From the Empire to Republic Western Music in Turkey PDF

Title	From the Empire to Republic Western Music in Turkey
Author	Namik Si̇nan Turan
Pages	94
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International Journal of Turcologia

VOLUME II - N. 3 - PRINTEMPS / SPRING 2007

International Journal of Turcologia | Vol. II - N. 3

International Journal of Turcologia Aims and Scope : The International Journal of Turcologia is a refreed journal. The journal aims at meeting the need for a major international publication devoted to all aspects of Turkology. The IJT is a journal that examines social, political, cultural, historical, linguistical and literature issues in Turkology, especially 19th and 20th centuries.

Editorial Information Academic Editors :

İlhan Alemdar, Bahriye Çeri, Kayoko Hayashi, Timour Muhidine, Cüneyd Okay,

Historien d’art, Paris Yıldız Technical University, İstanbul Tokyo University of Foreign Studies INALCO, Paris İstanbul Technical University

Editorial Board :

Gabor Agoston, Yorgo Dedes, Benjamin Fortna, Priska Furrer, Gottfried Hagen, Tooru Hayashi, Frédéric Hitzel, Slobodan Ilic, Matthias Kappler, Tijana Krstic, Gabriel Piterberg, Börte Sagester, Marek Stachowski, Penelope Stathis Grazyna Zajac,

Georgetown University University of London University of London University of Bern University of Michigan University of Tokyo CNRS, Paris Eastern Mediterranean University University of Cyprus Pennsylvania State University University of California, Los Angeles University of Giessen Jagiellonian University in Krakow Academy of Athens Jagiellonian University in Krakow

Indexing & Abstracting :

International Journal of Turcologia is indexed and abstracted in :

◊ Academic Search Complete ◊ America : History and Life ◊ British Humanities Index ◊ Current Abstracts ◊ Current Contents of Periodicals on the Middle East ◊ Historical Abstracts ◊ Humanities International Complete

◊ Humanities International Index ◊ Index Islamicus ◊ Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts ◊ MLA International Bibliography ◊ TOC Premier ◊ Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

ISSN 1956-2543 IMPRESSION : COPY PRINT 17, rue aux Ours 75003 PARIS / FRANCE

The International Journal of Turcologia is published by Stephanie Malek.

International Journal of Turcologia Table of Contents Namık Sinan TURAN - Ayşegül KOMSUOĞLU .............................................. 5 From Empire to the Republic : the western music tradition and the perception of opera M. Orhan OKAY ............................................................................................... 31 Le premier cas de suicide parmi les intellectuels ottomans : Beşir Fuad Tuncay ZORLU ................................................................................................ 39 The deposed sultan affair : Abdülhamid’s transfer to Istanbul Mehmet AYDIN ................................................................................................ 47 Un romancier turc non connu en Occident, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar : les incertitudes du modernisme turc Emine TUĞCU ................................................................................................. 65 A scattered manuscript, a novel lost in Sahaﬂar : Mehmed Muzaffer Mecmuası Book Review İrfan KARAKOÇ .............................................................................................. 79 Beşir Ayvazoğlu, Récit longue d’une photo : 1924 (Bir Fotoğrafın Uzun Hikayesi :1924) Gürol PEHLİVAN ............................................................................................. 83 Nejdet Bilgi (editor), Mahmut Soydan, Milli Mücadele Tarihine Dair Notlar: Ankaralı’nın Defteri Périne FONTAINE............................................................................................ 85 Gökhan Çetinsaya, Ottoman Administration of Iraq

International Journal of Turcologia | Vol. II - N. 3

From Empire to the Republic: the western music tradition and the perception of opera

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From Empire to the Republic : the western music tradition and the perception of opera Namık Sinan TURAN * - Ayşegül KOMSUOĞLU

Abstract In this paper, the basis of the Turkish Republic to establish a western music tradition in the country in the context of Republic’s westernization perception though the scope of the paper is mostly limited to the introduction of the most colorful art form - the Opera - ﬁrst in the Ottoman Empire and later to the Turkish Republic is shown.. The paper provides an historical overview, through which is argued that in order to understand the connection between the will of the Ottoman Empire to establish an Opera tradition in the quest to build a connection with the Western culture and, on the other hand, the will of the Turkish state to establish an Opera which would be one of the symbols of the newly founded western state. It is also argued that as this prolongation of the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish state symbolizes the shared heritage between them, although the scope of their projects provides us with a foundation with which to understand their differences.

T

he revolution period that began after the establishment of the Republic in 1923 imposed signiﬁcant changes on Turkish society and culture. As a means of representing the modernization of the political, cultural, and social structures of the country, the westernization of Turkey was thought to be particularly signiﬁcant by the founders of the new regime. “Music” was one of the fundamental targets in this “westernization” process and the founders of the Republic considered that there was a need for “national” music based on western techniques of harmony, in order to complete the new “national” identity of the Republic of Turkey.

* Istanbul University

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The ﬁrst steps of change in music came with the cultural reforms following the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The Garp Musıkisi Şubesi (the Western Music Branch) was established under the conservatory Darülelhan (“the house of melodies”) and the Musiki Muallim Mektebi (Music Teachers School) established in 1924 in Ankara with the aim of training music teachers for secondary education. Within a short time, the traditional music education in the Darülelhan was abolished and the Darülelhan was converted into the İstanbul Belediye Konservatuvarı (Istanbul Municipality Conservatory) by means of a new regulation. Another transformation happened in the case of the royal band of the caliphate, the Makam-ı Hilafet Muzıkasi. During their ﬁrst concert that was held on March 11, 1924, eight days after the abolishment of the caliphate, in Ankara, the new capital, the orchestra performed Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The new government of the Republic, which aimed for Turkey to be part of the Western world, expressed preference for the performance of classical western melodies in the new capital. The orchestra was transported to Ankara from Istanbul in April 1924 following instructions from the founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal. Shortly thereafter, the orchestra, freshly renamed the Riyaseti Cumhur Filarmoni Orkestrası (the Presidential Philharmonic Orchestra), was sent to Europe to perform as an ambassador and symbol for the purported image of the new Republic. 1 This four-month tour in 1926 proclaimed the modernization efforts of the Republic to Europe. In conformity with the other changes taking place, even the Orchestra’s name was changed immediately after the establishment of the Republic, being that the Orchestra was a heritage of the Ottoman Empire. The successfully performed Western melodies were the result of the efforts to establish a western music concept in the Ottoman state with the aim of proving the western taste of the Empire to Europe. During the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was faced with several attacks in the context of culture, politics and the economy. It was named the source of “ill men of Europe” and was struggling to identify itself as a part of the Western world. The palace aimed to adopt one of the key methods used by western monarchies in redeﬁning themselves during the legitimization efforts of the era: They intended to invent traditions and turned to national anthems, military bands, exhibitions, ceremonies carried with music, and national inspired compositions to build their new legitimacy. 2

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While the Republic was trying to cut her ties with the Ottoman Empire during the foundation period, there were many points where the connection between two states still existed and establishing a Western based music tradition was one of them. However, the main difference between the will of the Ottoman Empire and the young Turkish state would be the scope of their efforts. Both the Empire and the Republic saw western music as a modernization symbol, an apparatus by which to build connections with the western culture and use it for constructing their legitimacy; however, the Turkish Republic also wanted it to be the music of the masses to complete its new “national” identity, in contrast to the Ottoman Empire’s very limited effort to introduce the new sounds to the mostly Muslim public. The young Republic was aiming to build a new state with a new music culture. However, the Ottoman Empire had given birth to the changing perception of Europe in the eyes of the ruling minority in the context of new world equilibrium and its wish to contact with European culture. In this paper, we aim to show the basis of the Turkish Republic to establish a western music tradition in the country though the scope of the paper is mostly limited to the introduction of the most colorful art form - the Opera - ﬁrst in the Ottoman Empire and later to the Turkish Republic. The following sections provide an historical overview, through which we argue that in order to understand the connection between the will of the Ottoman Empire to establish an Opera tradition in the quest to build a connection with the Western culture and, on the other hand, the will of the Turkish state to establish an Opera which would be one of the symbols of the newly founded western state, we must ﬁrst look towards the past. A sound analysis of historical and the political events could shed light onto the nature of the music reform in Turkey. Additionally, we also argue that as this prolongation of the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish state symbolizes the shared heritage between them, although the scope of their projects provides us with a foundation with which to understand their differences. Introduction of Western Music to the Ottoman Lands As the traditional music forms of the country came under discussion during the 19th century in the Ottoman Empire, the opera found its audience as a part of the Western-style music tradition among Ottoman elites and gained popularity at the expense of Turkish traditional music, along with other western

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style music performances. Western music was not only a preference of taste for the Ottoman elites; it was also used as a means for signaling the modernization of the Ottoman state. 3 The newly established western style royal bands, operas, musicals and theatres were signs of the cultural change that was taking place in the country. 4 However the Ottomans had been acquainted with Western music before the 19th century. The capital city, Istanbul, had hosted its ﬁrst concert given by a Western orchestra in 1543, just after the beginning of the close relationship between the Ottomans and the French state. The orchestra was sent by the French King François I to his ally Suleiman the Magniﬁcent to perform a few concerts as proof of his friendship. Different comments have been recorded in description of the orchestra’s performances but all concurred that the music had won the approval and appreciation of the listeners. The Sultan was also pleased by the performance; still, he decided not to keep encouraging the performance of Western melodies in the country with the argument that this kind of music could softened the warrior spirit of the people and cause disharmony. 5 Shortly thereafter, in 1582, the performances began to gain popularity in the palace. For example, Western dance and music presentations took place during the circumcision ceremony of Murad III’s sons. These performances were not rare examples; several Ottoman elites of the era were very interested in Western artists. Another well known documented example was the invitation extended by Grand Vizier Köprülü Fazil Ahmed Pasha to a Venetian group to perform in Edirne for the circumcision ceremony celebration of Mehmet IV’s sons and the wedding of his daughter Hatice Sultan. This invitation was jokingly referred to by the French ambassador Marquis de Nointel. 6 The report, sent to the French ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 9 May 1675, states that: “The Grand Vizier had the idea of bringing actors from Venice for some operas; so he had to ask the Venetian Ambassador about implementing it. However, the Grand Vizier asked them to be here in ﬁfteen days as he thought that these actors who have a specialty in mechanics can ﬂy with the help of their art.” 7 In addition to the performances by the foreign artists, citations by Ottoman travelers helped build the Western music image in people’s eyes. For example, the well known Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi has transferred signiﬁcant information

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on a Cathedral Org in Kassa, Hungary (today Kosice, Slovakia). 8 Furthermore, the travel notes of Ottoman ambassadors can be used for the purpose of understanding the perception of Western music by the Ottomans. Mehmet Celebi, in fact, the temporary ambassador sent to France to ﬁnd support against the Austrians, has many notes on his perception of the Western culture in his travel diary. 9 He was very much inﬂuenced by an opera performance he watched and in his diary he had mentioned that performing an opera was an expensive process and that these expenses were met by the state. 10 Giritli Ahmet Resmi Efendi, who served in Nemce in 1757, states that people from all classes of society have an interest in the “dream house” called opera and comedy and above all the others, the notables of the community sleep until noon, eat until late in the afternoon, and after the sunset they take their seats in the opera house inside the castle. 11 He introduces similar views during his service in Berlin in 1777. 12 After a few years, the opera became more common and popular with people and as a result the word “opera” became a well known word among the masses. Seyyid Mehmet Emin Vahit Efendi, who served in France in 1806 for Selim III, mentioned his observations on French Opera without trying to explain the word “opera” with deﬁnitions such as “dream house”. 13 A signiﬁcant amount of other information on Western music and opera ﬁnds its place in many other ambassadors’ memoirs, such as those of Nişancı Mustafa Hatti Efendi’s Austria and Berlin diaries and Rasih Efendi’s Petersburg diaries. 14 Establishment of the Opera and the Rising Popularity of Western Music between Ottoman Elites The Opera emerged in the Western classical music tradition during the last years of the 16th century. In Europe it represented a mixture of poetry, drama and music for many people; epic stories, lavish sets and stunning vocalism for some others and maybe the recreation of past acts or creation of future dreams for countless individuals. It was seen as the art of solo and choral singing, declamation, acting and dancing and also it was a signiﬁcant social event. However when it began to ﬁnd a place in the newly emerging modern stages of the Ottoman Empire, it became more than an art form for its audience; it became one of the symbols of westernization.

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The earliest appearance of the opera in the Ottoman palace occurred during the ruling of Sultan Selim III who also was a great composer of his era. Selim III was introduced to the opera genre during a visit to his sister Hatice Sultan and after this visit an opera performance was arranged for him in his own palace. 15 His personal clerk Ahmet Efendi notes in Ruzname (The diary of the Sultan) “they watched a musical performance in Zilkade’s (meaning December in the Ottoman calendar) sixth Wednesday by foreign actors” and he referred to the performance as “bringing annoyance to the brain”. 16 These words show that the ﬁrst impressions of opera were not very encouraging. However, other notes in Ruzname indicate that the western dancers and musicians continued their performances during this era. The world equilibrium was changing; during Suleiman the Magniﬁcent’s regime the Empire was strong enough to overlook the culture of the Western world but after a few decades, Sultan Selim was willing to interact with the western music tradition in order to become part of the world’s strongest regimes. His attention to the music and dance of the West was a symbol of the will to open to the Western world. During Sultan Mahmut II’s rule the westernization efforts continued; in this context, he established European style bands and orchestras. In 1828, the famous composer Gaetano Donizetti’s brother, Giuseppe Donizetti, was invited to Istanbul where the military and imperial band was re-organized along western lines. 17 He would head the newly established Palace band “Muzika-i Humayun” and his title would be the “Osmanlı Saltanat Muzikalarının Baş Ustakarı” (The Head Master of the Imperial Bands). 18 Donizetti’s work with the military band showed results within a short time. G. Keppel visited the Sumno military camp in 1829 and he observed that the Ottoman Military Band was playing “Vaudeville Airs” every night. Adolphus Slade, who worked with the Ottoman Army for long years, quotes that the military band of the Selimiye battle ship played Freischutz, Zitti zitti and Malbrouk. The Band found its place in public places as well as in the military. In June 1833, La Martin witnessed the imperial band’s repertory ranging from Mozart and Rossini during the Sultan’s time of prayer at the mosque’s Friday prayer ceremony “cuma selamliği”. The performance could have been seen as the reﬂection of “invented traditions” in the Western world. Another change that

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occurred during the ﬁrst decades of the 19th century was the permission given for the performance of public concerts in Istanbul. After 1826, European orchestras started performing in public concerts in Istanbul. In May 1828, for example, an English band played pieces from Mozart and Rossini besides “God Save the King” at a popular excursion spot named Göksu. 19 It is hard, however, to look at these limited performances as a sign of an effort to publicize Western music and furthermore, the interaction between the public and opera was even more limited in comparison to orchestral performances. The concerts represented mostly the introduction of the western traditions to the Ottoman elites and bourgeoisie who were mostly non-Muslim. As we mentioned above Giuseppe Donizetti was not only organizing the military band - he was also working in the palace to organize the palace band and prepare opera performances. He was also giving music lessons to the women in the palace. As an example Leyla Saz Hanim was mentioning that there was an all women western music orchestra in the harem. This orchestra was as educated enough to play difﬁcult parts from many operas. 20 With his efforts, western music became more popular between Ottoman elites during Sultan Abdul Mejid’s ruling. The Journal de Constantinople dated November 11, 1843 states that the Sultan’s ﬁrst preference between all art forms was Western music and in his time he endeavored to enlarge the palace’s musician positions to a co...