New Murad V ballet eyes Europe stages

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

The production by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet (ADOB), which dramatizes the short-lived reign of Ottoman Sultan Murad V, is looking to European stages. AA Photo

The newest production by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet (ADOB), which dramatizes the short-lived reign of Ottoman Sultan Murad V, is looking to European stages.

The producers plan to stage the ballet in Austria, England and Çırağan Palace in Istanbul.
Speaking to Anatolia news agency, Erdoğan Davran said, “The ballet has some targets for the future.”

Noting that the interest from the audience was really high, Davran said they had planned new things for the ballet with the musicology of Emre Aracı.

Aracı has met with Osman Osmanoğlu, a descendent of Murad V in Bodrum, said Davran, adding that the plot of the work is told like a novel at the show.

After the show, they received a lot of positive feedback on the usage of decor and costumes, said Davran. “There are many good criticisms in terms of the Ottoman barges. This was a very important scene for us. We used it to carry Murad V to Çırağan palace.”

Noting that Murad V had a very hard time after his short time as emperor, Davran said the setting of Çırağan Palace suited the ballet very well.

Musicologist Aracı, who arranged the music for the work, said they had tried to tell the life and
thoughts of the sultan in the production.

“Murad V succeeded to the throne in 1876 after his uncle Abdülaziz. He remained on the throne for 93 days and was deposed because he had lost his mind. Then he was imprisoned in the palace for 28 years. When you look at the European press in this period, it is said that he was a respected sultan, but the fact that he had a mental crisis can be seen in some of his works,” Aracı said.