 th C e n t u r y G e r m a n po r -ce la in .

• Seve ra l p r o g r a m s o f T u r k i s h m u -sic are be ing p e r f o r m e d th is season i n N e w Y o r k in p r i v a t e g a t h e r i n g s o r in un i v e r s i t i e s , l i b r a r i e s a n d concert ba l l s , to audiences composed o f A m e r -i can mus i c i ans , lovers of o l d mus ic , and d i p l o m a t s r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e i r c oun t r i e s a t the U n i t e d N a t i o n s . O l d T u r k i s h m u s i c has been p l a y e d b y L a i k a K a r a b e y , a " t a n b u r " p l a y e r of v i r t u o s i t y , w h o has devo ted her l i f e t o the p r e s e r v a t i o n i n i t s p u r i t y o f v a r i o u s f o r m s i n the n a t i o n a l T u r k -ish he r i t a g e o f mus i c . W i t h her, on some occasions t w o o the r s have ap-pea r ed : D r . I r f a n Dogrusoz , a t a l -en ted s inger i n the t r a d i t i o n a l T u r k i s h m a n n e r , and M m e . G u n t e k i n T u r k -k a n , w h o sings 18 th C e n t u r y T u r k i s h songs c h a r m i n g l y w i t h a E u r o p e a n t echn ique . Dressed i n an o l d T u r k i s h cos tume , M m e . K a r a b e y p lays Un-g r a c e f u l " t a n b u r , " her i n t en t and sens i t i ve face r em in i s cen t o f the ex-pression s h o w n by a m u s i c i a n p a i n t e d in the S i x t h C e n t u r y on t h e w a l l o f a g r o t t o t e m p l e i n T u r k e s t a n , w h o , i n -c i d e n t a l l y , is p l a y i n g the same i n s t r u -m e n t .

Em.il Esin is the wife of Seyfullah Esin, Permanent Ambassador from Turkey to the United Nations.

NE W Y O R K w i l l honor the 20()th a n n i v e r s a r y of the d e a t h of H a n -del w i t h a three m o n t h s ' H a n d e l F e s t i v a l i n c l u d i n g m a n y events by v a r i -ous groups and a r t i s t s .

T h e o r a t o r i o " A l e x a n d e r ' s Feas t , " a s e t t i n g of Pope's poem, w i l l be g i v en on the even ing of M a r c h 1 in Carneg i e H a l l under the d i r e c t i o n o f N e w e l l J en -k ins , by the C l a r i o n Concer t s chorus , o r ches t r a and soloists. " S a m s o n " w i l l be p e r f o r m e d by the C a n t e r b u r y C h o r a l Soc ie ty a t St . T h o m a s ' P. E . C h u r c h , on the even ing o f M a r c h 9. T h e cho i r of t h i s c h u r c h , under W i l l i a m Self, w i l l also s ing the f ou r " C o r o n a t i o n A n -t h e m s " at 4 p .m. in ,the c h u r c h on M a r c h 15.

A no tab l e event w i l l be the p resenta -t i on of the r a r e l y hea rd " S t . J o h n Pas-s i o n " by the N e w Y o r k P h i l h a r m o n i c O r c h e s t r a at Carneg ie H a l l on the a f t e r n o o n of M a r c h 29, be i iTg~con-duc t ed by L e o n a r d B e r n s t e i n . B r u c e Pr ince-Joseph, o rgan i s t , w i l l assist. The H a r p s i c h o r d Concer to in F ma jo r , Opus 4. No. 5. w i l l also be heard . The P h i l h a r m o n i c has scheduled the "Ode to S t . C e c i l i a " for i ts a f t e r n o o n eon-cert at Carneg ie on M a y 3.

T h e " D e l t i ngen Tc D e u m " w i l l be s u n g at St. B a r t h o l o m e w ' s P. E. C h u r c h , c onduc t ed by Jack Osse-w a a r d . on the a f t e rnoon of A p r i l 5 (4 p .m. ) . On A p r i l 12 C h u r c h Mus i c by H a n d e l w i l l be p e r f o r m e d a t St. George 's Chur ch on S tuyvesan t Square , w i t h C a r l W e i n r i c h as organ is t and the cho i r p a r t i c i p a t i n g (8:30 p .m. ) .

The St . Thomas C h o r a l Soc ie ty and the B r o o k l y n Col lege Chorus w i l l g ive the F u n e r a l Serv ice at 8:30 p.m. on A p r i l 13 at St . T h o m a s ' C h u r c h .

" M e s s i a h " w i l l have one o f i ts nu -merous b i c en t ena r y pe r f o rmances by the C a n t a t a S ingers at Carneg i e Ha l l on the even ing o f A p r i l 14. " Judas M a c e a b a e u s " has been p r o g r a m m e d by

the N a t i o n a l O r c h e s t r a l Assoc ia t i on a n d the cho rus o f the N e w Y o r k Ora -t o r i o Soc ie ty , u n d e r J o h n B a r n e t l , at Carneg ie H a l l on the even ing of A p r i l 28.

T r i n i t y C h u r c h w i l l g ive a H a n d e l service i n c l u d i n g va r i ous an thems , p a r i of the " J u b i l a t e " a n d "Occas iona l O r a -t o r i o , " w i t h cho i r and o rches t ra at 11 a .m. on M a y 7.

" I s r a e l i n E g y p t " is to be p e r f o r m e d by the Dessoff Cho i r s and the S y m -phony of the A i r a t Carneg ie H a l l on the even ing o f M a y 7.

"Be l shazza r , " an o r a t o r i o somet imes heard in ope ra t i c f o r m , has been set for a concer t h e a r i n g b y the St . T h o m a s Chape l C h o i r i n that: c h u r c h on t in -even ing of M a y 1 1 .

I n the o r c h e s t r a l and chamber m u -sic field m a n y examples o f Hande l ' s mus ic w i l l be heard . The H a r p s i c h o r d Mus i c Soc ie ty has scheduled a p r o g r a m of his w o r k s i n Carneg i e C h a m b e r M u -sic H a l l on the even ing of M a r c h 9.

The A l e x a n d e r Schne ider C h a m b e r Orches t r a , unde r t h a t conductor , « ¡11 present a p r o g r a m of the Concei t i Grossi at the N e w School for Socia l Research in t w o sessions ( i d e n t i c a l ) at 3 and 9 p .m. on A p r i l 5. T h e G o t h a m Baroque Ensemble w i l l g ive o t h e r chamber w o r k s i n i t s p r o g r a m a t Car -negie R e c i t a l H a l l on the evening of A p r i l 10. The C l a r i o n Concer ts w i l l present a p r o g r a m of Hande l ' s h a r p s i -chord and voca l music , w i t h A l b e r t F u l l e r a n d Ade l e Add i son , at the \~MHA A u d i t o r i u m ( L e x i n g t o n Avenue and 91st St . ) on the even ing of A p r i l 18.

A n ou tdoo r session has been t e n t a -t i v e l y scheduled b y the L i t t l e Orches-t r a Soc ie ty i n C e n t r a l P a r k on May 15, w h e n the " W a t e r M u s i c " w i l l be heard.

The N e w Y o r k H a n d e l Fes t i v a l l ias been c o o r d i n a t e d and is be ing m a n -aged by Thea D i speke r .

PAULIST C H O I R o f C H I C A G O

EATHER O 'MALLEY , CONDUCTOR EFROM RECORDS N o w B o o k i n g : 911 S o . W a b a s h A v e . , C h i c a g o 5. 111.

8 M U S I C A L C O U R I E R

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