Ahmet Adnan Saygun
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Ahmet Adnan Saygun | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | January 6, 1991 | (aged 83)
Nationality | Turkish |
Occupation(s) | Composer, musicologist, writer |
Ahmet Adnan Saygun (Turkish pronunciation:
One of a group of composers known as the
Biography
Ahmet Adnan Saygun was born in 1907 in İzmir, then part of the
In 1928 he was recognized nationally and received a grant to study in France by the Turkish state. He attended the Schola Cantorum de Paris where he studied composition with Vincent d'Indy, theory and counterpoint with Eugène Borrel, organ with Édouard Souberbielle and Gregorian chant with Amédée Gastoué. He was further introduced to late-romantic music and French impressionism. During this time his imagination flourished, enabling him to write his first large work for orchestra: Divertimento. This piece won him an award in 1931 in Paris and was performed with great success the same year in Poland and former USSR. In 1931 he returned to Turkey as a music teacher for a new establishment found by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk that aimed to train music teachers with respect to the new law of arts. This suggested that previous training standards had to be changed to meet Western musical standards. Musical education adopted Western musical practices as part of this new era in Turkey.
In 1934 he was appointed as the conductor of the prestigious Presidential Symphony Orchestra. That very same year Atatürk approached Saygun, asking him to write the first Turkish opera. As Saygun was a huge follower of Atatürk he accepted his offer with great warmth and in two months time finished writing the first Turkish opera,
Saygun quickly finished his second opera Taşbebek in that very same year. This was the year that marked Saygun's career as the musical "voice" of the newly founded republic of Turkey. He now was the musical symbol of his country and had dedicated his works and life for the people and his country, like his great admirer Atatürk.
Following the operas he was neglected in Ankara State Conservatory by its founder Paul Hindemith. He moved to Istanbul as part of the theory faculty at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. In 1936 Béla Bartók visited Turkey to research the native folk music. Saygun accompanied Bartók on his travels around the country, collecting and transcribing folk songs all through the Anatolia and Osmaniye (a region of Adana), Turkey. Saygun gained immense knowledge of Bartók's style of writing during this trip and learned a great deal about string quartets: they became great friends.
In 1939 he was invited back to Ankara to further promote Western musical activities and practices. A year later he formed his own organization, Ses ve Tel Birliği, which showcased recitals and concerts throughout the country, further developing public knowledge of Western classical music.
Saygun's international acclaim flourished with his
The success of Yunus Emre encouraged Saygun to compose further large-scale works. In the 1950s he wrote three new operas, his first two symphonies, a piano concerto, and several pieces of chamber music pieces, of which a Paris premiere of the first string quartet (1954) and a premiere of the second string quartet (1958) in New York City performed by the Juilliard String Quartet gained him further international exposure. There followed, amongst other works, three more symphonies, concertos for violin and viola and a second piano concerto, and a third string quartet. A fourth quartet remained unfinished at his death.
Saygun was known not only as a composer but also as a scholar as he wrote and published many books on the teaching of music. He was also an ethnomusicologist and a teacher. He greatly influenced the development of western music in Turkey and helped to establish several new music conservatories, and was also a member of the National Education Council and the board of the
His works were played by orchestras such as
The German label CPO has launched a series of works in memoriam of the 100th birthday of the composer in 2007. The records are including Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Piano Concertos 1, 2, Violin Concerto, Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto, Anatolian Suite and String Quartets 1, 2, 3, 4.
Turkish music historian
Works
Operas
- Op. 9 Özsoy (one act), 1934
- Op. 11 Taşbebek (one act), 1934
- Op. 28 Kerem (three acts), 1947–52
- Op. 52 Köroğlu (three acts, based on the Epic of Koroghlu), 1973
- Op. 65 Gılgameş, 1964–1983
Ballets
- Op.17 Bir Orman Masalı (A Forest Tale), 1939–43
- Op.75 Kumru Efsanesi (Legend of Kumru), 1986–89
Orchestral
- Op.1 Divertimento, (large orchestra with saxophone and darbuka), 1930
- Op.10/b İnci's Book (Symphonic arrangement), 1944
- Op.13 Magic Dance, 1934
- Op.14 Suite for Orchestra, 1936
- Op.24 Halay, 1943
- Op.29 Symphony No. 1, 1953
- Op.30 Symphony No. 2, 1958
- Op.39 Symphony No. 3, 1960
- Op.53 Symphony No. 4, 1974
- Op.57 Ritual Dance, 1975
- Op.70 Symphony No. 5, 1985
- Op.72 Variations for Orchestra, 1985
Vocal/choral-orchestral
- Op.3 Laments (tenor solo and male choir), 1932
- Op.6 Kızılırmak Türküsü (folk song for soprano), 1933
- Op.16 Masal Lied (baritone solo), 1940
- Op.19 Cantata in the Old Style (soloists and chorus), 1941
- Op.21 Geçen Dakikalarım (baritone solo), 1941
- Op.23 Four Folk Songs, 1945
- Op.26 'Yunus Emre' Oratorio, oratorio (soloists, choir, orchestra), 1942
- Op.41 Ten Folk Songs, 1968
- Op.54 Laments - Book II (tenor solo, male voices), 1974
- Op.60 Mediations on Men I, 1977
- Op.61 Mediations on Men II, 1977
- Op.63 Mediations on Men III, 1983
- Op.64 Mediations on Men IV, 1978
- Op.66 Mediations on Men V, 1978
- Op.67 Epics on Atatürk and Anatolia, 1981
- Op.69 Mediations on Men VI, 1984
Concertante
- Op.34 Piano Concerto No. 1, 1952–58
- Op.44 Violin Concerto, 1967
- Op.59 Viola Concerto, 1977
- Op.71 Piano Concerto No. 2, 1985
- Op.74 Cello Concerto, 1987
Chamber
- Op.4 Intuitions ( two clarinets), 1933
- Op.8 Percussion Quartet (clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion), 1933
- Op.12 Sonata (piano-cello), 1935
- Op.20 Sonata (piano- violin), 1941
- Op.27 String Quartet No.1, 1947
- Op.33 Demet, Suite for violin and piano,1955
- Op.35 String Quartet No.2, 1957
- Op.37 Trio (oboe, clarinet, harp), 1966
- Op.43 String Quartet No.3, 1966
- Op.46 Wind Quintet, 1968
- Op.49 Deyiş "Dictum" (strings), 1970
- Op.50 Three Preludes (two harps), 1971
- Op.55 Trio (oboe, clarinet, piano), 1975
- Op.62 Concerto da Camera (strings), 1978
- Op.68 Three Folk Songs for Four Harps, 1983
- Op.78 String Quartet No.4-two movements, 1990
Instrumental
- Op. 31 Partita for Cello, 1954
- Op. 36 Partita for Violin, 1961
Piano
- Op.2 Suite for Piano, 1931
- Op.10/a İnci's Book, 1934
- Op.15 Piano Sonatina, 1938
- Op.25 From Anatolia, 1945
- Op.38 Ten Etudes on "Aksak" Rhythms, 1964
- Op.45 Twelve Preludes on "Aksak" Rhythms,1967
- Op.47 Fifteen Pieces on "Aksak" Rhythms, 1967
- Op.58 Ten Sketches on "Aksak" Rhythms, 1976
- Op.51 Short Things, 1950–52
- Op.56 Ballade (two pianos), 1975
- Op.73 Poem for Three Pianos, 1986
- Op.76 Piano Sonata, 1990
Choral
- Op.5 Folk Song, 1933
- Op.7 Çoban Armağanı, 1933
- Op.18 Dağlardan Ovalardan, 1939
- Op.22 Bir Tutam Kekik, 1943, last section variations on Kâtibim
- Op.42 Impressions (three female voices), 1935
Vocal
- Op.32 Three Ballades, 1955
- Op.48 Four Melodies, 1977
See also
- Turkish State Opera and Ballet
- Ahmet Adnan Saygun Arts Center
- Anthology of Turkish Piano Music, Vol. I (Sheet Music)
- Anthology of Turkish Piano Music, Vol. II (Sheet Music)
- Anthology of Turkish Piano Music, Vol. III (Sheet Music)
References
- ^ "Ahmet Adnan Saygun", The Times, 15 January 1991. p. 12
- ^ Account of the event
- ^ Araci, Emre. Ahmed Adnan Saygun: Doğu Batı Arası Müzik Köprüsü: YKY, Istanbul, 2001, p. 177, 210.
- ^ Araci, Emre (1999-07-16). "Life and works of Ahmed Adnan Saygun".
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- Anon. [n.d.]. "Ahmed Adnan Saygun" (Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts)
- Burton, Anthony. 2002. "Saygun, A. Adnan." In The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online, (accessed February 26, 2009). (Subscription access)
- Orga, Ateş. [2006]. "Ahmed Adnan SAYGUN (1907-1991): Complete String Quartets" (review). Music Web International.
Further reading
- Araci, Emre. 1997. "Reforming Zeal". The Musical Times 138, no. 1855 (September): 12–15.
- Aydin, Yilmaz (2002). Die Werke der 'Türkischen Fünf' im Lichte der Musikalischen Wechselbeziehungen zwischen der Türkei und Europa. Europäische Hochshculschriften, Peter Lang Publisher.
- Miller, Philip L., and Franklin B. Zimmerman. 1959. "Current Chronicle: United States: New York". The Musical Quarterly 45, no. 1 (January): 88–95.
- Weldon, George. 1951. "Music in Turkey". Tempo, New Series, no. 20 (Summer): 29–30.
- Woodard, Kathryn. 2007. “Music Mediating Politics in Turkey: The Case of Ahmed Adnan Saygun” Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East Vol. 27, No. 3, 552-562.
- Zimmerman, Franklin B. 1959. "Reports from Abroad: New York". The Musical Times 100, no. 1392 (February): 99.
External links
- Catalog from JPC
- Saygun Piano Music from Albany Records