Last Wednesday evening Leyla Gencer gave a concert in Ankara which was organized by the Ankara Philharmonic Foundation. And I was one of the people who galloped to the venue. I must frankly admit that I don’t know much about music. Nevertheless, I went there, not for the art but to express my respect towards an ambassador of ours who’s one of the most important representatives of Turkish art and culture that has won victories all over the world, for the sake of all Turks. She honourably represented and promoted our nation.
But very shortly after the concert began, I surprisedly noticed that the music appealed to me and carried me. I listened to each aria even with more enthusiasm. Instead of anxiously waiting for the concert to end as always, I said “Oh, how quickly it ended.”
I wouldn’t rather explain this difference within me as an awakening and improvement of my taste in art. Actually, our great artist has made a consistent progress since I listened to her many years ago at the French Embassy in Ankara. Whilst sharing her art with highly cultured European and American audience, she’s also received a lot in return. Not only the artistry of her voice has improved but her gestures have also become more relaxed, natural, harmonious, and charming. The mutual interest, understanding and love between the artist and the audience in her last concert grew so much that even an ignorant in music such as myself couldn’t help but share and enjoy its joy.
Who’s Leyla? Is she only an opera singer? No, Mrs. Leyla is one of the representatives of the Turkish ascent period, a pioneer and one of the most important art ambassadors who have been sent abroad. Countries are not conquered by using rifles and chains nowadays; but they are conquered by the power of a distinguished art that appeal to people’s hearts. New talents and artists from Turkey are appreciated and admired. Turkish art, that has been silent in the artistic area finally began to show its accomplishments to the world. Some people consider Adnan Saygun as one of the most important compositors of this era now. Pianist Idil Biret and violinist Suna Kan have already achieved international fame. And there are also more Turkish painters now that are appreciated and became known in the world.
Whilst all our art ambassadors go on improving their God given talents with endless efforts, they don’t ask for any financial support from us. They only expect a very humble award which is made of appreciation, understanding, and plainly avoiding acts that would complicate their mission and hurt their feelings.
Nevertheless, some institutions who are only determined to applicate constitutional requirements, have not acted this way and they neglected our expectations. They evaluated Leyla Gencer’s travels in Europe and America as a disadvantage in gaining reputation and honour for our country. They cut her salary, terminated her contract, pouted, and made trouble since she wasn’t present in Ankara to do her job. If the problem were about her salary; they could have cut it and let Leyla Gencer go but still, try to intend to keep a moral relationship between her and the Ankara Opera and thereby include our opera in her fame. As a matter of fact, unimaginable obstacles were created during her last concert. We wish that the administrators who are strictly attached to legal requirements would question their narrow minded and negative behaviours, share our mutual feelings of pride and join us in the “common admiration and interest towards Gencer”, that arose in her last concert.
There’s a cosmopolitan spirit in the international art world. Many artists acquire Italian names in order to become famous in an easier way. But Leyla Gencer is a person who’s proud of her Turkish identity so she insists on being presented and accepted as a Turkish artist and always puts national purposes before personal advantages.
Our esteemed artist performed at important theatres of Italy such as La Scala, S. Carlo, La Fenice and also in Vienna, Köln, Switzerland, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Poland and now in America, always maintaining her Turkish identity.
