Abstract
The ‘Turkish’ Concerto, K.219, for ney, kemençe, kanun, ud, bendir, cello and orchestra, was commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and premièred by BBCSO with the Ali Tüfekçi Ensemble and cellist Gemma Rosefield in November, 2008 in London. It was broadcast worldwide by BBC Radio 3 and NTV Radio (Istanbul) for several months after its première.
A kind of 'Concerto Grosso' for Turkish Instruments and Orchestra, ‘Turkish’ Concerto, K. 219 navigates between sound worlds created by a Western orchestra and Ottoman Classical Turkish Instruments. Throughout the work, the cello plays a substantial role in creating a bridge between the two sound worlds, which at times merge into one unit, but which far more frequently interpret material in ways in idiomatic to themselves: when ideas from the ff passionate passage for cello and orchestra return, for example, harmonies are 'horizontalised' into makams, whilst the instruments 'interpret' this opening material in the context of tunings of Turkish music. The makam 'Segah' becomes a focal point for a kind of surprise resolution above C Major harmony at the very end of the piece, supported by natural horn glissandi and the concluding motif from kemençe, which appears from a seemingly distant key.
A kind of 'Concerto Grosso' for Turkish Instruments and Orchestra, ‘Turkish’ Concerto, K. 219 navigates between sound worlds created by a Western orchestra and Ottoman Classical Turkish Instruments. Throughout the work, the cello plays a substantial role in creating a bridge between the two sound worlds, which at times merge into one unit, but which far more frequently interpret material in ways in idiomatic to themselves: when ideas from the ff passionate passage for cello and orchestra return, for example, harmonies are 'horizontalised' into makams, whilst the instruments 'interpret' this opening material in the context of tunings of Turkish music. The makam 'Segah' becomes a focal point for a kind of surprise resolution above C Major harmony at the very end of the piece, supported by natural horn glissandi and the concluding motif from kemençe, which appears from a seemingly distant key.
| Translated title of the contribution | ‘Turkish’ Concerto, K. 219 (2008) for ney, kemençe, kanun, ud, bendir, cello and orchestra |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Place of Publication | Maida Vale Studios, London |
| Publisher | Composer |
| Edition | Commissioned by BBC Symphony Orchestra |
| Media of output | Score |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2008 |
| Event | BBC Symphony Orchestra - Maida Vale Studios, London - London, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Nov 2008 → … |
Bibliographical note
Medium: For ney, kemençe, kanun, ud, bendir, cello and orchestra. 3(+ pic)3(+eh) 3(+bcl)3(+cbsn) 433(+btbn)1 hp 3perc(+cel) solo ney(mansur/kız/yıldız), kemençe, kanun, ud, bendir, cello, strDuration: 14’
Performers: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ali Tüfekçi Ensemble, Gemma Rosefield, cello. Pascal Rophé, conductor