A ’hand’ reaches from Torah, Bible and Koran
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Vercihan Ziflioğlu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 25, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Piano virtuoso and composer Tayfun Erdem examined the verses of the Torah, Bible and Koran for 16 years with the accuracy of a theologian and composed music for the verses he selected for 'El.' ’An inside voice guided me. I chose the verses offering rhythm and feeling to my soul,’ said Erdem.
Technology controls our lives a little more with each passing day. The reserves of the world run low; our vital sources are ending. Half of the world is in a frenzy of consumption, the other half long for drinking water. Moral values have lost their meanings in many of our lives. And it seems like the ongoing chaos affects artists the most. Artists of the world create work that represents the current situation.
Bertholt Brecht showed Erdem the way
Tayfun Erdem, a piano virtuoso and composer living in Germany, is one of them. Erdem has come up with an interesting work that will be much discussed.
He has been reading the books of the three Abrahamic religions since 1970, and he chose verses from the Torah, Bible and Koran to compose.
Erdem has gathered his selected verses and has been writing music for them for 16 years. He tore up what he wrote when he did not like it until he reached perfection.
In 2008, Erdem took a final look at his composition and decided that it was finished. The three holy books’ verses on love and tolerance came together to form the composition "El" (The Hand).
The work will be presented live around the world and then will be released as an album.
Erdem spoke to the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the state of the world and "El." Erdem said Bertholt Brecht, a well-known German poet, playwrite and director of the 20th century, is one of the names that influenced Erdem the most and that something Brecht said has guided him: "During an interview in the 1930s, they asked Brecht which book he liked best and he told them it was the Bible. I thought if Brecht was saying this, he must have known something, and I tried to read and internalize the Bible first and then the Torah and Koran."
Erdem said his childhood memories have shaped his life as much as Brecht did and continued: "My mother used to read the Koran in its original Arabic. I kept hearing the language’s rhythm and music, which provided the birth of ’El.’"
’El was like running my head into a brick wall’
Erdem said there were times when he had extreme difficulty in choosing the verses and an inside voice guided him. "I chose the verses that offer rhythm and feeling to my soul," Erdem said, adding that he tried to emphasize the similarities and differences of the three Abrahamic religions. Erdem described the birth of "El" as "running my head into a brick wall," and continued: "Sometimes I could not find a verse to compose even though I had been reading for weeks. There were times I could find only one sentence in all those lines of verses."
Erdem spoke about the chaotic state the world is in and its triggering factors in recent history: "The fall of the Berlin Wall, the capitalism wave of the ’90s and the attacks to the Twin Towers in the United States on Sept. 11 put our lives on a path that has no return.
Balances came upside down; what we are experiencing is the pains of searching for balance, but that desired balance will not be formed easily."
Erdem said this period of agony for the world was caused mostly by monetary gain. "The basic reason for the struggle and discrimination the world is experiencing, and therefore the wars, is not religious issues, even if it looks that way. When we look at the Middle East, we can clearly see that it is oil."
www.tayfun-erdem.com
Bertholt Brecht showed Erdem the way
Tayfun Erdem, a piano virtuoso and composer living in Germany, is one of them. Erdem has come up with an interesting work that will be much discussed.
He has been reading the books of the three Abrahamic religions since 1970, and he chose verses from the Torah, Bible and Koran to compose.
Erdem has gathered his selected verses and has been writing music for them for 16 years. He tore up what he wrote when he did not like it until he reached perfection.
In 2008, Erdem took a final look at his composition and decided that it was finished. The three holy books’ verses on love and tolerance came together to form the composition "El" (The Hand).
The work will be presented live around the world and then will be released as an album.
Erdem spoke to the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the state of the world and "El." Erdem said Bertholt Brecht, a well-known German poet, playwrite and director of the 20th century, is one of the names that influenced Erdem the most and that something Brecht said has guided him: "During an interview in the 1930s, they asked Brecht which book he liked best and he told them it was the Bible. I thought if Brecht was saying this, he must have known something, and I tried to read and internalize the Bible first and then the Torah and Koran."
Erdem said his childhood memories have shaped his life as much as Brecht did and continued: "My mother used to read the Koran in its original Arabic. I kept hearing the language’s rhythm and music, which provided the birth of ’El.’"
’El was like running my head into a brick wall’
Erdem said there were times when he had extreme difficulty in choosing the verses and an inside voice guided him. "I chose the verses that offer rhythm and feeling to my soul," Erdem said, adding that he tried to emphasize the similarities and differences of the three Abrahamic religions. Erdem described the birth of "El" as "running my head into a brick wall," and continued: "Sometimes I could not find a verse to compose even though I had been reading for weeks. There were times I could find only one sentence in all those lines of verses."
Erdem spoke about the chaotic state the world is in and its triggering factors in recent history: "The fall of the Berlin Wall, the capitalism wave of the ’90s and the attacks to the Twin Towers in the United States on Sept. 11 put our lives on a path that has no return.
Balances came upside down; what we are experiencing is the pains of searching for balance, but that desired balance will not be formed easily."
Erdem said this period of agony for the world was caused mostly by monetary gain. "The basic reason for the struggle and discrimination the world is experiencing, and therefore the wars, is not religious issues, even if it looks that way. When we look at the Middle East, we can clearly see that it is oil."
www.tayfun-erdem.com