The influence of Rumanian folk music in the music of George Enescu: Op. 25 Sonata for Violin and Piano

Enescu was a prominent composer of the 20th century. However, his career as a composer was overshadowed by his violin career, therefore, during his life time he was mostly a well-known violinist. Although recently his compositions have started to gain more popularity, Enescu -as a composer- has still not drawn significant attention in concert programs and academic fields, especially in Turkey. Along with his violin and composition career, Enescu has also built his career as a conductor and an instructor. He was influenced by Romanian folk music in a number of his compositions and has played a significant role in the development of Romanian musical institutions and classical music in Europe. In the first chapter of this study Enescu's life and music career and in the second chapter certain aspects of Rumanian folk music was discussed. In the third chapter, Enescu's Op. 25 Sonata for Violin and Piano titled "in the Romanian folk character" was examined thoroughly by means of Romanian folk character influences in the piece. Due to the fact that there is no academic research on Enescu in Turkey, this study aims to provide a source and insight in execution and performance of Enescu's music and Op. 25 Sonata for Violin and Piano.