Avni Anıl (read Turkish version here)
Avni Anıl: The Publisher of Turkish Art Music Memory
Avni Anıl, born in Selimiye, Üsküdar, Istanbul, and passed away in Balçova, Izmir, left a unique mark on the history of Turkish music with his identities as a composer, publisher, and radio host. Contributing to the Turkish Art Music repertoire with over a hundred works, Anıl is known not only for the notes written on sheet music but also for his archival work in the music literature by publishing the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine. After his tenure at the Directorate of Security, Anıl turned to the worlds of journalism and radio, serving as a music broadcast director at Istanbul and Izmir radio stations, becoming one of the rare individuals who shaped the musical texture of the era.
Among Anıl's compositions, the piece "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un" stands out, which has become an indispensable part of the rakı table culture and is referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables" over time. The famous artist, known for his pieces composed in makams such as Hüzzam, Rast, and Kürdili Hicazkâr, is also notable for his collaborations with lyricist Ümit Yaşar Oğuzcan and other important poets. Being awarded the title of "State Artist" by the Ministry of Culture in 1998 is a formal expression of the importance he placed on music and publishing. The street named after Üsküdar Selimiye Pharmacy Street and the education centers opened in cities like Edirne and Samsun remind us that his musical legacy lives on and is kept alive.
Biography
Avni Anıl, who entered the world on April 23, 1928, in the historic neighborhood of Üsküdar/Selimiye in Istanbul, bid farewell to the Turkish Art Music community with his death in Izmir on June 14, 2008. His family came from the city of Varna in Bulgaria, settled in Edirne first, and then in Biga; the artist spent his childhood and youth on Eczane Sokağı in Üsküdar Selimiye. These were the times he became associated with music; he laid the foundations of his music career by starting to take lessons from the famous composer Emin Ongan at the Üsküdar Mûsikî Cemiyeti in 1928.
Avni Anıl's professional life covered quite different areas; in addition to composing and publishing, he also had experience as a civil servant and journalist. Between 1952 and 1954, he entered the Police Institute and served at the Adana Directorate of Security. Leaving police duty in 1955 to step into the journalism world, Anıl worked at Akşam newspaper for three years, then worked in the news service at Istanbul Radio between 1955-1967. Not breaking his bond with music during this process, Anıl did not take a break from composing, and in 1967, he founded the Anıl Yayın Ajansı, directing publishing activities. In 1969, Anıl published the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine, publishing this magazine in total 36 issues and 3 volumes, and continued its publication life in two different periods.
After a turning point in his musical publishing life, Anıl was appointed as the music broadcast director at Izmir Radio in 1972, retiring from the radio in 1982. After retirement, without breaking away from music, he founded Avni Anıl Yayınevi in Alsancak in 1983. The artist, who returned to duty as an Expert Artist at the Ministry of Culture in 1990, was given the title of State Artist by the Ministry of Culture in 1998. He was also deemed worthy of the title of Honorary Doctorate by Konya Selçuk University. Throughout his career, he contributed to the music literature academically by writing a 4-volume "Mûsikî Sözlüğü".
Although there are differences regarding the number of works in sources within his composing career (stated as around 153, 120, or 140), it is stated that he composed a total of 153 works, consisting of 152 songs and 1 religious form. Among his compositions, the work titled "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un" holds a cultural status referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables" in Turkish rakı tables. Works such as "Ağla Çeşmim Eski Lezzet Kalmamış Peymânede" (Hüzzam makam) and "Sordular Mecnûn'a Leylâ'nın Saadet Hânesin" (Rast makam) are among the examples of the makams represented by the artist. Regarding his first composition, while interviews indicate that "Ağla Çeşmim..." was his first composition, it is recorded that "Sordular Mecnûn..." was the first composition to be notated and played on the radio.
Among his partners were poet Ümit Yaşar Oğuzcan, lyricist Cahit Öney, and composers Nevzat Atlığ and Arif Sami Toker. He also participated in the performance of works by masters such as Niyazi Sayın and Cüneyd Orhon and in the works of artists such as İnci Çayırlı. Avni Anıl passed away in Izmir on June 14, 2008, due to respiratory failure and was buried at Balçova Cemetery. His contributions to music and publishing have not been forgotten; a street in Üsküdar, where he was born, a repertoire hall in Edirne, and an education and arts center in Samsun were named after him. His son Ezgi Anıl continues the artist's family heritage as a violin virtuoso.
Musical Style and Composer Identity
Avni Anıl stands out as an artist with a unique identity shaped by composing and publishing within the Turkish Art Music tradition. With 153 works (152 songs and 1 religious form), the composer has a wide repertoire, and in his musical world, different tones of makams such as Hüzzam, Rast, Kürdili Hicazkâr, Nihavend, and Hicaz are handled skillfully. The melodies coming from the composer's pen are fed not only by aesthetic concerns but also by emotional themes such as Istanbul's street restlessness, the pain of separation, and love for the homeland.
When examining the works in his repertoire, the composer's emotional depth and representative power stand out. Especially the work "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un", composed in Kürdili Hicazkâr makam and referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables" in rakı table culture, has left its mark on popular memory. While deep sorrow is processed in his pieces in Hüzzam makam such as "Ağla Çeşmim Eski Lezzet Kalmamış Peymânede", a passionate language of love is used in works such as "Gözlerin kömür senin bakışın ömür senin". The work "Marmara incisi ey şirin diyâr" also shows that Anıl integrated his personal history with his music, as it carries reflections of his family's migration starting from Bulgaria and settling in Biga, and themes of homeland.
His collaboration with poets in his composition works is also an important part of Anıl's style. Anıl, who worked on lyrics with poets such as Ümit Yaşar Oğuzcan and Cahit Öney, created a structure that combines lyrics and composition in harmony. However, the most distinctive feature that separates him from other composers is that he is not only a composer but also a publisher who values the archiving of music. By publishing the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine and writing the 4-volume "Mûsikî Sözlüğü", he contributed to the technical infrastructure of music literature beyond his compositions. His period as broadcast director at TRT Radio also reinforced his role as an authority interpreting and conveying music.
In conclusion, Avni Anıl's musical signature is shaped not only by the emotional world he establishes with his compositions but also by his archival approach that views music as a discipline. The title of State Artist and the modal diversity in his works reinforce that he is one of the respected composers of Turkish Art Music history. Although there are deficiencies such as the lack of a complete list of commercial album records in the recordings of his compositions, the place of his works in oral memory and radio broadcasts shows the prevalence of his influence. Places such as the "Avni Anıl Repertoire Hall" in Edirne and the "Avni Anıl Education and Arts Center" in Samsun stand out as institutional structures where his legacy is kept alive and respected.
Songs and Compositions
Avni Anıl's musical legacy consists of compositions that hold an important place in Turkish Art Music literature with his 153 works, although this number is sometimes indicated with different expressions such as 120 or 140 in academic sources. Among the most known pieces in his repertoire is the work composed in Kürdili Hicazkâr makam, "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un"; this work eventually started to be called the "National Anthem of the Tables" in rakı table culture. Taking into account the source discrepancies regarding the composer's first composition, although there is an uncertainty between "Sordular Mecnûn'a Leylâ'nın Saadet Hânesin" (Rast makam) recorded as the first composition played on the radio and "Ağla Çeşmim Eski Lezzet Kalmamış Peymânede" (Hüzzam makam) referred to as the first composition in interviews, both works carry Anıl's early period signature.
Love, separation, and the city of Istanbul's sorrowful streets are among the themes frequently processed in Anıl's compositions. Works such as "Ağlaya ağlaya giderim diyor" in Hüzzam makam, "Bir alev bir ışık senin bakışın" in Nihavend makam, and "Biraz kül biraz duman o benim işte" in Hicaz makam show the composer's success in different makams. Additionally, pieces such as "Gözlerin kömür senin bakışın ömür senin" and "Marmara incisi ey şirin diyâr" (Mudanya güzeli) are among the prominent examples of the repertoire.
In rock sources, a complete list of commercial music album discography is not found; instead, the composer's music booklet fascicles and book publishing stand out. Listeners can access Anıl's sound recordings through collections such as "Unutulmayan Bestecilerin Unutulmaz Eserleri 4" located in the TRT Dinle archive. Since the composer is not just a composer but a music sheet publisher, the notated versions of the works also carry the importance of a source as much as music recordings.
Context
Avni Anıl is one of the important figures in the 20th-century Turkish Art Music history who stands out with his musical publishing and radio management identities as well as his composer identity. Anıl, who was born in 1928 in the Üskülar district of Istanbul, began his career by continuing to compose during his police profession, and over time turned to the journalism and radio sectors, playing an active role in the dissemination of music in the public sphere. Especially his service as a music broadcast director at Istanbul and Izmir Radio was influential in shaping the era's understanding of music publishing.
Anıl is not only limited to composers but is also known for his publication studies aimed at music literature. Through the Avni Anıl Yayınevi he established and the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine he published, he contributed to the development of Turkish music note culture and theoretical knowledge sharing. The 4-volume "Mûsikî Sözlüğü" work also reinforced his research and archival direction in this field. Collaborating with prominent poets of the era such as Ümit Yaşar Oğuzcan in his composing, Anıl effectively used traditional makams such as Hüzzam, Rast, and Kürdili Hicazkâr.
The work "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un" in his repertoire has become a lasting cultural code in social memory with being referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables". Although it is stated in different sources that the number of works varies between 120 and 153, a database is generally formed around 153 works (152 songs and 1 religious work) in academic references. The awarding of the "State Artist" title to him by the Ministry of Culture is a formal reflection of the services he rendered to music. Throughout his life from the lands where he was born to Izmir Balçova where he passed away, having his name given to arts centers and streets, and his contributions to music being recorded as cultural heritage, are concrete indicators of how his place in Turkish music history was certified.
Legacy
Avni Anıl, one of the rare names who left a mark not only with his composing but also with his music publishing and literature studies in Turkish Art Music memory, has constructed his legacy in a multi-layered way. The title of "State Artist" given to him by the Ministry of Culture in 1998 is one of the most concrete indicators determining the artist's official status and social importance on behalf of the state. Anıl's legacy is not limited to compositions reduced to sounds; publishing the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine and writing the 4-volume "Mûsikî Sözlüğü" brings him to the fore not only as a composer but also with an archivist identity serving music education and archiving.
Although there are data varying between 153 in academic sources and 120 to 140 in some other sources regarding the number of works in his composing career, the repertoire he produced continues to be remembered by Turkish music listeners. Among these compositions, the work titled "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un" has turned into a special cultural code referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables" in traditional table culture. Having the street where he was born in Üsküdar Selimiye and the education centers in Edirne and Samsun carry his name shows that his memory is kept alive in physical places even after his death. Anıl's indirect contribution to music education through his sheet music publications, in addition to the works he produced, buried at İzmir Balçova Cemetery, is one of the most significant indicators that his legacy went beyond the compositions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Avni Anıl's birth and death information? Avni Anıl was born in the Üsküdar/Selimiye neighborhood of Istanbul on April 23, 1928. He passed away in Izmir on June 14, 2008, due to respiratory failure and was buried at Balçova Cemetery.
Which is his most known work and what is its cultural meaning? The artist's most well-known work is the piece titled "Bu akşam bütün meyhânelerini dolaştım İstanbul'un" composed in Kürdili Hicazkâr makam. This work eventually became part of the rakı table culture and started to be referred to as the "National Anthem of the Tables".
In which other professional fields did he work outside of music career? Besides composing, Anıl has experience in civil service and journalism. After serving as a police officer at the Adana Directorate of Security, he worked as a journalist at Akşam newspaper for three years, then served as a music broadcast director at Istanbul and Izmir Radio.
What is indicated in the sources regarding the total number of works and his first composition? There are differences regarding the number of works in sources (120, 140, or 153), and general databases indicate a total of 153 works consisting of 152 songs and 1 religious form. Regarding his first composition, there is an uncertainty between the expressions that "Ağla Çeşmim..." is the first composition and the record of "Sordular Mecnûn..." being the first composition played on the radio.
What are his contributions to music publishing and legacy? He published the "Mûsikî ve Nota" magazine as 36 issues and contributed to the literature by writing the 4-volume "Mûsikî Sözlüğü". He received the title of State Artist in 1998; his legacy is kept alive by having his name given to a street in Üsküdar and to education and arts centers in Edirne and Samsun.