The Black Sea fiddle: A case study about Trabzon and Thessaloniki

Abstract

The kemençe (Black Sea fiddle or Pontic lyra) is a bottle-shaped bowed string instrument from Turkey's Black Sea region. It has an original playing style and repertoire that differentiates it from other bowed instruments. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Black Sea music tradition. Today, the kemençe is performed not only in the Black Sea region of Turkey but also in Greece, where the Pontic Greeks immigrated from the Black Sea region of Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century. In addition, the kemençe remains the most significant and symbolic musical instrument for both Greek (Pontic people) and Turkish (Black Sea people) communities. When the playing styles of these two groups are considered, it is possible to observe both similarities and differences. While similarities stem from the common origins shared by the two communities, the reasons for differences can be traced back to changes in the cultural environment of the community, i.e., Pontic Greeks, through immigration and population exchanges. In the last fifteen to twenty years, Black Sea traditional music gained great popularity, reaching a wider audience and increasing the number of people wanting to engage in Black Sea music. Due to this fact, today, there are many kemençe performers among the younger generations compared to the past. Consequently, with the increase in the usage of the internet and cable system networks of mass communication, the cultural bonds between the Black Sea communities of Turkish and Greek heritage had the opportunity to interact with each other. Specifically, this valuable cultural interaction increased between the young generation of kemençe players of both communities. For instance, among the Turkish kemençe players, the different kemençe playing styles found in Greece today has recently become popular, being defined by Turkish kemençe players as Greek style – Rum tavrı. In this dissertation, I aim to analyze the traditional performance of kemençe based on the data gathered from the field research I conducted in Greece and Turkey between 2016-2020. It also discusses the playing techniques, repertory, and evolution of kemençe performance practice through the question, "What is the Greek style- Rum tavrı?". The thesis begins with an introductory chapter outlining the needs for such a study, the objective of the thesis, literature review, and the methodology. Additionally, the first chapter introduces the historical background, construction, and basic playing principles of the kemençe. The second chapter focuses mainly on performance practices of the kemençe and its development with the Pontic community in Greece. Firstly, I provide brief information about the first generation of kemençe players who are this musical culture's bearers. Secondly, I define five distinctive kemençe playing styles and regional aspects through playing techniques and repertory analysis. Then, I mention Gogos Petridis and his impact that caused a dramatic change in kemençe playing practice. The third chapter mainly draws on the kemençe playing practices in Turkey using a similar approach. I provide brief information on significant kemençe performers, who are the bearers of the kemençe music culture and I define five different regions according to stylistic differences, relying on analysis of playing techniques and repertory. The fifth chapter and concluding chapter, summarizes the findings and outcomes concerning the similarities and differences between the playing styles of the two communities, and identifies the avenues for further research. Finally, it answers the question "What is the Greek style- Rum tavrı?" in the light of the data and observations obtained from the research.