Alafranga and alaturca are musical and cultural concepts specific to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

and its people. The terms describe a distinction between

Western culture Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...

and

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

culture in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. They are also associated with the old-fashioned (alaturca) and the modern (alafranga). The labels are now considered outdated, but are useful in understanding Ottoman and Turkish cultural history.Eric Ederer, ''The Cümbüş as Instrument of “the Other” in Modern Turkey''
/ref> Historically, alafranga and alaturca were adjectives to differentiate between

and

culture in the context of things such as clothing, food and decor. During this time food fusion had some of its most pivotal years because of alafranga and alaturca being so intertwined. Alaturca and alafranga were also competing music genres in the Turkish Republic in the 1920s and 1930s, after the Ottoman Empire was dissolved. Alaturka was associated with the classical music of the Ottoman Empire, while alafranga was associated with European classical music, along with other western music forms penetrating the country.Cardiff University School of Music, ''Meet our PhD supervisors: Dr John Morgan O'Connell''
/ref> * ''Alafranga'' is music or other cultural expression in a western or European style. It was seen in the 18th Century as "exemplifying modernist ideas and trends". Term comes from Italitan "alla franca". * ''Alaturka'' is music or other cultural expression in a traditional Turkish style. It was seen in the 19th Century as "exemplifying backward-looking traditionalism"—the opposite of alafranga. From Italitan, "à la Turk" or "alla turca"University of Illinois Press, ''Ethnomusicology'', Vol. 49, No. 2 (Spring/Summer, 2005), pp. 177–205, John Morgan O'Connell, ''In the Time of Alaturka: Identifying Difference in Musical Discourse''.
/ref>

Western references

David Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

referred to the Turkish people in the title to his tune ''

Blue Rondo à la Turk "Blue Rondo à la Turk" is a jazz standard composition by Dave Brubeck. It appeared on the album ''Time Out'' in 1959. It is written in time, with one side theme in and the choice of rhythm was inspired by the Turkish aksak time signatures. It ...

''. Brubeck heard an unusual rhythm performed by Turkish musicians on the street. Upon asking the musicians where they got the rhythm, one replied "This rhythm is to us what the blues is to you." He named the piece for them.

Ottoman references

Ahmet Mithat Ahmet Mithat (1844 – 28 December 1912) was an Ottoman journalist, author, translator and publisher during the Tanzimat period. In his works, he was known as Ahmet Mithat Efendi, to distinguish him from the contemporary politician Midhat Pasha ...

: ''Felatun Bey and Rakım Efendi'': This Ottoman novel defines alafranga and alaturka as, "The term alafranga is French-Ottoman composite of the French "à la" and "franga", meaning "Frank" or "European" more generally. Alafranga thus means "in a European mode". The term alaturka follows the same French-Ottoman composite pattern and conversely means "in a Turkish or Ottoman mode".

Western references

Ottoman references

References

See also