Huge musical for Sultan Mehmet II

Huge musical for Sultan Mehmet II

ANKARA - Taner Demiralp, the composer of the music of the Fire of Anatolia, works on a theater project featuring the life of Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror, who ushered in a new age by conquering Istanbul in 1421. This will be first comprehensive project prepared for the sultan The life of Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror, who ushered in a new age by conquering Istanbul in 1421, is now the subject of a musical project titled "Conqueror." Taner Demiralp, the composer of the music of the Fire of Anatolia, has prepared the project and Turkish theater’s masters such as Müşfik Kenter and Sönmez Atasoy will take part. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency about the project, Demiralp said he had applied for the project, on which he has been working for three years, to be staged in the organization of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture and that they would begin talks in the coming days. Noting that the musical would be performed by an 80-person team of dancers from all over the world, he explained his feelings about the project: "Every time I go to the Anatolian side from the European side, I thank Sultan Mehmet that Istanbul is ours. Some nations introduce their non-existing heroes with films, music and presents given with fast food menus. Sultan Mehmet shaped the history. That’s why this musical is important to me." Demiralp said Sultan Mehmet was very tolerant to people living there after he conquered Istanbul, adding, "This project will show that Turkish people are very tolerant, on the contrary to the worldwide intentional propagandas showing us as barbarians," he said. Play to begin when he was born Demiralp said it was planned as a 90-minute, two-act music and dance project. "The play will begin when Sultan Mehmet was born in Edirne and end with today’s Istanbul," he said. "Sultan Mehmet’s life, historical events and his father Murat II’s significant role in the Ottoman Empire will be chronologically presented with music and dance," he said. "There is no such a big project about Sultan Mehmet. The musical is based on a single-act theater play, which was prepared many years ago by our Musical Consultant Turan Oflazoğlu. And it will become a work featuring the conquer of Istanbul like the Fire of Anatolia performances." Demiralp said Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror was known only from history books. "Sultans and important leaders have their own life and points of view. Who knows them best? The people who are very close to them do. That is why he is featured in the play through the eye of his teacher Ak Şemsettin, who will be played by Turkish theater master Müşfik Kenter," said Demiralp, adding that Sultan Mehmet would be played by young actor İlter Burak Kalay and his father Murad II by Sönmez Atasoy. Also, the play will feature film screening technology called "third dimension" in the film industry and "fourth dimension" in performance arts. "While there will be a constant action with dance on the stage, there will also be a film screening to support the play and d�cor." He also said his album "Symphonic Folk Songs" received great interest and he was planning to release a second album after this musical. Hurriyet