Ahmet Adnan Saygun's complete works for solo violin and violin and piano

Adnan Saygun, one of the most significant Turkish composers, played a central role in introducing Turkish classical music to the international stage. The term Turkish classical music is sometimes associated with Ottoman court music or various forms of Turkish folk music. In this thesis, however, I use Turkish classical music also referred to as New Turkish music to denote the Western-oriented classical tradition that emerged in T rkiye during the early Republican period. This repertoire represents a deliberate departure from Ottoman classical music, which is grounded in the makam system and shaped by centuries of palace culture. Composers such as Saygun embody this modern movement, adopting Western compositional frameworks while still drawing on elements of traditional Turkish musical heritage. Saygun s career extended beyond composition to encompass major contributions as an ethnomusicologist and educator. This recording project presents Saygun s complete works for violin, including the Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 20, Suite for Violin and Piano, Op. 33, Demet, and the Partita for Violin Alone, Op. 36. Together, these works illustrate the wide range of musical influences that shaped Saygun s compositional style throughout his life.

Saygun s violin works embody a synthesis of three major influences: French Impressionism, the compositional style of B la Bart k, and the traditional folk music of T rkiye. His studies in Paris deepened his understanding of Western classical forms and inspired the structural and harmonic design of his Violin Sonata. Later, Saygun s close collaboration with Bart k on ethnomusicological fieldwork in T rkiye developed into a lasting friendship that profoundly influenced his artistic voice. This partnership inspired Saygun to explore his own national heritage, and he gradually evolved into an ethnomusicologist who integrated authentic Turkish folk materials into his compositions. The resulting fusion of Turkish melodic and rhythmic elements with Western compositional techniques gives his violin works both artistic depth and scholarly significance.

This recording project highlights Saygun s innovative blending of folk and classical traditions, inviting performers and scholars to engage more deeply with his music. Saygun was a true pioneer in bringing the newly emerging Turkish national music to the world stage, and his contributions remain vital to the understanding of twentieth-century music and cultural identity. It is hoped that this project will encourage continued exploration and performance of Saygun s violin works, furthering appreciation for his distinctive synthesis of Eastern and Western musical traditions.