Goethe’s East-West Divan performed at Istanbul’s AKM

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s work “East-West Divan” was performed at the Atatürk Kültür Merkezi (AKM) in Istanbul. The production featured compositions by Mehmet C. Yeşilçay and a translation by Senail Özkan.

Under the direction of conductor Hasan Niyazi Tura, the performance included the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Chorus, and the Pera Ensemble. Soloists Ceren Aydın and İlker Arcayürek, along with narrator Mehmet Önder, participated in the concert.

Artistic director and composer Mehmet C. Yeşilçay stated that he composed the work in 2019 to mark the 200th anniversary of its publication. He noted that while the work was previously performed before a large audience at the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany, the Turkish translation is being staged for the first time in years.