The symphony "1941-Ankara," written by German composer Dr Ernst Praetorius 82 years ago, has received its inaugural performance by the Hacettepe University Symphony Orchestra in Ankara.

Discovered by Onder Ozkoc, Associate Professor at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University, in a yellow envelope at the conservatory library four years ago, Praetorius's composition underwent four years of digital transfer, and made its debut at Türkiye’s Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on Wednesday.

A German musicologist, conductor, composer and music scientist, Praetorius had resigned from the position of General Director of Music in Germany in 1933 in protest against Hitler.

After he was invited to Türkiye to contribute to the advancement of polyphonic music in 1935, he resided there for 11 years, taking on the role of the chief conductor of the CSO and serving as a faculty member at Ankara State Conservatory till his death.

"While the whole world is shaken by such a global war, is it possible for a country to convey its will for peace and culture through a more impactful means than Fidelio and the Ninth Symphony? Let's hope that when the time comes for all people to become brothers, it will no longer be distant from us," the German composer wrote in 1942, referring to the revolutionary German composer and pianist Beethoven.

After falling ill, Praetorius passed away in 1946 and, upon his request, was buried in Ankara.

In a concert conducted by Burak Tuzun at CSO Ada Ankara Main Hall, artists from CSO and Ankara State Opera and Ballet accompanied the Hacettepe University Symphony Orchestra, and the four-movement "1941-Ankara" symphony received a standing ovation.

Praetorius composed his work in the safe atmosphere of Türkiye, expressing everything he felt, thought, and experienced during the challenging period of World War II and amid the racist ideologies of Nazi Germany, said Hacettepe University Rector Mehmet Cahit Guran, at the end of the concert.

Drawing attention to the current humanitarian situation in Palestine’s Gaza, Guran expressed his belief that the composition contained tones that conveyed a sense of security, tranquillity, “while also incorporating tones that evoke complexity and violence."

Four-movement symphony

Professor Burak Tuzun, the conductor of the HU Symphony Orchestra and faculty member of Ankara State Conservatory, brought the piece together with the audience after four years of work.

"A very elegant and delicate piece. Upon listening to the melodies, one doesn't immediately reach beauty; ideal beauty is hidden within that theme, revealing itself throughout the composition,” he said, explaining that in the composition, Praetorius has intricately highlighted the prominence of brass instruments, presenting a formidable challenge for our wind instrument performers.

“The endurance required to perform the same continuous piece for 55 minutes poses a noteworthy difficulty, particularly for these instruments,” he added.

Tuzun explained the steps in the discovery process, stating that when they found the work, there was nothing written in front of it, only a signature on the last page. Based on the signature, they discovered that the work belonged to Praetorius and took the score to notator Kamer Gungor, a faculty member of Ankara State Conservatory.

“Gungor told us that composer Faik Cansalen, a student of Praetorius, had said, 'Praetorius had a piece in his last years, and no one knows what the piece is.' Based on this information, we started our work. We've been working on this for four years, and it's been checked many times,” he said.

The Chairman and Project Coordinator of the Turkish-German Cultural Affairs Board, Professor Suleyman Yildiz, along with the collaboration of the Goethe Institute and the Cultural Department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ankara, also contributed to the revival of the work, as stated in the concert.

It was also emphasised that the symphony’s debut coincided with the 100th year centennial end of the Republic of Türkiye, pointing out the progress of Türkiye’s polyphonic music.

Conductor Tuzun mentioned that they anticipate the piece to be performed in Germany after its premiere.