From: jacob@max.cc.brandeis.edu ( )
Subject: Re: recordings of classical byzantine chant [?]
Organization: Brandeis University Math Department
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 12:04:10 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.125443.7792@vax.oxford.ac.uk> wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk
writes:

>OK, so I'm ignorant, but what is Classical Byzantine Chant if it's not chant
>from the 14th to 17th Centuries, which is what the recording of the Ensemble
>Theodore Vassilikos that I've got say it is?

classical byzantine: chant of greek orthodox church up to 15th century
performed according to standard (practice, execution) and versions of melodies
from 11th-15th century (note: that was last golden age of byzantine culture.)

neo-byzantine: chant of same from 15th to present (though repertoire
essentially 15th to end of 18th) performed according to standard codified
beginning of 19th century -- that itself was based on older practice which took
shape probably between 16th and 18th century. present manner, following
chrysanthos's codification shows strong turkish influence. (note: during that
period of course greece was under turkish domination.)

differences...

(1) repertoire: so very few classical byzantine melodies have been preserved
in neo-byzantine repertoire that it is a matter of scholarly research what
neo-byzantine melodies can be traced back to classical ones. furthermore modal
system of the two types of music is completely different. thus not only are
the melodies not the same they don't even sound the same.

classical byzantine music is diatonic and based on same system of 8 modes
as gregorian chant. neo-byzantine music has a "near-eastern" modal system that
took shape under turkish influence. some of its modes have seconds with
1/4-tones, 1/3-tones or 1/6-tones (and it's not the enharmonic genus of anti-
quity, at least not directly, despite what neo-byzantine treatises teach)

(2) peformance: singing techni. (neo-byzantine solos are sung "thru the nose"),
practice of drone ("ison": exclusively neo-byzantine), etc.

only place (to my knowledge) where (greek) classical byzantine chant is still
practiced in actual liturgy is abbey of grottaferatta near rome (italy).

all monasteries and churches of greek orthodox church (to my knowledge)
practice neo-byzantine music.

now it is fairly standard among practitioners of neo-byzantine chant, to
believe or state they represent uninterrupted tradition of byzantine chant.
quoting from maureen m. morgan, "the three teachers and their place in the
history of greek church music" in "studies in eastern chant, ii", oxford univ.
press, 1971 (herself quoting jean-baptiste thibaut, "la musique byzantine et
le chant liturgique des grecs modernes", la tribune de st gervais, iv (1898)):

 "thibaut deplored the complete and total acceptance of the 'mega theoretikon'
 [book by chrysanthos of madytos codifying neo-byzantine practice] by everyone
 in greece. even more incredible, according to thibaut, was the supreme faith
 even among educated greeks that byzantine music musical theory was still
 intact and nearly untouched by the passage of time"

i'm not surprised ensemble theodore vassilikos label their repertoire and
performance as byzantine. they might in good faith believe it is. now i hope
nobody will read in my statements i think one type of chant is "superior" to
the other. that would be very silly.

for references do a subject search on any (decent) online library catalog or
drop me a note.