Reflections and Application Forms of Spectral Music Elements in Contemporary Turkish Compositions

Abstract

The art of music, shaped by the circumstances and conditions of its era, continued to broaden its scope in the twentieth century through evolving sensitivity to sound and the use of technology. Following the Futurist music movement that emerged in the early twentieth century, electronic music production and consumption development significantly influenced compositional approaches. Especially after the Second World War, this transformation led to the emergence of new compositional movements and techniques, among which the idea of Spectral Music, founded in the 1970s, gained prominence. Initially shaped around the works of Tristan Murail and Gérard Grisey, this approach spread to Europe and North America, and gained wide influence. From the early 2000s, spectral aesthetics began to appear in the works of various contemporary Turkish composers. This study aims to investigate the influence of Spectral Music aesthetics on contemporary Turkish composers and to analyse how spectral elements are employed in selected works. The study theoretically examines the historical development and principal techniques of the spectral approach through a qualitative research methodology, and based on expert evaluations, explores which spectral elements are present and how they are used in the works of eight selected Turkish composers. Findings indicate that these composers have adopted different techniques to enrich their musical language and resort to spectral elements depending on the atmosphere they wish to create. This research seeks to offer an original perspective on technical diversity in Contemporary Turkish music by revealing the reflections of the Spectral Music approach within Turkey’s compositional landscape. © 2025, Tolga Karaca. All rights reserved.