An analysis of Béla Bartók’s comparisons on the similarities between Turkish and Hungarian music through three works

This study is a research that evaluates the similarities between Turkish and Hungarian music based on the fieldwork of Hungarian Nationalist composer Béla Bartók, who made significant contributions to the history of music, in Anatolia, and in this direction, three analyses are made. Bartók’s deep interest in folk music led him on a comprehensive research journey not only in Hungary but also in different geographies, especially as far as Turkey. Bartók, who visited rural areas and villages in Turkey, conducted in-depth studies on folk music and compiled folk songs. As a result of these field studies, Bartók identified many common rhythmic, melodic and structural similarities in Turkish and Hungarian folk music. The focus of the study is to evaluate Bartók’s comparisons in Anatolia. In addition, three analyses are made comparing the melodic and structural similarities between the Turkish folk songs that Bartók collected and Western music compositions. This research aims to make an in-depth assessment of the cultural interactions and musical connections between Turkish and Hungarian music, to reveal the scientific and cultural value of Bartók’s collection methods. In addition, this study, which aims to discover the bridges between local folk music and contemporary Western music, contributes to a better understanding of the interactions in the universal language of music.