Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi composed operettas by synthesizing Turkish music modes and rhythms with Western musical techniques and is recognized as one of the significant representatives of Turkish operetta history, having pioneered the accompaniment of Turkish music using the polyphonic capability of the piano. Among the operettas he composed, Ayşe Opereti [Aisha Operetta] stands out as one of the significant works of the Republican Era. It was met with considerable interest during its performances and achieved success through the public’s love for it. Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi’s tendencies to often incorporate themes from Turkish cultural life and to compose works by synthesizing Turkish and Western music in his operettas were highly influential in popularizing and disseminating the operetta genre to wider audiences in Türkiye. Ayşe Opereti was written with these characteristics and is considered a significant operetta of the Republic (Arpad, 1947; Sait, 1933; Taranç, 2005).

The entirety of the text and the majority of the musical notation of Ayşe Opereti are some of the composer’s works that have not survived to the present. Therefore, no definitive evidence is found regarding the exact date when the work was composed. However, the composer did divide his works into three periods, with Ayşe Opereti being observed to belong to the period between 1921-1935. Alongside operettas such as Çaresaz, Zühre, and Kelebek Zabit, which he also composed and were staged by the Istanbul Operetta Company as the most popular ensemble of the Constitutional Period, Ayşe Opereti was also staged by this ensemble in 1922 (Aksoy, 1986; And, 1970; Taranç, 2005). In this regard, considering the initial staging of the operetta, the work is believed to have been written and composed in the early 1920s. 

After the proclamation of the Republic, Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi, who also founded the Süreyya Operetta Ensemble that played a significant role in the development and popularization of the operetta genre in Türkiye, achieved considerable success by staging Ayşe Opereti in many cities with the operetta ensembles he established in subsequent years. In addition to this work being staged by private operetta ensembles established in Türkiye, it was also adapted for radio by Lütfullah Sururi in 1966. The only data remaining in the archives is this radio recording. On top of this, Ayşe Opereti was also adapted for Turkish cinema as the film Ayşem (Saydam, 1968). In 2000, the actress Gülriz Sururi revised the text based on the radio recording and staged it in 2006 (Başkır, 2006; Sururi, 1977; Taranç, 2005).

Presently, Yunus Emre Bozdoğan, an actor, writer, and director, has also adapted Ayşe Opereti for the stage based on the text Gülriz Sururi revised, with Yusuf Yalçın, a member of the Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra, having rearranged the music. The work was included in the repertoire for the first time in the history of the State Opera and Ballet in the 2018-2019 season and was staged by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet on February 27, 2019.

This study aims to examine from both a musical and historical perspective Ayşe Opereti, which was written and composed by Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi, an important representative in the history of Turkish operettas. The study also aims to reveal the contribution and significance of the work to the Turkish operetta literature. Because no previous study has comprehensively examined Ayşe Opereti, this research is considered significant for its potential to fill this gap in the field. This descriptive research was prepared using the case study model and used the survey method to access the data related to Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi, who is directly relevant to the research topic. The findings were then compiled. In addition, access to the vocal scores of the work was obtained through personal interviews and official correspondence with Yusuf Yalçın, a member of the Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra and an arranger of the score. As a result, the study examines the musical characteristics of the work through the vocal scores, with the research taking personal notes while watching a performance to allow the modal and tonal structures of the performed pieces to be determined. 

The research findings reveal Ayşe Opereti to represent one of the earliest examples within the repertoire of Turkish operettas from the Republican Era, when compositions were created by employing a synthesis of Western musical techniques and Turkish musical modes. Furthermore, the study has determined that all the compositions included in Ayşe Opereti possess a readily comprehensible structure, and thus their melodies exhibit a memorable characteristic. Five compositions are based on modal systems, while seven compositions are composed within the tonal system. The staging of Ayşe Opereti is believed to have been incorporated into the annual programs of private and municipal theaters in order to reach a wider audience, thus potentially contributing to the promotion of Turkish composers and their works. Additionally, the compositions featured in Ayşe Opereti are thought to be able to contribute to the vocal training of students studying singing at conservatories and faculties of music within universities, as well as to enrich the literature on Turkish vocal works. Therefore, this study recommends that these compositions be included in the repertoire.