CLASSIC TURKISH MUSIC

In order to establish an opera in our country, Max Reinhard, who was the director of the Reinhard Scoule in Vienna at that time, was invited, this person accepted the invitation and came to our country to conduct research, prepared a report and this report was presented to ATATÜRK.

ATATÜRK, who examined the report, put the record "Let's keep this report as the basis" with a handwritten letter on it. (Musıki Magazine 1963 November 189- Etem Üngör, in this report, it is written: "The Turkish people are one of the oldest cultural nations in the world. The nation has a special musical taste. This taste may have eroded over time and regressed with the narcotic atmosphere of Arab and Byzantine music. Despite the monotonous atmosphere of court music with its advanced and superior values, its rich source can easily be understood by any foreigner who has been a little busy in this business.

We want to establish an opera for this nation. This opera will necessarily represent all kinds of western works, from Bizet to Vagner. It is not very difficult to train cadres that can play these operas and even play well. But the main thing is to prepare the people who will listen to them and enjoy them, at the same time. This is a more difficult problem than playing opera.

In that case, it means that those who will establish the National Turkish Opera also have the duty to prepare the opera audience. In my opinion, it should start from here.

Kemal Pasha (ATATÜRK) could reduce or even abolish the old music hours on the radio with an order. He can substitute western music instead. He can organize western music concerts in every town square. But this is not a positive business. The people secretly listen to the nearby oriental radios in their closed curtained room. This direct change is also met with dislike, and one day, unexpectedly, acculturation begins, so that the opinion of those who want the abolition of western music from the radios may prevail. The efforts are destroyed in an instant. In this way, the beautiful performances that the Turkish opera will play are exposed to the danger of not finding customers other than a temporary and limited crowd that seems to watch it, with the effect of sonobism.

A research I did gave me a clear opinion about the superiority of the Turkish people's Vizuel-Visuele (Sight-seek) taste.

We can do some important things based on this eye-pleasing. We will be able to sketch a program outline like this.

It is necessary to start with operettas that will please the public. In these operettas, comic elements may be mixed with melodrama elements. As a first step, I can recommend a Hungarian operetta. The similarity between Hungarian folk music and Turkish taste is obvious. A Hungarian operetta based on Hungarian folk music will be embraced by the Turkish people and watched with pleasure. This should be the first step. After that, it is possible to deal with one of the western musical examples of old folk operettas and musical theaters, even if it is written primitive. It should not neglect to adorn it, especially in terms of eyes.

After these, an opera-buf, an opera-comic can be chosen on the subject that appeals to the eye and the visual taste of the audience. In this case, it is also possible to make a halita (mixture) that brings together the works of the original music writer and various musicians, if necessary. He should even prefer it, not be afraid of it. In this performance, the audience, who will lose their eyes to the beauties of the stage, will learn to love the melodies that will hit their ears whether they want it or not. From now on, more serious operettas can be given, starting with the easy ones. A program of this is attached in this report. There are other things to do in addition to…”

Source: www.kultur.gov.tr