soundloom

Soundloom presents

Itrî & Bach

A Dialogue Between Ottoman And Baroque Musical Traditions

Tanbur · Duduk · Cello

See the program Booking
Murat Aydemir, Çağ Erçağ and Ertan Tekin with their instruments in front of a brick wall

II Same century

Why Itrî & Bach?

Itrî lived about 1640 to 1712 and Bach 1685 to 1750, so their lives overlapped for 27 years. Itrî c. 1640 1712 Bach 1685 1750 27 years together

Johann Sebastian Bach and Buhurizâde Mustafa Itrî lived during overlapping historical periods, yet made their music in two very different cultural worlds. One became a defining figure of European classical music, the other one of the central figures of Ottoman classical music.

Itrî & Bach brings these two traditions together without trying to erase their differences. It looks for the places where they can meet: melody, modal thinking, rhythm, timbre, improvisation, and what the human voice and instruments can express.

III The conversation

Two musical worlds

Bach brings the architecture of Western counterpoint, harmony and polyphonic development.

Itrî brings the world of makam, melodic expression, usûl and the refined vocal tradition of Ottoman classical music.

The essence of Itrî & Bach is not the fusion of two traditions into one. It is the conversation between them.

The project asks how a makam melody can live alongside Bach’s harmonic language, how the tanbur and duduk can answer the cello, and how improvisation can enter music usually played from the written page. The audience hears both the distance between them and their unexpected kinship.

Arrangements by Salih Kartal.

IV Musicians

On stage

Murat Aydemir playing the tanbur

Tanbur

Murat Aydemir

A leading performer and researcher of Turkish makam music, whose work explores the relationship between traditional Turkish music and contemporary musical practice.

Ertan Tekin playing the duduk

Duduk

Ertan Tekin

A distinctive voice in contemporary interpretations of traditional Middle Eastern and Anatolian instruments.

Çağ Erçağ playing the cello

Cello

Çağ Erçağ

A prominent Turkish cellist and a founding member of the Borusan Quartet. His background in Western classical music is a central bridge between the project’s two traditions.

Featuring

Bekir Ünlüataer

Voice

Bekir Ünlüataer

A distinguished performer of Turkish classical music. His vocal style and deep knowledge of the traditional repertoire connect the project to the vocal tradition of Ottoman music.

Selin Nardemir Önertürk with her cello

Cello · Guest

Selin Nardemir Önertürk

Cellist, joining the trio on stage as a guest artist.

V Program

The evening, piece by piece

  1. 1
    Segâh Bayram TekbiriItrî · makam Segâh
    ▶
  2. 2
    Tanbur & duduk taksimImprovisation
  3. 3
    AirBach · Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068
    ▶
  4. 4
    Segâh Salât-ı ÜmmîyeItrî · makam Segâh
    ▶
  5. 5
    Adagio e pianoBach · Trio Sonata in G major, 3rd movement, BWV 1039 · in E minor
  6. 6
    Duduk & tanbur taksimImprovisation
  7. 7
    Buselik BesteItrî · “Her gördüğü periye gönül müptelâ olur”
  8. 8
    SicilianoBach · Flute Sonata in E♭ major, 2nd movement, BWV 1031 · in E minor
  9. 9
    Duduk taksimImprovisation
  10. 10
    Prelude No. 22Bach · The Well-Tempered Clavier I, B♭ minor, BWV 867 · in D minor
  11. 11
    Segâh Yürük SemâîItrî · “Tûtî-i mûcize-gûyem ne desem lâf değil”
  12. 12
    St Matthew Passion, opening chorusBach · BWV 244 · in D minor
  13. 13
    Segâh Mevlevî ÂyiniItrî · from the third selâm
  14. 14
    MenuetBach · G minor

VI Watch & listen

Films and recordings

Air · BWV 1068 · 5:33
Segâh Bayram Tekbiri & Salât-ı Ümmîye · Itrî · 3:46
Itrî & Bach album cover, red line drawings of tanbur, cello and duduk The albumItrî & Bach · Kalan Müzik, 2013

VII Concerts

Upcoming

Duration
About 75 minutes, no interval
On stage
5 musicians
Program
14 pieces
  1. Date to be announced Tickets soon
  2. Date to be announced Tickets soon
  3. Date to be announced Tickets soon

Past stages

VIII In pictures

IX Questions

Good to know

What is Itrî & Bach?

A concert produced by Soundloom Productions that puts the music of Ottoman composer Buhurizâde Mustafa Itrî (c. 1640–1712) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) in conversation. They lived during overlapping historical periods, and the program lets each keep its own voice.

Who performs?

Murat Aydemir plays tanbur, Ertan Tekin plays duduk and Çağ Erçağ plays cello. Cellist Selin Nardemir Önertürk joins as a guest, and vocalist Bekir Ünlüataer is featured.

What is on the program?

Fourteen pieces: five works by Itrî, six by Bach and three taksims (improvisations). The arrangements are by Salih Kartal.

Is there a recording?

Yes. The album Itrî & Bach was released by Kalan Müzik in 2013.

X Booking

Bring Itrî & Bach to your stage

For concerts, festivals and press, write to us.

info@soundloompro.com