Zildjian’s and Turkish Cymbals / Zildjian’lar ve Türk Zilleri
Cymbal was discovered in the Bronze Age and it is among the oldest instruments. The development of metalwork in Asian geography is seen as the main source of this discovery. Chinese, Turkish and Egyptian tribes played a major role in the production and musical use of cymbals for centuries. The in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cyprus International University
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Folklor/Edebiyat |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.folkloredebiyat.org/Makaleler/597204857_fe101-8.pdf |
| Summary: | Cymbal was discovered in the Bronze Age and it is among the oldest instruments.
The development of metalwork in Asian geography is seen as the main source of
this discovery. Chinese, Turkish and Egyptian tribes played a major role in the
production and musical use of cymbals for centuries. The instrument, which was
transported to other continents and countries either by means of war and invasions
or trade, has undergone various changes and transformations in terms of material
and shape based on the social customs and habits in history. The importance of
cymbals has increased with Janissary Band in the 17th century. The copper smith of
the palace, Kerope Zildjian was specialized in the making of cymbals and became
a pioneer of 400 years of heritage. The knowledge of production and crafting has
passed from father to son and has been kept as a secret for a long time, resulting
in “Turkish cymbals” becoming legends. Mikhail Zilçan, a member of the Zildjian
family, who moved to America in the beginning of the 20th century, had stayed
in İstanbul, and continued to produce cymbals until 1977. After this date, his
apprentices helped to sustain this heritage. The conversion of the metal into the
instrument requires specific expertise at every stage, from preparation of the alloy
to sealing. Nowadays, including the Zildjian Company, it is more common to use
mechanical production. Handmade production is learnt through master-apprentice
relationship and since all the production stages are hand-crafted, each cymbal in
the end, has its own, unique timbre. In Turkey, cymbals are still crafted by hand
and therefore they preserve their worldwide value. The continuation of this longlasting tradition until today is very honoring for the survival of culture and for
contributing to the art of music.
The article aims to introduce the Zildjian family, who are the founders of Turkish
cymbals and the technical features of these cymbals. The literature review proved
that the archival material of the Ottoman Empire period are still mostly unrevealed.
However, the light of the acquired information, the article provides a chronological
and descriptive framework on the Zildjian family and the Turkish cymbals,
associated with the family name. |
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| ISSN: | 1300-7491 1300-7491 |