Rey, Cemal Reshid

Rey, Cemal Reshid , Turkish pianist, conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Jerusalem, Sept. 24, 1904; d. Istanbul, Oct. 7, 1985. Of a distinguished family (his father was a poet and also served twice as minister of the interior in the Turkish government), he went to Paris at age 9 to study composition with Laparra; then continued his studies at the Geneva Cons. Returning to Paris, he took courses in piano with Long, composition with Fauré, and conducting with Derosse. In 1923 he settled in Constantinople and taught at the Cons.; from 1949 to 1969 he was principal conductor of the Istanbul Radio Orch. His music is imbued with Turkish melorhythms; many of his works are written on Turkish subjects.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Yann Marek (1922); Sultan Cem (1923); Zeybek (1926); Tchelebi (1945); Benli Härmüz (1965). Operetta : Yaygara (1969). ORCH. : La Légende du Bebek (Paris, Dec. 15, 1929); Karagueuz, symphonic poem (Paris, Feb. 14, 1932, composer conducting); Scènes turques (Paris, March 6, 1932); Concerto chromatique for Piano and Orch. (Paris, March 12, 1933, composer soloist); Violin Concerto (1939); 3 syms. (1941, 1950, 1968); L’Appel, symphonic poem (Paris, April 3, 1952, composer conducting); Fatih (1956); 3 symphonic scherzos (1958); Colloque instrumental for Flute, 2 Horns, Harp, and Strings (1957); Variations on an Istanbul Folksong for Piano and Orch. (1966). OTHER: Numerous arrangements of Turkish folk songs for various instrumental combinations; choruses; piano pieces.

Bibliography

E. lyasoğlu, C.R. R.: Müzikten ibaret bir dilnyada gezintiler (Istanbul, 1997).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire