Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio is perhaps the most famous of the Turkish style operas, in which virtuous women are rescued from a harem and the sinister Turks. The opera includes two Janissary marches and one can listen to the entire opera over at.This imitation of Turkish music became so popular in Mozart’s time that special pianos were outfitted with a “Turkish Stop” or “Janissary Stop”, which included a pedal that caused a bell to ring or padded hammer to be struck to imitate a bass drum. Other pianos with built-in bells, tambourines, cymbals, bass drums and other noise-makers became all the rage at the turn of the 19th century.

http://curiousexpeditions.org/?paged=2

 Did Mozart go to Bodrum

 Does Turkish Class have one of these fitted?  I have not seen Janissary lately

It s really funny that still everybody thinks like that about ottoman harems do you really think it was different in other countries at that time? Im sure that ottoman padisah would get jealous of other kingdoms if he saw their harem

 virtuous women?hehe..enjoying vivacious Sultan virtuoso...what a virulent opera plot...when will be the first TCL performence?

 some do not think,thinking makes them tired....but they like to ridicule

 They only think what had gone in harems I think when they are walking in Dolmabahce palace their mind must be busy with the sexual life in harem

 Freud will have a lot to say about their case or W.Oprah..imagine new show"Always wanted to be in a harem but was born too late"

right, some tourists really get dissapointed when they find out that the haremlik section is simply the place where the sultan and his family lived in, but some of these "virtuous" people also join the sex trips to Thailand to have sex with underaged girls.

 You must have been yourself at both places to know this, a real expert you are!

 I think you missed two factors:

(1) People DONT still think like that about Ottoman harems - we are talking about the time that Mozart was around.

(2) My post was a joke (as much about the women tourists in Bodrum as the men)

CALM DOWN EVERYONE!

I have never been to Thailand Trudy, or somewhere around there, and I`m not interested in sex tourism unlike some of the members here who travel thousands of km`s to find a dudu

 Please see "Balls to you" post for immediate calmness......it seems butterflies have inflamed people too!

 Thats very true.  However, if we are going to use basic terms like sexual tourism, please let´s not use the friendly term "dudu" - male prostitutes is more appropriate

but they can find male prostitutes everywhere, dudus are unique to Turkey, besides they are much more costly than gigolos, so they deserve a distinct name.

Sorry to disappoint, but dudus are not unique to Turkey, they are also in Tunisa and Egypt.  However, I agree that Turkey´s seem to be the most successful.

Other country´s male prostitutes are mostly for gays

and, I wonder how you know all of these things

 Offfffffffff I have not even had a dudu, let alone the others

ok, I believe you. I was just kidding.

 So....are we "OK" now?

definitely

 Actually the sexual part of harem is rather true, there was a gözde who was picked to sleep with the sultan whenever he pleased, and actually the girls all wanted to become the gözde. But it is not as ´male idealistic´ as orientalistic views say. I am currently reading 3 articles about it, I havent finished them yet, but they are by Gülru Necipoðlu and Leslie Peirce, and they are about the sovereignty women in the harem had. when I finish reading I will letyou know But it seems that the harem (women part) was more of a political intrigue game for power of women than the sultans sex room (which is definitely the view of orientalism I think)

And no, my mind wasnt busy with that I did wonder where all the beds were though But I was mainly intrigued by a HUGE lamp in one of the rooms. Should ask Chantal which room again it was, I forgot, but it was a VERY heavy lamp, and Im still amazed that the ceiling managed to hold it!!! Dolmabahçe is very kitsch, but very impressive in the same time.

To say the least, Esther and  I totally agree with you!

Dolmabahçe is a kitsch extravagance

A hybrid of Islamic and Victorian kitsch

 you lost your power..nobody listens

 Sorry to disappoint you, but I also haven´t had/wanted/searched for a dudu.

 sorry to disappoint you...i read your early essays

I don`t actually think it`s kitsch, the haremlik section is actually far from being extravagant, it`s so simply decorated, the part that could be called kitsch is the selamlik section which was built to impress foreign diplomats.

I think it was made up though.

 The beauty is in the eye of beholder...and opinions of others

 Well, not all the sections of the Dolmabahçe Sarayý are kitsch, I have to agree with that. But seriously, some parts are very much over decorated (like any other palace that is) and like Ý wonder about any palace: what do they need huuuuuge rooms for, when they decide to place only 4 chairs in it   Yes as I said, it is impressive. I should look up where that room was. Ýt has a dome, which is highlighted even more because of the painting, you relaly get the idea you are looking up at some heavenly spheres or something, and it has an enormous light hanging down, of which I think it took months or even years to install, and it was a few tons of weight. Haaa why cnat I remember.

If any man from Turkey as a bf is a dudu, then you are one too. Welcome Dudu-Temora....

I think you`re talking about the "muayede salonu" which means greeting or meeting room. As far as I know that`s the largest room in the palace and it`s located in the selamlik section. It was only used to exchange greetings in the religious celebrations.

Esther, here is the one:

But what is kitsch?for some chinese goods are great for others ugly...so let things be the things..rose is just a rose...sky is just the sky..ehhh,esthetics

doesn`t it look like a typical over decorated catholic church? I don`t think it`s more kitsch than those churches you can find all over Europe.

 I have never seen an over decorated catholic church really, but thats probably my ´loss´. Did see the most important ones in Rome, maybe at that time I still had ´westernized eyes´, I do not know. Then again. Not my style!!

 what if dudette?

 Welcome to home of Blonde Free Thinkers

 Can I join? I meet 2 of the 3 requirements

 I meet all three

 Another gang?

Excuse me? Have I missed something?

  ?

Which 2 criteria do you meet? I reckoned you do think and you do it freely. Does that mean you dyed your hair and left our blonde club?

  What do you take me for!!! NEVER will I get rid of my blonde hair.

 I wondered that too

Is Dk now a red head?

Offff ya! You scared me! Praised be thy hair!

 thank you u made me calm down now so is he (mozart) really around?

 Yeah he is new member of BSB

(Dont let him be taken by mods )

 Think you just made my find my one true religion

 How about "Pasterfarian Blondes" ?

 Is that like Catholics and Protestants?

I think I´ll sign up anyway. Have been wandering around without a clear path and light in the dark for too long

Sister Brigid was teaching her young students one day and she asked each of them what they would like to be when they grew up. She came to a little girl who responded, "When I grow up I want to be a prostitute."

Shocked, good Sister Brigid fainted on the spot. Her students rushed to revive her. When she came around, Sister asked the little girl, "What did you say you wanted to be when you grew up?" The little girl replied, "A prostitute."

"Oh thank goodness," the relieved nun replied "I thought you said a Protestant."

 ... probably DK mods deleted him - they delete all geniuses!!!

 DK must be a protestan then hehe

 I the mods just don´t like his music. Sorry. It forced me to delete him, despite his appropriate behaviour. Sorry

 Eþek hoþaftan ne anlar

 Yes Ive been wondering that too. Maybe another Pastafarian Blonde will know )

what was it? did you say redneck?

 Must learn Turkish.....

 it s a very important a well known proverb in turkish?DD

We´d have to ask our specialist on proverbs. Yilgun? Nerdesin lan?

 Eeee? Tell me something I dont know

(BFT Gang are good today )

Well, the sentence in itself means ´What does a donkey understand from fruit compote´ (not sure if thats the english word, but you know when they boil the fruits n put them in this syrup kind of marmelade)

It is used for people who cannot appreciate or even belittle things that one could actually like (like cultural and intellectual things I suppose )

Well done Wind. DK only a heathen could say such things about Mozart (even if he was deluded about Turks)

 Yes. does it also give you the feeling that I have just been compared to (by?) an uncultured donkey for not having cyber-appreciation for Mozart

 Actually it was insulting to esek to compare him to you

 Im a devout pastafarian

And for what it matters, I veyr much appreciate his (single?) role in the development of piano concertos, and the piano sonatas he composed Makes me regret never touching the piano anymore really, but one of the reasons was I wasnt good neough to play such

 Are you sure you also meet the T requirement in BFT?

  do not try to show u are different now ok I understand u want to enter an argument with Mozart and be populer as many pop singers do

I must remind, it s not good talking after dead ppl, and a big sin

Wind what did you do to this thread ?  

It is all messed up!

DK just FOR ONCE, put your admin/mod powers to good use and sort out this nasty stretchy page!!!!!!

 I dont believe in sins

Argument with Mozart, I thought I had finally gotten rid of him, where is he

 Consider it done!

 so how are you???

 Thanx

 what is done??? I hope u wont delete my accountDD

 You did something weird to the thread - made it stretch wide  

You bad bad bad wind

 I like blondes keep away from me

 With pleasure

you got it wrong. DD stands for Doesn´t Delete. DK stands for Deletes Kindly

 What happened to Dates Delikizin

oh, this one´s still ON (I just had a moment of doubt when I thought you were not a blonde anymore but it´s ok now)

I´m a natural red head, I never think, even not freely. So I can´t join the BFT gang. Anyone in for a NRHG? (I´m hopefully not the only red head here?   )

 I´m one too!

 Join the NRHG? Please?

Count me in-who else is out there?

 I´ve just had red lowlights added to my hair for autumn  does that count?...but I think I prefer the BFT

 Noooooooo!  Hairdressers always start suggesting "a few red lowlights" to blonde hair in Autumn - PAY THEM NO ATTENTION!  After a few washes the whole effect is the colour of sick!

 heh heh speaking from experience??

 Yes, the winter of 2006 was a sad one

so i see

 Is this not thehandsom?

And this week, the trophy awarded to the member who manages to take the original post furthest off topic goes jointly to..............

       THE AENIGMA AND LESLUV 

Congratulations from the TC Team!! Please keep it polished and in good condition for next week´s winner

Awwwwwwwww thanks

I would like to thank my mother, my father, my publicist, my secretary, my agent.....

 oh i don´t know what to say....the aenigma for making it possible , members of the SS, THE BFT, The NRHG, and not forgetting the SSD and L. I love you all....Bravo Brava