BAU Commemorates the Great Composer Itri in Berlin

Bahçeşehir University (BAU), in cooperation with UNESCO, commemorated the great composer Itri on the 300th anniversary of his death, this time with a concert in Berlin. The concert given at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin by an ensemble of 6 singers and 6 instrumentalists under the direction of TRT artist Bekir Reha Sağbaş was followed with great interest by an audience of about 200, most of them German.

ITRI'S NOTES RISE IN BERLIN

On the occasion of UNESCO's declaration of 2012 as the Year of Itri, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) organized a concert of Itri's works in Berlin, commemorating the great composer on the 300th anniversary of his death. Buhurizade Mustafa Itri, the great 17th-century composer who created works of universal standard drawing on the musical heritage of his region and who chose music as a way of life, was remembered this time in Berlin with an unforgettable recital.

The inclusion among the pieces of the Segah Bayram Tekbiricaused the words "Allahu Akbar" to echo through the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Guests were seen to experience emotional moments at times. The event was attended by local and international guests and clergy of all faiths, as well as Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Berlin Mustafa Pulat, Chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany Kenan Kolat, parliamentarians and academics.

Enver Yücel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bahçeşehir University, which organized the event, stated that their aim was to send a message, through the great Turkish composer Itri, against the conflicts and intolerance seen recently in the world, in Berlin, one of the most important cities in Europe and the world. Yücel said, "As a university, we have hosted activities in many countries around the world. We commemorated Itri on the 300th anniversary of his death in the Vatican, one of the world's important religious centers. Together with UNESCO, we have introduced Itri to new generations and continue to do so. Our message is very clear: All people in the world are brothers and sisters. Faiths are siblings too. Faiths should bring peace, not conflict. All civilizations emerged so that humanity could live better and develop further, and they were built upon one another. Civilizations are the most important legacy handed down to us from the past for humanity to live more peacefully and happily. The documentary "The River Flowing West," the world's largest and most important civilization documentary, which we as a university produced with great effort over five years, has contributed to the peace and brotherhood of humanity. This documentary has been shown on many television channels around the world and continues to be shown. It has now also been aired on the German television channel Arte. As a university, we will continue to work for the brotherhood and peace of humanity."

WHO IS ITRI?

Buhurizade Mustafa Itri, born in the 17th century and deceased in the early 18th century, is one of our great composers. He is said to have taken the pen name "Itri" (fragrant) because he worked as a florist. Throughout his life he enjoyed the patronage of many sultans and statesmen. Itri, who produced the finest examples of religious music, became one of the most widely performed composers in the world with his compositions "salavat-ı şerif" and "tekbir," which all Muslims recite in unison. In secular music, his Neva Kar is regarded as the most accomplished work of the repertoire. Its modal transitions and the richness and originality of its melodies make this work a masterpiece. None of Itri's works in small forms (songs, folk songs, köçekçe, etc.) have survived to the present day. All of the works that have survived are in large forms. Although he composed more than a thousand works, only about forty have survived. Buhurizade Mustafa Itri is one of the most important sources of knowledge, influencing the periods after his own through his theoretical and practical contributions to music.