HISTORY AND PERIODS OF TURKISH MUSIC

A) Pre-Islamic Turkish music
B) Post-Islamic Turkish music
C) Contemporary post-Republic Turkish music

by Çetin Körükçü

Turkish music history, which examines the relationship of Turks with music from the time when the Turks first emerged onto the world scene to the present day, is not a science that one can undertake in detail. If history is considered to begin with writing, the interval during which the Turks have expressed themselves in writing covers only the last 1,500 years. Unfortunately, we do not have any sources relating to Turkish civilization of earlier periods. Consequently, both Turkish history, as well as our data on Turkish culture and arts, is extremely limited. Even if we disregard for a moment the difficulty of writing about Turkish music with no written records on the subject, as well as the dearth of sources, it behooves us to state here some other issues that are equally important.

The Turks are a huge group of people living over a very wide geographical area, who have founded or lived within many and diverse states, with widely varying ways of life. When we speak of Turkish musical history, it an especially important that we know which Turkish tribe's music we are talking about, and from which period. Trying to understand the last eight hundred years based on the written sources on Turkish music, it is quite difficult to shed light on earlier periods.

But despite all these difficulties, the first information from some Chinese sources on the music of the old Uygurs and the Hatay (Hitay, Kutay) Turks - limited as it may be - has become available to us. Along with this, findings obtained in some archaeological digs in Central Asia give the evidence of a well-developed musical culture among the Huns, Göktürks and Uygurs. These musical cultures are known to have included a variety of instruments, a unique notation system and a broad musical repertoire. As research of Turkish history is improved, our knowledge of Turkish music will improve in turn. Though one can say much about the roots of musical traditions alive in Turkey today, it is necessary to consider these together with their Asian roots, and take into account the interactions with other peoples in Anatolia. Consequently, when we speak of Turkish music, the unique musical cultures of Turkish societies spread over various regions of the world come to mind, and the fact that these are musical traditions that exhibit different characteristics from one another. It is believed that in those ancient eras when there was no distinction between those who made and those who applied music; when the traditional sounds were reproduced within daily life, music was a sacred element. Believing that the whole of these sounds, occurring when the sounds of nature were arranged one after the other, were magical, they imbued these sounds with special significance; and the performance of this music was the domain of certain special people. Serving their societies as religious figures, leaders, or magicians, these people, known by names such as Kam, Baksi, or Ozan, were musicians as well. These people carried out a religious as well as social function of music, and thus the whole of religion and social life were illustrated by music; similar voices brought forth the music of this life.

Because they had a migratory lifestyle until their arrival in western Asia, the instruments they used were always easily transportable. The tonal system of their music was designed parallel to this, with completely natural tones. In the early periods, tones in these systems were not arranged deliberately, there was no formal theory. But it certain features come to mind at the mention of Turkish music. One of these is that the vast majority of Turkish music is lyrical. Some musicologists qualify Turkish music as a lyrical music. This is related to the lyrics' mission of uniting literature and music. Even when the Turks had no writing system, they had developed a great oral literature, the traces of which can be followed up until the present day in the epic tradition. This literature, containing traces of all aspects of social life, as well as philosophical, pastoral and didactic examples, is the result of the mission as well as the importance the Turks assigned to words. Such a collection of lyrics, in order to achieve unity in society, and establish a tie between the generations of the tradition, brought with it an astounding repertoire. Music was used to accompany the words, in order to make them more moving, and more understandable. The instrumental repertoire comprises an extremely important but rather small section within this music.

The second important feature of Turkish music is that within all historically known periods, it has been a modal form of music. This system of modes, or makams, is known to have changed from time to time in relation to the makam system in use today. For example in Asia, a pentatonic musical system is still in use today. In western Asia, the closer one approaches Anatolia and the Balkans, the more the music is replaced by the familiar makam system. Though it is insufficient to summarize Turkish music's journey through history in such a short summary, information on the development of the genres and their positions in Turkish music is included in other articles (Genres in Turkish Music).

The general periods listed below will be examined in more detail in the section on genres, and thus provide a panoramic view of Turkish music as a whole.

PRE-ISLAMIC TURKISH MUSIC

This is a little known period in Turkish history, but it is certain that the pre-Islamic cultures and religions had an important role in the development of Turkish music. Especially mystical elements such as Shamanism, Manichaism and Buddhism and the epic song tradition were widespread in almost all the Turkic tribes during this period. Religious figures with a mission similar to that of the ozan, devoted to the Sky God, were known by names such as Shaman, Kam or Baksi. With drums in hand, they served as minstrels, religious figures and healers on the one hand; and on the other, used music as a vehicle to meet the social needs of their societies. In the abovementioned Turkic societies, these people were sometimes quite influential and thus directed the course of music. During the period when Turkic tribes began migrating to Maveraünnehr (8th and 9th centuries), a type of artist who sang to the accompaniment of the kopuz had emerged. Called ozans, brought with them the musical traditions and song genres, as well as the kopuz. Though we have only limited information on the music of the settled Turkic tribes such as the Huns, Uygurs and Göktürks, we know much more about the Turkmens, which were one of the migratory tribes. Constituting a significant section of the Turks within Turkey, the Turkmens act as a cultural bridge between the Turks of Asia and those of Turkey. As Turkic tribes heading westward from the 9th century A.D. on, starting with the Karahanlis, began accepting Islam, changes began to appear in their lifestyle and culture. Such a change in a society could not help but influence its music as well. Though the music continued in the Asian style, the influence of religion on the words continues to this day. However, the words reflect tolerance and the love of God rather than a hard, strict religious view.

POST-ISLAMIC TURKISH MUSIC

Music doubtless retained an important position in Turkish life as it developed and diversified under Islam. As the Turks entered the realm of Islamic culture, the most fundamental change to come to their music was in their musical system. Though makam music is not strictly a phenomenon of Islam, it is certain that before the Turks' conversion to Islam, they used other musical systems. When the Turks, following the pentatonic and heptatonic systems, became acquainted with the makam music of western Asia and Anatolia, they excelled in this area and produced musical masterpieces. Great developments in Turkish literature also appear after the 13th century. The activities of poets and philosophers such as Yunus Emre and Mevlana were influential in the development of new music. The Ottoman period was one of history's most brilliant periods from the standpoint of musical culture. One of the most significant musical events of the 13th century was the systematization of their music; the first and most important work in this area is the Kitâbü'l-Edvar by Safiyüddin Urmevi. During the late 14th and early 15th centuries, Yusuf bin Nizameddin, Abdülkadir of Meraga, Hizir bin Abdullah and Ahmedoglu Sükrüllah were the first to research Ottoman music and musical systems. Later on, the Mizika-i Humayun, whose teaching we could consider the palace conservatory, became the environment for the dissemination of music among the Ottoman elite. The ancient Anatolian cultural heritage which passed from the Selçuks to the Ottoman Empire was kept alive and constantly improved upon during all of the Ottoman periods. Though its roots are in Central Asia, a unique and advanced level of makam music is apparent in Turkish music, which spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. Up until the first quarter of the 20th century, one can speak of unique genres and styles of Turkish music at various levels of village and city life. This music, embellished by the conditions borne of every period and social event, has survived to our day and is still practiced.

Thus being the situation of Classical Ottoman-Turkish music in the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a folk musical tradition, also with its roots in Asia, which spread to the four corners of Anatolia. In the hands of local artists and minstrels, a rich repertoire developed which gave voice to all the natural and social events experienced by Turkish society.

CONTEMPORARY POST-REPUBLIC TURKISH MUSIC

The first quarter of the 20th century brought about an entirely new political development in Anatolia. A new era in Turkish history, the 20th century can be considered the period in which the Turks most experienced western culture, and consequently, western music. The thinkers of the 19th century western enlightenment were the harbingers of an entirely different series of events in Turkey. Folk culture, which until that point had been relegated to the margins of society, came forward, and folk music research and collection projects gained momentum. While on one hand education was being given in contemporary western music, musicians collecting songs from Anatolia also became the pioneers of a brand new movement. During the course of this work, approximately 20,000 songs and melodies were collected, and many works were produced which dealt with instruments, genres and forms. As Turkish music blended with modern western civilization, folk melodies gained an important mission. Today, folk music is the largest and most fascinating branch of the Turkish commercial music sector. Along with this, education in contemporary Turkish music is given in conservatories and other institutes of higher education. Besides being a new political regime, the Republic is also a modernization project. Orchestras, opera and ballet companies, choruses, the developing music sector and up-and-coming composers are bringing about the meeting of Turkish musical culture with the modern world. Today, modern works on musicology and publishing activities are some of the most important musical works being carried out in Turkey.