Rauf Yekta's Notes on the 1932 Congress of Arab Music Being a Mediator in a Dual Musical Universe

Abstract

The participation of the Turkish musicologist Rauf Yekta (1871-1935) in the Cairo Congress of Arab Music in 1932 and his rejection of the proposed 24-tone equal-tempered scale are well-known facts in musicological literature. However, due to the dearth of primary sources, Yekta's influential role in the discussions remains largely unknown. Recently discovered notes, published in the periodical Mukhãdana/ Muhadenet following the Congress, provide new insights into Yekta's musicological approach and his position relative to other participants at the Congress. Based on these notes, this article provides the first comprehensive analysis of Yekta's opinions on the Congress. Yekta's stance cannot be fully understood without considering Turkey's position between the "Arab" and "Western" worlds at the time. However, his views, particularly as a scholar defending the Turkish makam tradition against the musical revolution of the Republic, did not align with those of Turkish state representatives. Taking a unique position, Yekta envisioned a dual musical universe and saw himself as a mediator capable of reconciling the distinct qualities of these two worlds. © 2024 VWB - Verlag fuer Wissenschaft und Bildung. All rights reserved.