Rauf Yekta Bey’in Çocukluk Hatıraları

Year 2021, Issue: 20, 35 - 48, 07.12.2021

Celal Volkan Kaya

Abstract

Rauf Yekta Bey (1871-1935), renowned Turkish musicologist, left a vast collection of musical sources after his passing away. The collection, inherited by one generation to the next, includes manuscripts, rare books, scores, photographs, drafts, notes and letters. These documents, excepting a few, are yet to be studied. The scholars who had a chance to study the collection were mainly focused on the documents which enlighten some lesser-known parts of the life of Rauf Yekta Bey.
Research Group for Ottoman/Turkish Music (OTMAG), founded within Istanbul Technical University, studied the collection partially. During a 9-day period, members of OTMAG looked into the details of the collection to a certain extent. Placed into hundreds of envelopes and four safe deposits, it would be impossible to see and examine every item of the collection within nine days. Hence, the group scanned the list of the collection, prepared by Rauf Yekta Bey’s grandchild Yavuz Yektay and great-grandchild Cem Yektay, thoroughly. The outcome of the study, a catalogue of the selected materials, was published.
During the study, research group came across an interesting document. The document which was written by Rauf Yekta Bey himself includes his childhood memoir. First seven pages of the document were lost. The remaining part, paged eight to thirteen, contains Rauf Yekta Bey’s memoir of his life when he was 5 to 7 years old.
The document is of great importance with regard to Rauf Yekta Bey’s biography. The life of Rauf Yekta Bey is mostly well-known, but information on his childhood is very limited and insufficient. The memoir provides rare glimpses into his educational life, as well as the roots of his interest in music. For instance, the memoir clearly shows up that Rauf Yekta Bey was deeply interested in studying and education from his younger ages. He strictly emphasizes that he was very keen on his lessons and interested in getting awards due to his accomplishments at school. The text also shows that he was fluent in Armenian language, alongside other foreign languages. On the other hand, it was also revealed that his interest in music, encouraged by his father, started during his childhood and he was appointed as head chanter at his school when he was five years old.
This study thoroughly examines the literature on Rauf Yekta Bey’s biography and contributes the subject with new information. Details of the memoir is compared with the literature and improved with other supporting documents.

Keywords

Rauf Yekta Bey, biography, memoirs

Supporting Institution

İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinasyon Birimi

Project Number

39680

References

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