“My excitement when I arrived at Istanbul almost made me to forget everything I saw during my ten-day journey from Strait of Messina to Istanbul Bosporus…
How evident was that we were approaching to Istanbul! An extraordinary revival could be witnessed on board...
Istanbul – the city of Turks - rises over the seven hills, where antique Byzantine used to be located, and at the corner of European territories surrounded by Sea of Marmara from one side and the Golden Bridge from the other. Galata and Beyoğlu (European cities) extend along the opposite corner, which is surrounded by the Golden Bridge and Bosporus. Üsküdar, over the hills of Asian coasts, can be viewed from the opposite of the Golden Bridge. Istanbul is like three metropolitans separated by sea.
Seaman calls out: “There it is!!!”
Here is Istanbul! Magnificent, perfect and noble Istanbul! Bosporus covered by ships lost enigmatically among the most pleasant hills of the East that are twisted like a snake among mansions, palaces and waterfront houses in two endless rows. Yes, indeed, it is really the most spectacular scene of the world. Those who deny this can be considered as ungrateful to God and insulting him. A more scenic beauty than it is beyond human mind!”
Edmondo de Amicis – 1874
Italian traveler, writer
Istanbul… The pupil and aspiration of world nations throughout the history… The city of Istanbul.
Istanbul, the "province” of today that was the capital of two great empires during 1600 years of its 3000 year history, is preparing to become the capital of 2010 once again. This time the world city Istanbul will be the cultural capital of Europe.
Istanbul has hosted people from every nation and every religion due to its unique beauty, history and geopolitical location. This cultural diversity and richness reached their peak in the last 50 years (i.e. 1870-1920) when Istanbul was a capital. As this diversity was at the point where East and West meets, it proved to be different from other important cities of the period. At this point, music – the common language of differences - came into prominence.
Entertainment in Istanbul was very colorful in 1870-1920. Especially Turkish, Armenian, Greek and Jew artists from every nation, root and religion used to bring color to cultural life of Ottoman Music and Istanbul. Italian and French theaters, operettas and operas were added to traditional Karagöz shadow play and Ortaoyunu (eulogy show in ottoman culture and tradition). Tuluat (Improvisational show) Theaters and their integral part, Cantos, that act as a bridge between traditional Turkish theater and Western theater emerged in this period.
Acappella Grup 34 - which is a choir from Istanbul - aims to add another hue to cultural colors of Istanbul by realizing its project called as “THE LAST CAPITAL ISTANBUL”, where it will adapt the songs that survived during the last 50 years from the period 1870-1920 until today when Istanbul was a capital and are still listened to with great joy to polyphonic music, which is an important indicator of cultural development today due to the fact that Istanbul will be 2010 European Capital of Culture .
The choir & the orchestra (violin, cello and the traditional Turkish intruments kanun, ud, kemençe, tanbur, lavta, kudüm, one player from each instrument) will perform the most famous pieces of the period mentioned with dressed traditional costumes on the stage.
The scope of the project of which details can be found in annexes or its similar has never been worked on…
