The process of development and transformation in kemane performance from past to present

This doctoral dissertation examines the development and transformation of kemane performance from past to present within the framework of traditional performance practice and synthesis/innovative approaches. The study addresses the historical positioning of the kemane within Anatolian musical culture, regional performance practices, modes of transmission, and performer profiles within a multidimensional framework. The primary aim of the research is to identify the elements that serve as sources for traditional kemane performance; to analyze the technical and stylistic characteristics of the performance manners of performers who constitute references for this tradition; to examine the effects of socio-cultural transformations on kemane performance; and to comparatively evaluate the performance characteristics of performers who have shaped synthesis/innovative performance approaches. The research was conducted within a qualitative research framework, adopting the descriptive survey model. During the data collection process, written sources as well as audio-visual materials were examined using the document analysis method. The sample of the study consists of 14 kemane performers who have gained visibility at local and national levels throughout the historical process and whose performance recordings are accessible. In the content analysis phase, selected performance examples were examined based on criteria designed to render traditional and synthesis/innovative performance approaches analytically observable. In some cases, instrumental sections, and in others the entire piece, were transcribed into notation in a manner that reflects performer-specific technical and performance manner characteristics. The tuning systems employed in the performances were identified, and the resulting notations were transferred into a digital environment using the Finale 2014 music notation software. The findings indicate that kemane performance exhibits aspects of historical continuity in terms of performance manner, technique, and repertoire; however, they also point to a dynamic performance field reshaped by factors such as urbanization, mass media, technological developments, institutionalization processes (TRT and conservatories), and inter-genre interaction. Within this context, the study aims to provide an analytical contribution to discussions on manner- and style-based classifications of kemane performance by addressing the transformation process through the combined consideration of modes of reproducing tradition, individual creativity, and the determining role of contemporary performance contexts.