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Suzan Lütfullah Sururi

Suzan Lütfullah Sururi

First Muslim operette prima donna
"I'm like a seagul."

Date of Birth: 1909

Place of Birth: İstanbul

Date of Death: 12/01/1933 1933

Place of Death:

Burial Site: Maçka Cemetery, Istanbul

Topics

Gallery

Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi Suzan Lütfullah Sururi

Field of Activity

Operette

Suzan Lütfullah Sururi's first appearance on stage was 1929 in Samsun with Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi's formed Muhlis's Operette Ensemble.

Ayşe Operette, which gained great success with the soprano Suzan Lutfuallah Sururi, remained on the stage for many years at the Süreyya Paşa Opera House which was opened in 1928 in Kadıköy.

The Operettes With Suzan Lutfullah as Primadonna
  • Ayşe, music: Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi, premiere 1929 in Samsun
  • The Merry Widow (original title: Die lustige Witwe), music: Franz Lehár, premiere: no information available
  • Die Csárdásfürstin, music: Emmerich Kálmán, premiere: no information available
  • Die Bajadere, music: Emmerich Kálmán, premiere: no information available
Suzan Lutfullah Sururi's Record Career
Suzan Lütfullah Sururi's gramophone records, which were recorded in Germany's Polydor Studios (Hannover), includ songs from the operettas like The Merry Widow, Die Csárdásfürstin, Die Bajadere and Ayşe. Suzan Lütfullah also performed tangos. In some records she sang tangos with her husband tenor Lütfullah Sururi in a duet.
The music director and the orchestra conductor of the music records in Germany was Carlo Capocelli. Only eight records of Suzan Lütfullah Sururi which have lasted until now have been collected by actor Cemal Ünlü, a collector of gramaphone records.

Awards

(No information available)

Memberships

(No information available)

Education

French Girl's College (Dame de Sion), Kadıköy, Istanbul

Contributions to Society

(No information available)

Family and Friends

  • Annesi: Zeynep Mahmud Zihniyar
  • Babası:Mahmud Refik (Avukat)
  • Kızı:Gülriz Sururi (Tiyatro sanatçısı, yazar, yönetmen, Marmara Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Tiyatro Bölümü kurucusu)
  • Kız kardeşi:Mevdude Refik Hanım (Sahneye çıkan ilk amatör müslüman kadın tiyatrocu)
  • Evlilik: Lütfullah Sururi (Tenor)
  • Kayınbirader: Yusuf Sururi (yazar, çevirmen), Celal Sururi (yazar, çevirmen), Ali Sururi (tiyatro sanatçısı)
  • Dedesi: İbrahim Bey (Sultan II. Abdülhamit'in kilercibaşısı. II. Abdülhamit'in hükümdarlık süresi 1876 ve 1909 yılları arasındadır.)
  • Dostları:Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi (opera rejisörü, besteci, daha sonra Süreyya Opereti adını alacak olan Muhlis'in Çocukları Operet Topluluğu'nun kurucusu, film müziği bestecisi, gazeteci, Osmanlı Demokrat Fırkası Genel Sekreteri), Zekeriya Sertel, Sabiha Sertel, Celal Esat Arseven (yazar, düşünür), Melek Ezgi (operet ve tiyaro sanatçısı), Abdülhak Hamid (yazar).

Commemorative Projects

Musical in Suzan Lütfulla's Memory
Seven Kalp Böyle Yanar Seven Kalp Böyle Yanar An Sema - Cemal Ünlü project. Koncept: Mustafa Avkıran and Naz Erayda, director: Mustafa Avkıran, stage and costume design: Naz Erayda, choreography: Övül Avkıran, İstanbul, 2001.

Music Album
Ekho 2- Efsane Hanımlar, Hammer Müzik, İstanbul 2006.

Singer Sema's interpretation of Suzan Lütfullah's songs in cooperation with collector of gramaphone records Cemal Ünlü.

Documentary

Uzak bakışlı Kadınlar; Gülümsediğinde, Part II. Script and producer: Füsün Feyizli; Director: Taha Feyizli, TRT Ankara Televizyonu, 2000.

Further Reading

Sources

Quoted sources
  • Gülriz Sururi, Kıldan İnce Kılıçtan Keskince, İstanbul, 1978.
  • Gülriz Sururi, Bir An Gelir, İstanbul, 2003.
  • Interview with Gülriz Sururi

Source for visual images
  • Privat archive Gülriz Sururi, Istanbul

Acknowledgments

The Women's Museum Istanbul would like to thank Gülriz Sururi for Suzan Lütfullah Sururi's visual images in this introductory page

Translation into English: Neşe Natasha Louise Davidson, London, England
©2012 Meral Akkent
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