Müzikteki Kontrastlar ve Kontrastların Uyumu | Rengim Gökmen | TEDxHacettepeUniversity

Music: Its History, Evolution, and Significance

• The day is expected to be an extraordinary and rich experience with valuable speakers discussing interesting topics, and it is a cause for excitement (39s).
• The concept of music will be explored, and how it has evolved through the fundamental dialectic of life, which is contrast (1m1s).
• Music has a long history that cannot be condensed into a few minutes, with a 4-year conservatory curriculum covering music history, including both Eastern and Western music (1m35s).
• Music is often viewed as a developing phenomenon, but it has been present since the dawn of humanity, with the first humans using music for various purposes (2m4s).
• In ancient times, people used music for purposes such as magic, protection, explaining natural events, and communication (2m15s).
• The value of music has been recognized throughout history, with philosophers like Confucius, who lived around 500 BC, and his thoughts on music still being relevant today (2m44s).
• In ancient Greece, philosophers like Socrates and Plato also recognized the importance of music in society, with Plato discussing it in his work "The Republic" (2m57s).
• In the Islamic world, philosophers like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina also placed great importance on music, with Al-Farabi writing a book called "Kitabül Kebir Musiki" that still holds relevance today (3m11s).
• These philosophers and thinkers have highlighted the significant role music plays in societal life, even in ancient times (3m41s).

The Elements of Music: Rhythm, Melody, and Timbre

• Music has been an essential part of Western philosophy and human expression, with five fundamental elements, the primary one being rhythm, which is the foundation of music and its first expressive element (3m58s).
• Throughout history, humans have used music as a tool, starting with simple rhythms, and later developing melodies, such as two or three-note songs, which were played on primitive instruments (4m23s).
• The pentatonic scale, a five-note scale, has been a common musical element in various cultures, including ancient Turks, and was also used by composer Adnan Saygun in his works (5m6s).
• The pentatonic scale is still present in modern music, such as in the famous theme of Dvorak's New World Symphony, which is based on a five-note scale (4m54s).
• Early humans created rhythms using available objects, such as stones, wood, or bones, to create rituals and express themselves (6m0s).
• The development of music has been a gradual process, with the addition of new elements, such as melody, taking thousands of years, and the evolution of instruments and orchestras (7m22s).
• The two primary expressive elements of music are rhythm and melody, with a third element emerging much later in human history, after thousands of years of musical development (7m31s).

The Development of Instruments and the Agricultural Revolution's Impact on Music

• The history of music is closely tied to human history, with significant scientific discoveries and transformations, such as the agricultural revolution, influencing the development of music (7m50s).
• The agricultural revolution was a period of significant change in human life, occurring around 81,000 years ago, and it led to changes in music habits, with music being used not only for magic and worship but also for entertainment and rituals (7m54s).
• During this period, music was not considered an art form but rather a skill or phenomenon, with the development of primitive instruments such as the harp, flute, and corno (8m19s).
• The origins of most musical instruments, including those used today, can be traced back to the Middle East, specifically the regions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Ancient Greece, as well as the Indian subcontinent (8m55s).

Globalization and the Standardization of Music

• The 14th and 15th centuries were significant periods in human history, marked by major events such as the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, the discovery of mathematics, and the discovery of the Americas (9m25s).
• The discovery of the Americas in 1492 led to the beginning of globalization, with increased communication and cultural exchange between nations, resulting in standardization in various fields, including music (9m56s).
• Prior to the 15th century, music in different regions and cultures developed independently, with unique sound patterns and scales, making it difficult for musicians from different regions to play together (10m51s).
• The standardization of music during the 15th century allowed for greater collaboration and exchange between musicians from different regions (11m8s).
• The 12-tone system, also known as the 12-note system, emerged in the 1500s, dividing the octave into 12 equal intervals, which became the foundation of Western music, dominating both popular and classical music (11m17s).
• The development of the 12-tone system and the emergence of musical notation allowed for the creation of large-scale compositions and the preservation of music for future generations (11m34s).
• The invention of musical notation was a crucial innovation in music history, enabling the recording and transmission of music across time, and it was a key factor in the development of Western classical music (11m43s).

Polyphony, Harmony, and Timbre in Western Classical Music

• The Renaissance period saw significant changes in music, particularly the emergence of polyphony, which is the interweaving of multiple independent melodies, and this development was not a coincidence, but rather a result of the cultural and artistic movements of the time (12m22s).
• Polyphony, which is also known as multi-voiced music, added a new dimension to music, creating a sense of depth and complexity, and it is considered one of the most important innovations in the history of Western classical music (13m7s).
• Harmony, which refers to the study of the relationships between multiple pitches, is a fundamental aspect of Western classical music, and it is used to describe the way in which multiple melodies interact with each other (13m24s).
• Timbre, which refers to the unique tone color or sound quality of a particular instrument or voice, is another essential element of music, and it is shaped by the physical properties of the instrument or voice, such as the material it is made of and the way it is constructed (13m56s).
• The same melody played by three different instruments can be distinguished due to their unique timbres, which arise from differences in reed or blowing techniques and the materials used to make them (15m29s).
• These timbre differences provide composers with an extraordinary rich material, allowing them to combine millions of possibilities and create monumental sound architectures (15m45s).

The Role of the Performer and Interpreter in Music

• In music, the performer or interpreter plays a crucial role, especially after the 16th and 17th centuries when musical compositions became more complex, leading to a contrast between the performer and the composer that has significantly impacted music history (16m31s).
• The same piece of music can never be performed identically by different conductors, pianists, or performers, resulting in varying degrees of quality and emotional impact (16m59s).
• Even the same performer can produce distinct interpretations of the same piece in different performances, highlighting the unique characteristics of music as an art form (17m17s).
• Performers use various techniques such as phrasing, emphasis, and tempo to convey their interpretation of a piece, with tempo understanding being one of the most critical aspects (17m42s).

Atatürk's Contributions to Music in Turkey

• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk recognized the richness of Turkey's musical heritage and took significant steps to promote music in the country, especially during the Republican era (18m20s).
• One of Atatürk's notable initiatives was the establishment of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, which was preceded by the transfer of the Ottoman imperial music ensemble to Ankara in 1924, marking the beginning of a new era in Turkish music (18m40s).
• The second major initiative was the founding of the Musiki Muallim Mektebi (Music Teachers' School) on November 1, 1924, which was affiliated with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (19m17s).
• The establishment of the first music faculty in Turkey, the Musiki Muallim Mektebi, in Ankara, is a significant event that occurred before the establishment of the Law Faculty on November 1st (19m21s).
• The founding of this music faculty reflects Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's vision, which is an extraordinary situation (19m36s).

Categorization of Music: Folk, Functional, and Popular Music

• A basic categorization of music can be broken down into three groups: the first group consists of local or folk music, which is usually anonymous and has been produced by societies throughout history (19m56s).
• The second group includes functional music, such as military marches, national anthems, children's songs, and ceremonial music, which are created for specific purposes (20m27s).
• The third group, which is the largest, comprises popular music, which has experienced a massive explosion since the invention of the gramophone in the 19th century (20m51s).
• Every society has its own popular music, which should be developed and appreciated, and high art music, which expresses the highest level of taste and sophistication, although this is not a universal phenomenon (21m10s).
• These music genres should be thought of as different layers of a pyramid, with each layer influencing and interacting with the others, rather than separate rooms or cells (21m43s).
• Some music genres, such as jazz, can belong to multiple categories, including popular music, high art music, and local music, and can draw from different layers of the pyramid (22m4s).
• The goal was to have Turkish youth and artists participate in universal art music, and this initiative was undertaken to achieve that goal (22m32s).
• The institution being referred to is the Ankara State Conservatory, which is now part of Hacettepe University, one of the most rooted universities in the country (22m49s).
• The Ankara State Conservatory is the foundational institution of Atatürk's music initiative and takes pride in this fact (23m3s).
• A quote from 2500 years ago is referenced, stating that if you tell me a society's music, I can tell you its place in the world (23m24s).
• In societies around the world, there are typically three layers of music: the first, second, and third layers, although the third layer of high universal art music is usually found only in socially, culturally, historically, and economically developed countries (23m36s).
• Turkey is proud to possess all four layers of music, including the high universal art music layer (24m0s).