Cemal Reşit Rey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cemal Reşit Rey
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Rey in 1950
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| Born | 25 October 1904 |
| Died | 7 October 1985 (aged 80) |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Occupation | Composer, pianist, screenwriter, conductor |
Cemal Reşit Rey (born October 25, 1904 – died October 7, 1985) was a famous Turkish composer, pianist, script writer, and conductor. He was very well known for his fun and popular Turkish operettas. An operetta is like a small opera, but it often has spoken parts and is usually funny. His brother, Ekrem Reşit Rey, wrote the stories for these operettas.
Cemal Reşit Rey was born in Jerusalem and passed away in Istanbul. He was one of the five important musicians who helped bring Western classical music to Turkey in the early 1900s. These five musicians are known as 'The Turkish Five'. He also taught music to many students, including the talented composer and pianist Yüksel Koptagel.
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What Cemal Reşit Rey Created
Cemal Reşit Rey wrote many different kinds of music. He created pieces for operas, operettas, films, and orchestras. He also wrote music for solo instruments like the piano.
Operas and Operettas
Rey wrote several operas and operettas. An opera is a play where most of the words are sung. An operetta is similar but often lighter and funnier, with some spoken parts.
- Operas: Some of his operas include Sultan Cem and Zeybek.
- Operettas: His operettas were very popular. One of his most famous is Lüküs Hayat (which means The Luxurious Life). He also wrote Üç Saat (Three Hours) and Deli Dolu (Alive and Kicking).
Music for Theatre, Film, and Radio
Cemal Reşit Rey also composed music for plays, movies, and radio shows.
- He wrote music for famous plays by William Shakespeare, like Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Tempest.
- He created music for a children's play called Lafonten Baba.
- He also composed for the film Bataklı Damın Kızı Aysel and a radio show called Benli Hürmüz.
Orchestral Music
Rey wrote many pieces for orchestras. An orchestra is a large group of musicians playing different instruments together.
- He composed several symphonic poems, which are pieces of music that tell a story or describe a scene. Examples include La Legende du Bebek and Fatih (Le Conquérant).
- He also wrote two symphonies and pieces like Scènes turques (Turkish Scenes).
Concertos and Other Works
A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument (like a piano or violin) playing with an orchestra.
- Rey wrote concertos for piano, violin, cello, and guitar.
- He also created pieces for voice and orchestra, and for choirs.
- He composed many pieces for solo piano, including sonatas and folk song arrangements.
- He even wrote marches, like the Tenth Anniversary March of the Republic and Atatürk's 100th Birthday March.
Legacy
Cemal Reşit Rey is remembered as one of Turkey's most important composers. The Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul, a famous place for music, is named after him.
