Bîmen Şen (read Turkish version here)
Bîmen Şen
Bîmen Şen, one of the most colorful figures of the late period of Turkish music, is among the rare vocal artists who preferred to sustain his art through private gatherings and invitations, free from commercial concerns. The artist, born in Bursa, began singing hymns in church during his childhood and stepped into the Istanbul music culture when he was discovered by Hacı Ârif Bey at the age of 11. During his education there, he took lessons from the greatest masters of that period, such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Neyzen Aziz Dede, and Şevki Bey, but he grounded his own original composition talent not in notation knowledge, but directly in his memory and emotional world.
The most striking feature of the artist, as he himself stated, is that he did not derive material gain from the works he composed, and his melodic discoveries emerged upon waking from sleep at midnight. Although two hundred of his hundreds of works, notated by Şamlı İskender, have reached our time, Bîmen Şen made it a principle to stay away from gazino culture and to perform his art only at private meetings and distinguished invitations. The artist went to Ankara at the invitation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic, and also had the chance to perform at Dolmabahçe Palace.
Bîmen Şen, who passed away in 1943 and was buried in the Feriköy Armenian Cemetery, is remembered as one of the purest and most rooted representatives of Turkish music of that period, despite his Armenian origin. Contributing greatly to the musical repertoire with over six hundred works, he left a legacy of almost a "Private Session Artist" (*Mahrem Meclis Sanatkârı*) through his works and art itself. His lyrical compositions dealing with themes of roses, love, and separation are among the most important voices reflecting the spirit of Turkish music during that transitional period.
Biography
Bîmen Şen, born in 1873 in Bursa, is among the artists of the transition period of Turkish Music, whose real name varies in sources as Bimen Dergazaryan or Der Ghazarian. Şen, who began singing hymns in church during his childhood, was sent to Istanbul at the age of 11 after his musical talent was noticed by Hacı Ârif Bey. The artist, who settled in Istanbul at the age of 14, experienced financial difficulties in the early days but found the opportunity to continue his education under the patronage of a banker.
Bîmen Şen, who took lessons from leading music masters of that period such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Neyzen Aziz Dede, Şevki Bey, and Hacı Ârif Bey, composed works in a wide range of makams including Uşşak, Hicaz, Saba, Hicazkâr, Kürdili-Hicazkâr, Hüseyni, Segâh, Hüzzam, Suzinak, Bestenigar, Acemkurdi, Mahur, Muhayyer, Isfahan, Nihavend, Sedaraban, Ferahnak, and Tahirbuselik. It is known that out of the more than six hundred works signed by Şen, the notation of 220 of his compositions was published by Şamlı İskender.
Although considered a renowned vocal artist in his time, Bîmen Şen did not turn to commercial stages. Instead of working in gazinos, he resisted the commercialization of music by performing only at private music gatherings and intimate meetings. He even went to Ankara at the invitation of the founder of the Republic, Atatürk, and was called to Dolmabahçe Palace to perform a private performance. Şen, who had a very high composition talent, stated that he did not know how to read notation and that his composed works were notated by others. One of the most striking points regarding his creative process is that he expressed that he composed some of his works while in bed or upon waking from sleep at midnight.
The artist, who stated that he did not earn money from his music and works, withdrew from the market due to a grievance and made a living by selling his savings. Bîmen Şen, who passed away on 26 August 1943, was sent off on his final journey in the Feriköy Armenian Cemetery. His repertoire, which reaches us with names such as Suzidil, Mustakina Gul, Ey Gul, Gülizar, Letafet, Mevsim Sonu, Yas Bağladı, Can Esiri, Arza Yok Mecalim, and Mavili Simin Beden, is among the rare legacies preserving the lyrical and aesthetic richness of that period of Turkish music. There is no clear information in sources regarding specific album names or a filmography.
Style
Bîmen Şen's musical stance is shaped on the unique bridge he built between the last period masters of the classical Turkish music tradition and the early years of the Republic era. As a composer-hanende, he reflects the profile of a "private session artist" (*mahrem meclis sanatkârı*), standing apart from the commercializing music scene (gazino) of his time. His more than 600 attributed works were composed in a rich pool of makams such as Uşşak, Hicaz, Saba, Hicazkâr, Kürdili-Hicazkâr, Hüseyni, and Suzinak. The 220 songs notated by Şamlı İskender form his vocal heritage reaching today, while the majority of the remaining works were composed via memory. One of the most striking details in the composition process is that he produced music not with a discipline based on notation, but with inspirations coming to him sometimes in bed or upon waking from sleep at midnight.
When evaluated in terms of vocal artistry and interpretation style, there is no specific description in sources regarding Bîmen Şen's technical features or tonality; however, his mention as a "very renowned vocal artist" in the circles of music experts of the time and his working closely with great masters like Hacı Ârif Bey, Tanburî Cemil Bey, and Şevki Bey show that his performance quality and authority were unquestionable. His song lyrics and compositions deal with roses, wines, separations, and longing in a lyrical language ("Gulizar", "Mevsim Sonu", "Yas Bağladı", "Can Esiri"). These works were produced for the private invitations of the palace circles, state officials, and music lovers; therefore, the performance language carries a deep and sincere ease, far from the gazino crowd.
The most prominent feature in his musical personality is his productivity based on memory and intuition without the need for notation knowledge. His statement that he produced his compositions not for the purpose of earning money but for the pure state of art clarifies his stance against materialism. The fact that he could make a living by selling his savings after withdrawing from the market due to a grievance reveals that his view of art was independent of livelihood concerns and faithful to his ideals. In this respect, Bîmen Şen positioned himself not only as an accompanist to a gathering but also as a silent guardian of an artistic legacy.
Works and Sound Recordings
Bîmen Şen, as one of the most prolific composers of the Turkish music treasury, made a great contribution to the repertoire with more than 600 works. However, the process of transferring this rich heritage to notation is striking due to the artist's lack of notation knowledge. It is stated in sources that his works were notated by talented musicians like Şamlı İskender and that 220 of his songs could be published. Şen, whose composition talent was natural and improvisational, expressed that he mostly produced his works in bed and upon waking from sleep at midnight.
The artist's repertoire is a lyrical structure dealing with the themes of beauty, longing, separation, and love in the classical Turkish music tradition. Among the songs constructed through "Rose" (*Gül*) and "Wine" (*Mey*) imagery, names such as "Suzidil", "Mustakina Gül", "Ey Gül", "Gulizar", "Letafet", "Acemkurdi", "Mevsim Sonu", "Yas Bağladı", "Can Esiri", "Sedaraban", "Mavili Simin Beden", "Gözlerim Gözlerine", "Leblerinden Katre", and "Zavil Güzelim" stand out. These works were generally composed in "gazel" and "şarkı" forms, intended to be sung in the private gatherings of that period.
Although there are no specific album names in sources, there is information that the artist made phonograph records in that period. The fact that Şen's voice, who did not work in gazinos due to commercial concerns, reached today is possible thanks to these records and the notated versions of the compositions. Therefore, the works are accessible through historical archive recordings and notation instead of a modern album integrity or publisher label. The listener, while following Bîmen Şen's music, should keep in mind that these recordings reflect the intimacy of private gatherings and the music memory of that period.
Context
Bîmen Şen (Real Name: Bimen Dergazaryan / Der Ghazarian) is an important representative of the "private gathering" culture in Turkish music history, bridging the last period masters of the Ottoman music tradition and the Republican era. The artist, born in 1873 in Bursa, turned his musical journey, which began with church hymns in his childhood years, into a professional artistry by being discovered by Hacı Ârif Bey and sent to Istanbul. From the age of 14 when he settled in Istanbul, he gained a deep mastery of the classical form of Turkish music through lessons from legendary masters of the period such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Neyzen Aziz Dede, and Şevki Bey.
The most striking feature in the artist's career is that despite his fame, he resisted stage commercialization. Bîmen Şen, who preferred to sing at private music gatherings during a period when gazinos were becoming popular, displayed an artist stance that did not seek material gain and distributed his works as they were notated. This stance was confirmed by being invited to Ankara by prominent state officials of his time and Atatürk, and being called to Dolmabahçe Palace. Among his more than 600 works, Şen, who included many makams such as Uşşak, Hicaz, Saba, and Hüseyni, composed his works with an internal rhythm created by trusting his memory despite his inability to read notation, sometimes upon waking from sleep at midnight.
Bîmen Şen, whose works were mostly notated by Şamlı İskender, passed away on 26 August 1943 and was buried in the Feriköy Armenian Cemetery. Despite being within a polyphonic culture, his leaving more than 220 notated works to the Turkish music repertoire solidifies his place in music history of the transition period. The artist, who presented his lyricism on themes of roses, gatherings, separation, and longing with a style suitable for the politeness of private gatherings, is remembered among the rare artists who did not commercialize art.
Legacy
Bîmen Şen has found a place in memory as one of the rare figures who preserved the "private session artist" stance by turning his back on commercial stages during the transition process from the late Ottoman period to the Republic in the history of Classical Turkish Music. Discovered by Hacı Ârif Bey in Bursa and trained under masters like Tanburî Cemil Bey and Neyzen Aziz Dede in Istanbul, Şen, despite being one of the most renowned voices of his time, preferred not to perform on stages in commercial venues like gazinos. This choice is recorded in history as the reflection of an artist stance that did not see music as a source of income and tried to free his art from material concerns.
The artist's most concrete legacy is his intensive productivity in the field of composition. The fact that 220 of the 600+ works of Bîmen Şen could be notated by Şamlı İskender is proof of the care and preservation effort shown by the music experts of the period towards his works. These works, composed mostly upon waking from sleep at midnight without notation knowledge and recorded by others, constitute an important example showing the power of sound and memory in the Turkish Music repertoire. He dealt with universal themes such as love, longing, beauty, and separation in his compositions; while some of his works reached us through historical phonograph records, specific album names are not mentioned in sources.
His going to Ankara at the invitation of Atatürk in the early years of the Republic and being called to Dolmabahçe Palace is an important historical milestone showing that his art was appreciated not only by the public but also by the state. Bîmen Şen, who passed away on 26 August 1943, passed into eternity in the lands where he died by being buried in the Feriköy Armenian Cemetery. His works and performance understanding in private gatherings continue to hold importance today as a concrete memory of the pure artist understanding of the Ottoman-Republican transition period for Classical Turkish Music lovers and music historians.
Frequently Asked Questions
What method did Bîmen Şen follow in his composition process? The artist based the works he composed directly on his memory and emotional world, not on notation knowledge. The most striking detail regarding his creative process is that he expressed that he produced compositions with inspirations coming to him sometimes in bed or upon waking from sleep at midnight. He stated that his composed works were notated by others.
How did Bîmen Şen approach commercial stages and gazinos? Bîmen Şen made it a principle to stay away from gazino culture and to perform his art only at private meetings and distinguished invitations. As he stated himself, he did not derive material gain from the works he composed and withdrew from the market due to a grievance, making a living by selling his savings. With this stance, the title of "Private Session Artist" (*Mahrem Meclis Sanatkârı*) was also attributed to him.
What is known about the number of works and notation status? It is known that the artist signed more than six hundred works, but due to the lack of notation knowledge of the composer, this heritage was notated by others. Two hundred of his songs notated by Şamlı İskender have reached our time, while the vast majority of the remaining works were composed via memory.
Is there information about specific album names or filmography regarding Bîmen Şen? No. There is information in sources that the artist made phonograph records in that period, but there is no clear information regarding specific album names or filmography. The works are accessible through historical archive recordings and notation instead of a modern album integrity or publisher label.
What place did he hold in the Republic era and before Mustafa Kemal Atatürk? The artist went to Ankara at the invitation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic. He also had the chance to perform at Dolmabahçe Palace and is remembered as an artist appreciated by the state.
What was his identity, birth, and music education process? The artist, born in Bursa in 1873, is mentioned in sources under his real name as Bimen Dergazaryan or Der Ghazarian. He began singing hymns in church during his childhood and was sent to Istanbul after being discovered by Hacı Ârif Bey at the age of 11. In Istanbul, he took lessons from leading music masters of the period such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Neyzen Aziz Dede, and Şevki Bey.