An Overview of Solo Piano Works Composed in the First Decade of the Republic

Abstract

With the proclamation of the Republic, the modernization efforts in the field of music led to a significant transformation in the solo piano repertoire, particularly through the contributions of the “Turkish Five,” who received their education in Europe and returned to Turkey. This study examines solo piano works composed between 1923 and 1933 in terms of form, melody, rhythm, harmony, national elements, and their contributions to the Turkish piano school, aiming to reveal the characteristic musical identity of this period. Through archival research, eleven works were identified, and the scores of nine accessible pieces were subjected to qualitative descriptive analysis, demonstrating that early Republican piano music was based on the synthesis of Western polyphonic traditions with elements of Turkish folk and makam music. From Cemal Reşit Rey’s suites, characterized by modal harmony and rhythmic diversity, to Akses’s contrapuntal approach and irregular rhythms; from Erkin’s lyrically dramatic structures to Saygun’s integration of suite and contrapuntal forms with folk music elements; and from Alnar’s works directly inspired by folk dances to Fenmen’s pedagogically oriented pieces, this repertoire encompasses a wide range that merges national and universal musical values, laying the foundations of the contemporary Turkish piano school. In this context, early Republican piano works created an aesthetic bridge between local and universal elements, leaving an original legacy that guided subsequent generations of composers.