Lament of children to make world premiere

ANKARA

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) tonight will present the world premiere of a stage cantata composed as a lament for wars, violence and child deaths around the world, under the direction of the distinguished conductor Rengim Gökmen.

Titled “Voices and Ashes: A Lament Rising from a Tiny Heart Amid Darkness,” the stage cantata features a libretto written by Professor Yavuz Demir of Ankara Science University and music composed by the young and prolific conductor-composer Hasan Niyazi Tura. The world premiere will take place tonight at the Ziraat Bank Main Hall in CSO Ada Ankara.

Accompanied by the State Polyphonic Choir, the CSO will perform the work with child soloist Ada Reyhan Günay, sopranos Hülya Kazan and Ceren Aydın and baritone Kamil Kaplan.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency before rehearsal, maestro Gökmen explained that while the piece is a stage cantata, its operatic nature makes it suitable for full operatic performance.

Gökmen noted that the work, conceived for soloists, choir and orchestra, centers around the theme of children and highlights the oppression and losses they suffer during wars.
“In every war, civilians die and among them, the most innocent and unaware are the children. This is something that has always deeply pained us,” Gökmen said.

“The piece references the tragedy unfolding in Palestine and Gaza, past tragedies in Bosnia and the deaths of children during World War II. It engraves the cruelty inflicted on children into the collective conscience and urges us to strengthen preventive efforts. At the core of the work is a child soloist, Ada, who, despite being a conservatory student and facing this kind of performance for the first time, is doing exceptionally well. Our other soloists — Hülya Kazan, Kamil Kaplan and Ceren Aydın — are highly accomplished artists.”

Gökmen emphasized the strong dramatic impact of the music:
“It’s a piece both musicians and audiences can engage with without getting bored. It runs for about an hour, but the audience won’t notice how the time passes — it plays like a film. The musical literature has gained a new stage cantata.”

He added that it was especially meaningful for the premiere to coincide with the upcoming National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23, noting:
“In a world filled with wars, the emergence of a piece of art in the form of a lament and its performance on April 18 adds great value.”

A sorrowful work

Composer Hasan Niyazi Tura said the libretto was profoundly moving, each syllable bringing its own musical notes and praised Professor Yavuz Demir’s writing.

“This piece is an emotional artistic response to the wars unfolding in front of the world’s eyes, in an era when civilizations play deaf, blind and mute. It was a mad process — I composed it in a month and a half. I began with the vocal framework and wrote all the songs first so the soloists and choir could start working. Then I orchestrated the piece and managed to complete it in time for the premiere.”

Tura explained that while Voices and Ashes is technically a one-act opera, it is currently being presented without set design, costumes or full dramaturgy.

“I focused on the songs in this work,” Tura said. “Our young soloist Ada has taken on a role that requires immense courage. There are very few works in the repertoire centered on a child soloist. Together with the orchestra, soloists and choir, I’ve tried to present songs that the audience can connect with. It will be a sorrowful piece.”

Works of art born from the accumulation of many years

Demir, the rector of Ankara Science University and author of the libretto, explained that “Voices and Ashes” emerged from years of accumulated pain and events, saying:
“Pain, like joy, is an intrinsic part of our lives. This piece wasn’t written solely in response to the recent events in Palestine and Gaza, but it could certainly be dedicated to them. It is a reaction to cruelty, suffering, tears and the terrible things people do to one another. Anyone, of any faith or ethnicity, who has suffered or been oppressed can find reflections of their own pain in this work. ‘Voices and Ashes’ is an aesthetic response to the age-old impulse of one society to seek the destruction of another.”

He said that “Voices and Ashes” may eventually be staged as a full opera and concluded:
“Works of art are among the only things that can truly elevate humanity. Despite all wars and suffering, I believe that beauty and aesthetics will prevail. I also believe that to build a happier nation and to live in peace, people must embrace art. Without art, we won’t be able to express or realize anything. What we call ‘responsibility’ is the foundation of legitimacy, and the only true expression of responsibility is art. A nation without high art can only shout in the streets.”