The classical season is officially over. The 2013-2014 season in Istanbul was one of the greatest seasons I have ever experienced. It was a year in which I saw Cats, Jose Carreras, Itzhak Perlman, Maxim Vengerov TWICE, Murray Perahia, and many, many more.
Just when I thought that it couldn’t possibly get any better, along came June and with it the highly anticipated and renowned Music Festival put on by IKSV, the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation.
The tickets were a bit pricey, as always, but students were able to make last minute purchases (if tickets were available) for as low as 35 TL. And, well, the concerts were so fantastic and the artists so skilled, that they were well worth the cost.
The concerts were not only great, but many also had special significance for me. I attended a total of nine, out of a possible twenty four spanning the month of June. And over the course of the next few days, I will reminisce and share my experiences of the most unforgettable of these nights.
IKSV Music Festival Opening Night at Lütfi Kırdar Sarayı
In my opinion, the opening night offered one of the most humble programs of the entire festival. There were no orchestras from another era, like the several Baroque Chamber Orchestras featured in the festival, no impressive youth orchestras coming from the other end of the world, like the Venezuelan youth orchestra that played on June 13th, and no prima donnas impressing with talent clearly bestowed from the heavens above, like the enchanting voice of Diana Damrau.
However, it was no less significant and left just as much of an impression. For one, even before the welcoming cocktail and opening concert began, we were treated to a performance by the Borusan Children’s Choir, directed by Gülsen Yavuzkal, on a stage in the foyer. I had arrived early and was able to sneak backstage before the concert; there I found several dozen 10-14 year olds milling about in as disorderly a manner as any group of kids their age. However, fast forward half an hour, and they transformed into a youthful but professional choir, in tune, in sync and performing with a vibrant energy. They sang, mimicked, clapped and stomped. They started off the festival in a jubilant manner and turned the foyer into a mini-festival arena. We were properly warmed up for the opening night that was set to begin shortly in the main hall. And we braced ourselves for the main program, to be performed by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, popularly and affectionately known simply as “BIFO” among frequent concert-goers.
The festival officially started minutes later. Prior to the start of the musical program, the renowned piano virtuosa Gülsin Onay was presented with an Honorary Award for her lifetime achievements, for a career that spans decades and talent that has crossed national borders and taken her name across the globe. Onay accepted the award in her usual courteous manner and down-to-earth demeanor. The day before had marked the first anniversary of last year’s Gezi Park protests, and following her initial thank-yous, she brought the audience to a standing ovation with her words, “I accept this award of mine in the spirit of Gezi.” Way to go, Onay! We were already in awe of your talent, you now also had us with your spirit!
Istanbul’s Music Festival started off with the work of a local composer: Ahmet Adnan Saygun and his “A Forest Tale, Choreographic Suite for Orchestra, Op. 17.” If your expectation of classical music is the merry, sprightly tunes of Baroque music, or the upbeat charm of Mozart and Vivaldi, this piece was not for you. If you like something original and off the beaten path, this was your calling. Composed of a Preamble, and movements titled “Water,” “The Calm Forest and the Moon,” and “The Night,” it was a fairy tale, but not a bedtime story. All creatures, great and small, made a mark and left an imprint. But, it focused more on the dark side of the forest. It was calm and warm, but never safe and comfy. The original choral work in the final movement also echoed the theme of the tale and personified the night in voice.
Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” provided colorful relief after Adnan Saygun’s piece. The colorful tune of the bassoon introduced the solo cello part, and the talented Dorukhan Doruk started the variations. He zigzagged up and down the string, hitting notes all the way down by the bridge (the structure supporting and elevating the strings on the lower part of the cello). Subtle gentle pizzicatos and intricate touches of the winds led the audience to call for an encore.
Doruk responded by another work of Saygun, a slow, commemorative poetic piece, which he dedicated “to all lives lost in Gezi and in Soma.” Already impressed by the talent of this young man, the audience was all the more moved by his dedication, and gave him their all in their final applause.
Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A-minor came with the expected perfection and virtuosity of a composition by Mendelssohn. It was majestic like Beethoven, and sprightly and joyful like Mozart. There were beautiful cello leads, and the brass and winds built up the music for the entire orchestra. The energy and rhythm signaled the vibrant evenings to come. I likened the piece to a grand parade, and thought that it was a befitting piece to launch the fantastic days that lay ahead, full of music worth celebrating.
Melis Kanik is a contributor to Yabangee
