The Italian Connection
While we all await the freedom to gather together again, I would like to share an article slightly tenuously connected to our business!
Some will recall the mini festival we presented, Ottoman Horizons, in 2017. It included a rather glittering concert conducted by Ottoman music specialist Emre Araci who, in this 40 minute illustrated talk on the composer and violinist Luigi Arditi (see photo), offers another example of how nations are enriched and uplifted by sharing and cooperation.Written and read by Emre Aracı, this is the story of Luigi Arditi’s (1822-1903) Ottoman cantata, “Inno Turco” (1857/1867), which was sung before Sultan Abdülaziz at London’s Crystal Palace in 1867.
Sultan Abdülaziz was the first and only Ottoman ruler to visit Britain, in the summer of 1867 as guest of Queen Victoria. On this occasion, at Crystal Palace, a British chorus of 1600 sang an ode in his honour in the original Ottoman language. Following extensive research Emre Aracı unearthed the original score of Luigi Arditi’s Turkish Hymn and conducted its world premiere recording.
He tells the story behind this unusual composition:
To read Emre Araci's full essay visit: https://emrearaci.weebly.com/luigi-arditis-inno-turco.html#
The original score of Luigi Arditi's Ottoman cantata held at the Istanbul University Rare Books Library
A graduate of the University of Edinburgh’s Faculty of Music, where he gained his BMus (Hons.) and PhD degrees, Dr Emre ARACI pursues an idiosyncratic musical career bringing together his passions in art, old buildings, literature, history and diplomacy through an output of concerts, illustrated lectures, books, articles, CD recordings and documentaries, principally focusing on the European musical practice in the Ottoman court in the 19th century. His compositional output include the Violin Concerto "Bosphorus by Moonlight" and the Symphony "In Search of Lost Sounds".
For more information please visit:
Emre ARACI youtube channel:
