Traces of Anatolian Folk Music in Turkish Contemporary Polyphonic Music: The Symphonic Works of Cengiz Tanç

Abstract

This study examines the symphonic works of contemporary music composer Cengiz Tanç. Tanç emphasizes the importance of Anatolian Folk Music in the formation of Turkish Contemporary Polyphonic Music in many platforms. This study undertook to find out whether there is any element of Anatolian Folk Music in the composer’s contemporary works. In this regard, in order to shed light on elements of Anatolian Folk Music in his work, researchers first examined the works of Béla Bartók and János Sipos, two important ethnomusicologs who studied Anatolian Folk Music. The study’s scope included only Tanç’s compositions Evocations (2nd Symphonic Movement,1973), Synthesis I (3rd Symphonic Movement, 1975), and Echos (4th Symphonic Movement, 1978). The works examined in the study were analyzed using the thematic analysis method developed by Rudolph Réti and interpreted based on that theoretical framework. These examinations determined that the composer’s works contained various elements such as melismatic structures, descending motif structure, and modal sound sequences, which are frequently used in Anatolian Folk Music.

Keywords

• cengiz tanç
• anatolian folk music
• turkish contemporary polyphonic music