Petros Peloponnesios ("Peter the Peloponnesian") or Peter the Lampadarios (c. 1735 – 1778) was a cantor, composer and teacher of Byzantine and Ottoman music. He must have served as second domestikos between his arrival about 1764 until the death of Ioannes Trapezountios, and it is assumed that he became lampadarios (leader of the left choir) between 1770 and 1778 at the Great Church of Constantinople, after Daniel the Protopsaltes became Archon Protopsaltes. Large parts of the monodic chant sung in several current traditions of Orthodox Chant are transcriptions of his compositions. He wrote these as a teacher of the "New Music School of the Patriarchate".
Life
Petros was born at Tripolis, Rumelia Eyalet between 1730 and 1740.[1] According to Georgios Papadopoulos he was educated in monastic communities of Smyrna.[2] In 1764 he came to Constantinople to study with Ioannes Trapezountios, the Archon Protopsaltes, while Daniel like Ioannes student of Panagiotes Halacoğlu was Lampadarios at the Great Church of Constantinople. Petros could serve there as second domestikos who was usually in charge to notate the versions sung by the cantors with the higher ranks. Between 1770 and 1778 he served as lampadarios (leader of the left choir), until he became ill.[3]
Jean Baptiste Vanmour: Whirling dervishes in the Tekke of Peran (18th-century painting in the collection of the Rijksmuseum)
Together with Iakovos the Protopsaltes, the first domestikos between 1764 and 1776, he followed the first Archon Protopsaltes Daniel as official teacher of the New Music School of the Patriarchate in 1776. He also taught Petros Byzantios he chose as second domestikos after being announced as lampadarios, and composed many exercises (mathemata) for his students. The term "mathemata" usually referred to the kalophonic way to embellish the old stichera (sticheron kalophonikon, anagrammatismos), the old heirmoi (heirmos kalophonikos), certain theotokia or kontakia.[4] Its method was usually taught by John Koukouzeles' «Mega Ison».[5]
Within other musical traditions of the Ottoman Empire, Petros had a very exceptional knowledge of makamlar, probably even of Armenian chant, and even if he did not invent the new analytical way to use Middle Byzantine notation, he had the reputation to have a very profound understanding of music which enabled him to notate music after just have listened to it once, even music which was not composed according to the octoechos. He also had the reputation of being a rather intrigant musician. On the one hand, Hafiz invited him and were very eager to learn even makam melodies from him (probably rather a Greek way of developing them), on the other hand, he was called "Hırsız" (thief) and "Hoca Petros" (teacher), because he had many students coming from a different traditional background. Since he could easily memorise compositions and he liked to change them and perform them in such a convincing way, that some musicians asked for his "permission", before they published them.[6] Petros was also strongly associated with the Mevlevi tekke in Peran.[7] But he was not the first Archon Protopsaltes of the Great Church who had an interest in makam music documented by neume transcriptions of makam music, already Panagiotes Halacoğlu who preceded Ioannes as Archon Protopsaltes (ca. 1726–1736), had it.[8] Halacoğlu's student Kyrillos Marmarinos transcribed makamlar into Byzantine neumes and both wrote treatises about it.[9] Petros was in his forties, when he died during a plague in Constantinople which killed a third of its population.
...
Petros' contribution to church and makam music
His reputation―as an important teacher and composer―is mainly based on his vast contributions concerning the Heirmologion (Katavaseion or Heirmologion argon, printed the first time in transcription in 1825) and the short or simple Sticherarion (Doxastarion syntomon, printed the first time in transcription in 1820).[10] These innovations of Orthodox chant had been written during his last years and parts of it were likely continued by his second domestikos Petros Byzantios who followed him as lampadarios, but also as teacher at the New Music School of the Patriarchate. According to Chrysanthos, Petros Peloponnesios' realisations for the Anthology of the Divine Liturgies (like the Papadic cherubikon, and koinonikon cycles) were already written, while he was still second domestikos and not supposed to contribute with own compositions.[11] Petros composed two cycles of cherubika for the weekdays, unlike other composers who composed in all eight echoi, his cycles follow the order of the weekly koinonika (protos for Monday, varys for Tuesday, tetartos for Wednesday, plagios tetartos for Thursday, and plagios protos for Friday). Later as lampadarios, Petros did not simply transcribe and contribute to the new hyphos created by his masters Ioannes and Daniel, he also studied the Byzantine tradition as well as innovative Protopsaltes of the Ottoman period like Petros Bereketis.[12] Although it is not clear, whether Georgios Papadopoulos was right that Petros stole makam music, since the author rather compiled earlier Ottoman anecdotes in his biography of Petros, the latter had a certain reputation to usurp the contribution to the hyphos by other composers like Ioannes the Protopsaltes and Daniel the Protopsaltes as his own work, especially of those he was charged to transcribe as a second domestikos.[13] Sometimes he simply pointed at the hyphos project he shared with Daniel the Protopsaltes and other students of Ioannes. He did not write down the background of a traditional melos as was the traditional synoptic use of notation, but also details of a personal realisation like in case of the doxastikon of Kassia's troparion, which he specified "in imitation of Daniel the Protopsaltes". Petros Peloponnesios' abridged Doxastarion was one of the first transcriptions of idiomela according to a new simple "hyphos"-style which was created by Ioannes Trapezountios. The necessity for such an abridgement followed a request by Patriarch Cyril V in 1756, after the melos of the old sticherarion in the tradition of 17th-century composers like Georgios Raidestinos, Panagiotes the New Chrysaphes, and Germanos of New Patras had become too elaborated.[14] Petros' Doxastarion and its rhythmic style was very controversially discussed among the other teachers at the New Music School of the Patriarchate, especially by Petros' rival Iakovos. The dispute was followed by alternative editions, and the hyphos was continued as an oral tradition among traditionalist protopsaltes like Konstantinos Byzantios, Georgios Raidestinos II, Iakovos Nafpliotes, and Konstantinos Pringos. Petros' reputation was not limited to the field of Orthodox chant, he also "composed" and transcribed other genres of Armenian and Ottoman (even composers of the 14th century), including Ottoman makam genres like Peşrev, Taksim and Saz semai which were usually included in cyclic compositions known as Fasıl, but also makam compositions following usul rhythms over Greek texts (Tragodia rhomaïka).[15] According to Kyriakos Kalaitzidis between three and five manuscripts with Makam transcriptions written by Petros' hand have survived, where Petros did also suggest their cyclic organisation as Fasıl.[16] With the Codex Gritsanis 3, Petros created one of the most important collections of classical Ottoman music between the 14th and the 18th centuries.
Works: The following list refers to the common ascription of the largest repertoire of monodic Orthodox chant to Petros, except the Anastasimatarion syntomon, ascribed to Petros by Chrysanthos and contemporary scribes, but nowadays regarded as a contribution by Daniel the Protopsaltes.[17] Concerning the Koinonikon cycle, some Anthologies present two different cycles, one of them is supposed to be composed by Petros.[18] The ascription of such a big part to Petros is still a controversial issue, even if his contribution can hardly be underestimated. He obviously had a key role as a notator of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but this became the charge of the Second Domestikos who had to transcribe the first realisations of the hyphos as it was performed by the first domestikos, the lampadarios, and the archon protopsaltes.
Romanos the Melodist (Greek: Ῥωμανὸς ὁ Μελωδός; late 5th-century — after 555) was a Byzantine hymnographer and composer,[1] who is a central early figure in the history of Byzantine music. Called "the Pindar of rhythmic poetry",[3] he flourished during the sixth century, though the earliest manuscripts of his works are dated centuries after this.[4] He was the foremost Kontakion composer of his time.[5]
Life:
The main source of information about the life of Romanos comes from the Menaion for October. Beyond this, his name is mentioned by only two other ancient sources. once in the eighth-century poet St. Germanos and once in the Souda (s. v. anaklomenon) where he is called "Romanos the melodist". From this scanty evidence we learn that he was born to a Jewish family in either Emesa (modern-day Homs) or Damascus in Syria. He was baptized as a young boy (though whether or not his parents also converted is uncertain). Having moved to Berytus (Beirut), he was ordained a deacon in the Church of the Resurrection there. He later moved to Constantinople during the reign of the emperor Anastasius—on the question whether Anastasius I (491-518) or Anastasius II (713-716) is meant, the renowned Byzantinologist Prof. Karl Krumbacher favours the earlier date.[6] There he served as sacristan in the "Great Church" (Hagia Sophia), residing to the end of his life at the Monastery of Kyros, where he was buried along with his disciple St. Ananias. If those scholars who believe that he lived during the reign of the earlier Anastasius are correct, then he may have continued writing during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-65), who was himself a hymn-writer; this would make him a contemporary of two other famous Byzantine hymnographers, Anastasios and Kyriakos.
He later moved to Constantinople during the reign of the emperor Anastasius—on the question whether Anastasius I (491-518) or Anastasius II (713-716) is meant, the renowned Byzantinologist Prof. Karl Krumbacher favours the earlier date.[6] There he served as sacristan in the "Great Church" (Hagia Sophia), residing to the end of his life at the Monastery of Kyros, where he was buried along with his disciple St. Ananias.
If those scholars who believe that he lived during the reign of the earlier Anastasius are correct, then he may have continued writing during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-65), who was himself a hymn-writer; this would make him a contemporary of two other famous Byzantine hymnographers, Anastasios and Kyriakos.
Legend
According to legend, Romanus was not at first considered to be either a talented reader or singer. He was, however, loved by the Patriarch of Constantinople because of his great humility. Once, around the year 518, while serving in the Church of the Panagia at Blachernae, during the All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, he was assigned to read the kathisma verses from the Psalter. He read so poorly that another reader had to take his place. Some of the lesser clergy ridiculed Romanus for this, and being humiliated he sat down in one of the choir stalls. Overcome by weariness and sorrow, he soon fell asleep. As he slept, the Theotokos (Mother of God) appeared to him with a scroll in her hand. She commanded him to eat the scroll, and as soon as he did so, he awoke. He immediately received a blessing from the Patriarch, mounted the ambo (pulpit), and chanted extemporaneously his famous Kontakion of the Nativity, "Today the Virgin gives birth to Him Who is above all being…." The emperor, the patriarch, the clergy, and the entire congregation were amazed at both the profound theology of the hymn and Romanos' clear, sonorous voice as he sang. According to tradition, this was the very first kontakion ever sung. The Greek word "kontakion" (κοντάκιον) refers to the shaft on which a scroll is wound, hence the significance of the Theotokos' command for him to swallow a scroll, indicating that his compositions were by divine inspiration. The scene of Romanos's first performance is often shown in the lower register of Pokrov icons (example above).[7]
Works
Ο Ρωμανός και η Παρθένος, μικρογραφία από το Μηνολόγιο του Βασιλείου Β΄
Romanos wrote in an Atticized literary koine—i.e., he had a popular, but elevated style—and abundant Semiticisms support the view that he was of Jewish origin. Arresting imagery, sharp metaphors and similes, bold comparisons, antitheses, coining of successful maxims, and vivid dramatization characterize his style.
He is said to have composed more than 1,000 hymns or kontakia celebrating various festivals of the ecclesiastical year, the lives of the saints and other sacred subjects,[3] some 60 to 80 of which survive (though not all those attributed to him may be genuine).[citation needed] The earliest manuscripts of his works are dated centuries after his lifetime, akin to those of his successors Andrew of Crete and Kassia.[4] The oldest editions of full texts are dated to the 11th century.[1]Today, usually only the first strophe of each kontakion is chanted during the divine services, the full hymn having been replaced by the canon. A full kontakion was a poetic sermon composed of from 18 to 30 verses or ikoi, each with a refrain, and united by an acrostic. When it was sung to an original melody, it was called an idiomelon. Originally, Saint Romanos' works were known simply as "psalms", "odes", or "poems". It was only in the ninth century that the term kontakion came into use.
Among his known works are kontakia on:
The Nativity of Christ
The Martyrdom of St Stephen
The Death of a Monk
The Last Judgment
The Prodigal Son
The Raising of Lazarus (for Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday)
Adam's Lament (for Palm Sunday)
The Treachery of Judas
His Kontakion of the Nativity is still considered to be his masterpiece, and up until the twelfth century it was sung every year at the imperial banquet on that feast by the joint choirs of Hagia Sophia and of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Most of the poem takes the form of a dialogue between the Mother of God and the Magi, whose visit to the newborn Christ Child is celebrated in the Byzantine rite on 25 December, rather than on the 6th of January when Western Christians celebrate the visit (in the Orthodox Church, January 6, the Feast of the Theophany, celebrates the Baptism of Christ).
Of his other Kontakia, one of the most well-known is the hymn, "My soul, my soul, why sleepest thou..."[8] which is chanted as part of the service of the "Great Canon" of Andrew of Crete on the fifth Thursday of Great Lent.
Romanos is one of many persons who have been credited with composing the famous Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, which is still sung during Great Lent. Most recent scholarship has asserted that he is not the author of the hymn, although there is significant dissent among scholars.[9]
Romanos the Melodist Article Talk Read Edit View history Tools From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other people with the same name, see Romanus (disambiguation). "Saint Roman" redirects here. For the French commune, see Saint-Roman. Saint Romanos Icon of Romanus the Melodist (1649) The Melodist Born Late 5th-century[1] Emesa (modern-day Homs, Syria) Died After 555[1] Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) Venerated in Eastern Orthodox Church Catholic Church Armenian Apostolic Church Feast October 1 (October 14 N.S.)[2] Attributes Young man vested as a deacon, standing on a raised platform in the middle of a church, holding a scroll with his Kontakion of the Nativity written on it. He is surrounded by the Patriarch, the Emperor, and members of the congregation. His icon is often a combined with that of The Protection of the Mother of God, which falls on the same day. Sometimes he is depicted as a deacon holding a censer in his right hand and a small model of a church in his left. Patronage Music Romanos the Melodist (Greek: Ῥωμανὸς ὁ Μελωδός; late 5th-century — after 555) was a Byzantine hymnographer and composer,[1] who is a central early figure in the history of Byzantine music. Called "the Pindar of rhythmic poetry",[3] he flourished during the sixth century, though the earliest manuscripts of his works are dated centuries after this.[4] He was the foremost Kontakion composer of his time.[5] Life The main source of information about the life of Romanos comes from the Menaion for October. Beyond this, his name is mentioned by only two other ancient sources. once in the eighth-century poet St. Germanos and once in the Souda (s. v. anaklomenon) where he is called "Romanos the melodist". From this scanty evidence we learn that he was born to a Jewish family in either Emesa (modern-day Homs) or Damascus in Syria. He was baptized as a young boy (though whether or not his parents also converted is uncertain). Having moved to Berytus (Beirut), he was ordained a deacon in the Church of the Resurrection there. He later moved to Constantinople during the reign of the emperor Anastasius—on the question whether Anastasius I (491-518) or Anastasius II (713-716) is meant, the renowned Byzantinologist Prof. Karl Krumbacher favours the earlier date.[6] There he served as sacristan in the "Great Church" (Hagia Sophia), residing to the end of his life at the Monastery of Kyros, where he was buried along with his disciple St. Ananias. If those scholars who believe that he lived during the reign of the earlier Anastasius are correct, then he may have continued writing during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-65), who was himself a hymn-writer; this would make him a contemporary of two other famous Byzantine hymnographers, Anastasios and Kyriakos. Legend According to legend, Romanus was not at first considered to be either a talented reader or singer. He was, however, loved by the Patriarch of Constantinople because of his great humility. Once, around the year 518, while serving in the Church of the Panagia at Blachernae, during the All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, he was assigned to read the kathisma verses from the Psalter. He read so poorly that another reader had to take his place. Some of the lesser clergy ridiculed Romanus for this, and being humiliated he sat down in one of the choir stalls. Overcome by weariness and sorrow, he soon fell asleep. As he slept, the Theotokos (Mother of God) appeared to him with a scroll in her hand. She commanded him to eat the scroll, and as soon as he did so, he awoke. He immediately received a blessing from the Patriarch, mounted the ambo (pulpit), and chanted extemporaneously his famous Kontakion of the Nativity, "Today the Virgin gives birth to Him Who is above all being…." The emperor, the patriarch, the clergy, and the entire congregation were amazed at both the profound theology of the hymn and Romanos' clear, sonorous voice as he sang. According to tradition, this was the very first kontakion ever sung. The Greek word "kontakion" (κοντάκιον) refers to the shaft on which a scroll is wound, hence the significance of the Theotokos' command for him to swallow a scroll, indicating that his compositions were by divine inspiration. The scene of Romanos's first performance is often shown in the lower register of Pokrov icons (example above).[7] Works Romanos and Virgin Mary, Miniature from the Menologion of Basil II Romanos wrote in an Atticized literary koine—i.e., he had a popular, but elevated style—and abundant Semiticisms support the view that he was of Jewish origin. Arresting imagery, sharp metaphors and similes, bold comparisons, antitheses, coining of successful maxims, and vivid dramatization characterize his style. He is said to have composed more than 1,000 hymns or kontakia celebrating various festivals of the ecclesiastical year, the lives of the saints and other sacred subjects,[3] some 60 to 80 of which survive (though not all those attributed to him may be genuine).[citation needed] The earliest manuscripts of his works are dated centuries after his lifetime, akin to those of his successors Andrew of Crete and Kassia.[4] The oldest editions of full texts are dated to the 11th century.[1] Today, usually only the first strophe of each kontakion is chanted during the divine services, the full hymn having been replaced by the canon. A full kontakion was a poetic sermon composed of from 18 to 30 verses or ikoi, each with a refrain, and united by an acrostic. When it was sung to an original melody, it was called an idiomelon. Originally, Saint Romanos' works were known simply as "psalms", "odes", or "poems". It was only in the ninth century that the term kontakion came into use. Among his known works are kontakia on: The Nativity of Christ The Martyrdom of St Stephen The Death of a Monk The Last Judgment The Prodigal Son The Raising of Lazarus (for Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday) Adam's Lament (for Palm Sunday) The Treachery of Judas His Kontakion of the Nativity is still considered to be his masterpiece, and up until the twelfth century it was sung every year at the imperial banquet on that feast by the joint choirs of Hagia Sophia and of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Most of the poem takes the form of a dialogue between the Mother of God and the Magi, whose visit to the newborn Christ Child is celebrated in the Byzantine rite on 25 December, rather than on the 6th of January when Western Christians celebrate the visit (in the Orthodox Church, January 6, the Feast of the Theophany, celebrates the Baptism of Christ). Of his other Kontakia, one of the most well-known is the hymn, "My soul, my soul, why sleepest thou..."[8] which is chanted as part of the service of the "Great Canon" of Andrew of Crete on the fifth Thursday of Great Lent. Romanos is one of many persons who have been credited with composing the famous Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, which is still sung during Great Lent. Most recent scholarship has asserted that he is not the author of the hymn, although there is significant dissent among scholars.[9] Karl Krumbacher published in Munich several previously unpublished chants of Romanos and other hymnographers, from manuscripts discovered in the library of the Monastery of St John the Theologian in Patmos. There exists in the library of Moscow a Greek manuscript which contains kontakia and oikoi for the whole year, but does not include all compositions of Romanos.
Krumbacher says of his work:
In poetic talent, fire of inspiration, depth of feeling, and elevation of language, he far surpasses all the other melodes. The literary history of the future will perhaps acclaim Romanos for the greatest ecclesiastical poet of all ages.
Saint John the Damascene (c. 676 – December 4, 749) was a Byzantine monk and priest. He was born in Damascus—hence his nickname—and belonged to a prominent family. His father, Sergius, was the commander of Damascus, which was then subject to the Saracens, and "minister" of finance to Abdel-Malek (685-705), caliph of the Arabs. Ioannis' family situation also determined his studies.His father bought the freedom of the captive monk and excellent teacher from Southern Italy, Cosmas of Sicily, who undertook the training of John in the basic fields of knowledge, i.e. arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy, rhetoric , the philosophy of Plato and that of Aristotle.
Saint John Damascene succeeded his father in the service of the caliph and occupied a similar position during the time of the caliph Walid (705-715). Finally, however, after renouncing the worldly offices, at the urging of the Patriarch of Jerusalem John V he was ordained an elder and settled in the monastery of Saint Savvas, near Jerusalem. There he lived his whole life studying and writing, mainly musical works.
He was an iconoclast and fiercely fought the iconoclast Emperors Leo III Isaurus and his son Constantine V. Writing letters, he asked the people of the city to honor the icons. It is reported that Leo III ordered that John's handwriting be imitated and that a forged letter be sent to the caliph, making it appear that John offered Damascus to the Byzantines. The caliph was convinced and cut off his right hand, which miraculously healed. Then he wrote the first stanza of the Rule of the 1st sound "Your trophy is on the right, divinely in power you are glorified".
Thanks to his eloquence he was also called "Chrysorroas", while for his rich musical work he was called "Master of music". He was declared a saint. The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church celebrate his memory on December 4. He is also recognized as a saint by the Lutheran and Anglican Churches.
Ioannis Koukouzelis is a saint and great composer of the Orthodox Church, who lived in the 13th-14th AD. h. He was also called Angelophone and Kallikeladus. He is considered the second greatest composer after John Damascene, and is often described as a "Master of Music".
Life
John was born around 1280 in Durres to a farming family. His father is of unknown origin and his mother Bulgarian [4][5]. As he had an excellent voice, he went to Constantinople to study at the imperial school. The first years of his studies were difficult. In fact, when they asked him at school what he ate, he answered "kukia and zelia" (peas), because he was poor.Later he met the abbot of the Great Lavra, from whom he learned about the monastic life on Mount Athos and decided to become a monk. But in the meantime the emperor, who had appreciated his art, had appointed him chief musician of the imperial chanters and wanted to marry him to the daughter of a magnate. Then John went to the place of his birth to get his mother's consent for the marriage. But he arranged with his friends to lie to his mother that he had died.In fact, as he was secretly inside the house and heard his mother crying and wailing about his supposed death, he wrote the eulogy (obituary) entitled "Bulgara". He then went to Mount Athos, to the monastery of Megistis Lavra, dressed in hairy clothes and concealing his identity. When the porter asked him who he was, and what he wanted, he replied that he was a peasant, a shepherd of sheep, and that he desired the solitary figure. When the gatekeeper noticed that he was very young, John humbly replied with the saying of the prophet Jeremiah "A good man, when he was a yoke in his youth."
He became a monk at Lavra Monastery and was appointed shepherd of the monastery's goats. But when he took the goats out to graze, they returned late in the afternoon back to their pen almost fasting, unlike other times when other fathers grazed them. The abbot commissioned a certain monk to follow John to see what was happening. The monk recounted that as they were grazing the animals, Koukouzelis began to sing and then they stopped eating and listened to him attentively. When the chanting stopped, then they started eating again. At some point he started again, and the animals looked at him again as if bewitched,stopping to graze. Then the abbot invited him and recognized him. At first she scolded him for not revealing who he was. In fact, he wrote the events to the emperor, who agreed not to disturb the musician who had literally escaped from the palace. From then on, John lived in a cell of the Lavra, and on Sundays and holidays he sang in the temple with the other cantors. He did not try to impress by showing off his vocal abilities, but he sang prayerfully, causing the listeners to be moved and in a prayerful mood.
After a life of devotion, he was declared a saint and his memory is honored by the Orthodox Church on October 1st. In the monastery of Megistis Lavra there is an icon of him that shows him surrounded by his musical symbols, the "nods".
Memorable incidents
According to tradition, on a certain feast day, Saturday of the 5th week of Lent, when the Akathistos Hymn was sung, after the end of the rule, John fell asleep in the pew, tired from the vigil. There he saw in a vision that the Mother of God came and gave him a gold coin, because he had sung her hymn too voraciously. Immediately he awoke, and found in his hand the gift of the Virgin. This gold coin was cut in two. Half of it is today next to the icon of the Virgin in the church of Lavra and the other half was sent to Russia.
Petros' contribution to church and makam music
Ioannis Koukouzelis made modifications and changes or additions to the points of the symbolic writing of the melodies established by Ioannis the Damascene. He wrote a theoretical work on musical art and a book of musical scores containing church hymns. He created the so-called Mega Ison of the Papadiki, which later in the 18th century was transferred to newer music significant by Peter the Peloponnesian and finally to the new system, which was valid from the beginning of the 19th century (1814 AD), with the reform of ecclesiastical musical notation elaborated by Chrysanthos the Madytine.He created the circular Great Wheel of music, which has four other smaller Wheels around it. Each of them represents by evidence the lateral fall of each lateral sound towards its main sound. The eight tones of our church music are compared to the eight tones of the ancients. Above and below the smaller wheels are given the names of the main and lateral sounds: Dorios, Lydios, Phrygios, Mixolydios, Hypodorios, Hypolydios, Hypophrygios, Hypomixolydios.
St. Ioannis Koukouzelis hummed during the eight sounds Cherubic short and long artfully. Of these, one is preserved in the italic sound of the second (palatian), a Social "Ainete" in italic sound of the first, and a "Geysasthe" in italic sound of the first. Also preserved are the large and artistic Anixantarias, the slow "Makarios anir", the (in the artoclasia) "Haire keharitomeni" by anagram in A' tetraphonic sound,Hallelujahs in the first sound and italic of the first, "Anothen the Prophets", the fame "The despot and high priest", chandeliers, dokhs, callophonous eirmos, pasapnoarias and many others. Some of them have been published, while others are anecdotal. Its significator was in use until the middle of the 18th century, so the Cantor of the Great Church John of Trebizond (1756), at the request of his Ecumenical Patriarch Cyril of Nicomedia, changed the system of characters, introducing a simpler method of parasignification. The musical manuscripts of Saint John Koukouzelis are kept in the Libraries of Constantinople, Thessaloniki, Athens, Mount Athos, the Vatican, Paris, Vienna and other cities
Life and his work
Theodoros Papa Paraschou Fokaevs is of interest to the science of Musicology but also to the history of the development of musical things in general from three main points of view, because his decisive contribution was threefold in terms of composition, as a melodist, in terms of recording makamis and songs, as a "tonator" , and in terms of publishing activity, as a publisher of the basic music books.
For Theodoros Fokaeas, we know the dates of important events in his life thanks to a biography of him, published immediately after his death by his son Konstantinos, in 1851, and repeated by his other two children, Alexander and Leonidas, in 1863 and 1869, but also thanks to the news he left us, either in the prefaces or in the advertisements of his publications.
A long excerpt from his biography, apparently composed by Onufrios Byzantios, is useful here. "Theodoros Papa Parashou was born in Ionia, Fokas, born in 1790...". Paraschos' father was a priest, a first guarantee for the prosperity of little Theodoros.
He took his first musical steps near his father. Mikros lost his sight for nine whole years. This became a serious obstacle to his studies. He must have gone blind when he was about fifteen, about 1805, and was cured in 1814.
He learned the Old Method of the art of notation in Kydonias from his brother Athanasios, a few years before he left for Constantinople.
He had a quick musical perception and had learned well the art of chanting in Kydonias, because when he arrived in Constantinople, he almost immediately took over as a chanter at Agios Dimitrios in Tataula, singing together with the teacher Hurmouzios, but for a very short time. In Constantinople, his zeal for perfecting the Art of Psalter and learning the New Method of analytical notation, led him to Grigorios Protopsaltis, then lampadario of M.X.E.
he influence of Gregory on Theodoros' work is obvious, and the latter's preoccupation with songs, Greek and Turkish, and their publication, can only have its origins in Gregory. However, Hurmouzios was also his teacher, since they were in fact together in Tataula.
He sang for more than thirty years, the first 6 as Lampadarios in I.N. Agios Dimitrios of Tataouli after Master Khourmouzios, and the rest as Protopsaltis of I.N. Agios Nikolaos Galatas, after the aedimus Stavrakis.
Theodoros Fokaevs himself, in 1843, informs us that "I have stopped singing in the Holy Church of Agios Nikolaos in Galata, as my physical strength does not allow me to continue this work".
heodoros dedicated the last decade of his life to the publishing activity and the composition of his personal work. However, he did not stop until his death teaching chanting and external music. He started teaching at least after 2-3 years of his apprenticeship at the Genus Music School, that is around 1820-21, when this School was closed. And he did not teach music amateurishly, but systematically, in a school type and with a fee to raise money.
The many obligations and responsibilities he had assumed with his publications and his concern to meet them, wore him down physically and mentally and kept him away from music making. And indeed it can be seen how he created his personal work in the last decade of his life, as can be seen from the fact that in his last two multivolume publications, the Musical Bee (4 volumes, in 1848) and the Anthology Fund (3 volumes, in 1851) he collected his own compositions, some of which are even described as "new".The only thing that pleases him, and he cannot hide it, is that "when new compositions are added to me, they are submitted to the criticism of the Most Holy Theotokos and of the Holy Synod and they are examined, evaluated and declared worthy of publication, as not innovative, but you strictly observe the style and the member of the established church music".
Theodoros' work was widely disseminated, it was anthologized in manuscripts on Mount Athos and elsewhere and won the favor of chanters due to its simplicity and well-paced melodiousness.
On October 3, 1851, he died relatively young, and as a virtuous man, philosophic and philanthropic, being "necessary in society".
Going back now to recapitulate the triptych of his activity and evaluate his contribution to musical things, we must point out that he came up with the work of composition in the last years of his life, considering the poems of his predecessors, even his contemporary teachers, as "excellent" melodrama, and these are indicated in his Kripida as necessary lessons, which must be passed by anyone who wants to perfect himself in the Art of Singing.
Publishing his Kripida, in 1842, he alludes against the Lesbian System, which he considers modernist and does not fail, as in almost all his prefaces, to praise the benefactors of the genus, the three Masters and exponents of the New Method of analytical notation. His didactic theoretical contribution can be seen in the "orthography" chapter, which as the editor he was, he was also the most competent in his time to write.
n the other activity of Fokaios, the recording and publication of songs, an artistic lesson, which he calls "Kiari", for the use of musicologists, and which, as it appears, the publishing activity of Theodoros Fokaios, began in 1830 with the publication of Euterpi, is important. , and ended with his death, in 1851, when he finished and saw the first volume of his three-volume Anthology printed.
He published, in the space of twenty years, eight and with the last two multi-part works, ten basic music books, which are historical monuments of the art of singing, but also artistic monuments of typography. His publications were published in two thousand copies each. The Anastasimatario and the Anthology of Grigorios Protopsaltos were published by him himself in two editions. The evolution of psalms owes a lot to the publishing efforts of Theodoros for the stabilization and dissemination of the psalt tradition.
An important aspect of modern Greek history are the lists of subscribers at the end of its editions. At the end of the Collection of Proprietary Members (1831), the Anastasimatario (1832 and 1839), the Anthology Fund (1837), the Callophonic Eirmology (1835), the Pandora (1843) and the Musical Bee (1848) on pages 202-231 of D The volume contains the names of many hundreds of subscribers, with the indication of their profession and place of origin.High priests, hieromonks, monks, singers and music lovers in all parts of Orthodoxy were the centers of musical culture. It is moving to read now the toponyms of Greek communities in Bulgaria and Asia Minor that nothing else reminds us of them anymore. These lists of subscribers are, beyond their historical value, an invitation to bend down to see our roots and to recognize the identity and together with the power of our Roman projection.
Life and his work
Named par excellence, a Jerusalemite and an Agiopolitan. He joined for a long time in the monastery of Saint Savva, named after his half-brother John of Damascus. He was bishop of Mayuma of Gaza (750). He was an orphan for this reason and was adopted by Sergius, the father of the luminary of Damascus, John of Damascus, and he studied with him, having both of them as teachers the wise Cosmas, called Xenon or Iketin and Ascomkriton, who came from Italy.
Saint Cosmas wrote many Canons and iambics and many Troparies. Among his solemn Canons, the one on the Nativity of Christ, "Christ is born, glorified", (From the Solemn Oration of Gregory the Theologian) which he used verbatim, and set to music in the first tone, occupies a wonderful place.
He used the second sound on the second feast of the Lord, the Epiphany, and the third sound on the third feast of the Lord, the Epiphany. On the 4th, in Vaia, in the Great Week of the Passion, omitting the 1st sound as solemn, while he used the 2nd and 2nd sounds in turn, as mournful sounds. On the feast of Pentecost, the Heavy sound is used and on the Elevation of the Cross, the p.d.
He also composed rules for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior "Dances of Israel invincible", for the Dormition of the Virgin "Pepokilimeni ti theia doxi" and numerous others, for which Gregory of Corinth, Theodore the Ptochoprodromus and Nicodemus the Saint made a detailed interpretation. He also composed the shorter poems of the M. Week that are mentioned for each day separately, named according to the number of odes Diodion, Triodion, Tetraodion. In imitation, the Studitai Theodoros and Joseph composed Triodies for other days of the year and especially Great Lent
Life and his work
Petros Glykys, nicknamed Bereketis, from the Turkish word "bereket" (abundance) used it when his students asked him if he had other Eirmos to teach.
Along with Chrysafis the New, Germanos Neo of Patras and Balasios the Priest, there were the 4 great musicians who flourished at the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 12th century.
He was one of the most eminent musicians after the fall, singing many and various chants, such as the two-chorus "Theotoke Parthene" after the arrest, chandeliers, doxologies, artistic hymns, pasapnoarias, socials of the week, socials of the oneness in various sounds, cherubs and the katavasias of the Nativity of Christ.
He distinguished himself especially in the beekeeping of the Herms, surpassing all his contemporaries, which is why these Herms were called "Calophonic" by the melodious, because of the incomparable sweetness they had. He himself was not called the "father of the Kalophonic Hymns".
Most of Bereketis's musings were converted from the ancient parasimanti to the New by Chrysanthos and Grigorios Protopsaltis and published in various anthologies.
He lived when Panagiotis Chalatzoglou and John of Trebizond were Protopsaltes of the M. Church. He was taught music in his hometown, Constantinople, and then on Mount Athos near the famous musician Damianos Vatopedinos. He was a cantor for many years at the I.N. of Agios Konstantinos in Psomathia in Constantinople.
Life and his work
Grigorios was a special musical genius, an artist musician and teacher of Music, a deep connoisseur of the Art of Music, ecclesiastical and external. He is the one, the main one of the three Teachers of the New Method of analytical notation of Byzantine Music, which arose from the reform of 1814, and as Lampadario and Protopsaltis of the Great Church, he is the yardstick for the importance of the change in musical notation , but also for the immutability of the music itself, which with the new writing only changed its outer mantle.
This importance of Grigorios is clearly seen when we want to talk about the work of any other artist of the pre-1814 era, because we are forced to see it through the explanation of Grigorios basically or Kourmouzios Hartofylakas. But let's compose the biography of Grigorios in order, with all the evidence that the research offers us.
According to one tradition, Gregory was born in Constantinople on the day that Peter Lampadarios the Peloponnesian died. His father was a priest and his name was George and his mother was Eleni. The surname "Leviticus", attributed to Gregory, seems probably not real, but how it arose from his father being a priest, "a Levite" according to the language of the New Testament.
For the exact time of the birth of Gregory, as well as of the death of Peter of Peloponnese, we must mention the following. If Petros Peloponnesios died of the plague, we must move the time of his death from 1777, which is recorded in all the books, to 1778, because in that year, and specifically in the winter of that year, the death toll fell in Constantinople from plague. A historical memory on p. 372 of the codex of the Panteleimonos monastery 203, tells us exactly "In 1778 there was a great winter in Constantinople. This year, a great death also happened". Of course, it is not excluded that the fatality also lasted in the winter of 1778, first manifested in the previous year 1777. However, clarifying the matter is not
The year of Grigorio's death is mentioned as 1820, in 1821 on December 23, when Konstantinos succeeded him as first chancellor, but more often in 1822. It seems that the correct date of Gregorio's death is December 23, 1821. According to these verifications, Grigorio lived from 1778 to 1821. That is, he died young, in the prime of his age and activity, he was 43 years old.
From a young age he taught himself the Armenian language and music, because he liked to frequent the Armenian church. In order to distract him from there, his father assigned him to the abbot of Sinaitic Metochius in Valatas, the Cretan Archimandrite Jeremiah, where Grigorios also learned Greek letters and became, like the most handsome man he was, a Reader and Chant.
The philosophic student of many and finally of George of Crete Gregory, as mentioned in a manuscript, had as teachers Jacobus Protopsaltis, Petros Byzantios the Protopsaltis and George of Crete. It seems that during the first psalter of Peter of Byzantium, i.e. in 1800-1805, Grigorios is also in the Patriarchate, if not as a torch bearer, at least as the first domestic, thus psalming with his teacher. However, around 1810, Grigorios was a lampadario of Manuel Protopsaltis.
During the five years 1800-1805, Grigorios married and had children, but we do not know specifically how many in number. Konstantinos Psachos talks about the last daughter of Grigoriou, who in 1897 was ninety years old.
From lampadario, Grigorios became lead singer after the death of Manuel, on June 21, 1819. As lead singer, he sang for two and a half years, until his death on December 23, 1821.
In the meantime, and specifically in 1814, the historical reform of Byzantine notation took place, which was characterized as "the benefit of the Nation". The protagonists of this reform were three musicologists of the time, namely Grigorios, the archimandrite Chrysanthos and Khourmouzios Georgiou. These three teachers, as they are usually inseparably known, repeatedly discussed and systematized the theory of Byzantine Music into a method.But what they mainly attached importance to - and with which they "beneficiated the Nation" was the analysis or explanation of the old parasign and the recording of the members of the pre-1814 melurgists with this new method of writing. This New Method of teaching and learning Byzantine of music was submitted to the Patriarchate. The Holy Synod was convened on purpose under the patriarchate of Cyril VII, to which "the most prominent of the Genus" were also summoned.
Convinced, therefore, by the strong arguments and certain proofs of the three musical teachers about the regulation of the art (because at first it was suspected that the Masters were seeking to innovate the sacred Psalter) it established, ina, Gregory the lampadarian and Kourmouzios Georgiou handed over the practical part of Church Music, and Archimandrite Chrysanthos the Theoretical part of it. Panagiotis Pelopidis, one of the first students of the three teachers and publisher of Chrysantho's Theoretician, testifies to this. The following paragraph is also interesting.
"Therefore, a school was established for this purpose, in which many of the needy students were allowed to live. Administrators of the School and a salary for the teachers were appointed. Patriarchal circular letters were sent everywhere to the Provincial High Priests, so that those who desire to study music for free according to the New Method, should go to Constantinople, where after two years of teaching they want to be born moderates of the Method. So students of all classes and ages ran everywhere, some of them prospering enough, moved from there to one city and another to another, where, setting up special schools, they sincerely imparted the talent entrusted to them".
Gregory's contribution to the creation of the New Method was the regulation and interpretation of the scales and parachords and the simple and correct analysis and recording of the old parasign in this new method. With zeal very soon after the reformation, Gregory, like Hurmuzius, set about the task of explaining the work of the old teachers. And it is amazing that in just six years, from 1815 to his death in 1821, he wrote about 20 manuscript volumes of explanations of the old Byzantine members. Some of these volumes he copied two or three times to facilitate the work of spreading the New Method.
Θέλοντας τώρα να μιλήσουμε για το έργο του και να καταρτίσουμε τα Άπαντα του Γρηγορίου Πρωτοψάλτου, πρέπει να διευκρινίσουμε πως αυτό ανήκει σε τρεις κατηγορίες.
α) στο προσωπικό δημιουργικό έργο,
β) στο εξηγητικό έργο, και
γ) στο προσωπικό πάλι αλλά «εξωτερικό» έργο, δηλαδή τα κοσμικά τραγούδια.
Αναλυτικά το έργο του είναι το ακόλουθο.
α) Το προσωπικό έργο
– Πολυέλεοι 2 (Δούλοι Κύριον και Επί των ποταμών Βαβυλώνος).
– Αργοσύντομες Δοξολογίες μια σειρά, δηλαδή 8, και 2 άλλες σε βαρύ ήχο.
– Μια σύντομη δοξολογία σε βαρύ ήχο.
– Αργές Δοξολογίες 4 (στους πλαγίους ήχους).
– Χερουβικά τρεις σειρές, δηλαδή 24 – μεγάλα, μεσαία, μέγιστα.
– Χερουβικά της εβδομάδος 3 (στη σειρά Πέτρου Πελοποννησίου).
– Κοινωνικά των Κυριακών «Αινείτε» μια σειρά, δηλαδή 8.
– Κοινωνικά τών εορτών πολλά σε πολλούς ήχους.
– Τα προκείμενα της εβδομάδος και τα των δεσποτικών εορτών.
– Ο Ν’ Ψαλμός σε β’ ήχο.
– Τα Τυπικά της Θείας Λειτουργίας σε δ’ ήχο λέγετο, φθορικό.
– Τα «πεντηκοστάρια» στιχηρά ιδιόμελα Της μετανοίας – Της σωτηρίας – Τα πλήθη των πεπραγμένων μοι δεινών.
– Τα τροπάρια που ψάλλοντα στο τέλος των Ωρών.
– Τα του μεγάλου Αποδείπνου Ψυχή μου, ψυχή μου και Παναγία Θεοτόκε.
– Κύριε ελέησαν, έργα, στους πλαγίους ήχους.
– Τα σύντομα τροπάρια του Νυμφίου Ιδού ο νυμφίος – Ότε οι ένδοξοι…
– Τα αργά καθίσματα των ακολουθιών του Νυμφίου.
– Τα ιέ Αντίφωνα της Ακολουθίας των Παθών σε σύντομο στιχηραρικό μέλος.
– Ένα μάθημα, όταν ενδύεται ο Αρχιερεύς Περίζωσαι την ρομφαίαν σου μετά κρατήματος.
– Ένα κράτημα σε ήχο βαρύ.
– Ένα μεγαλυνάριο, Την τιμιωτέραν, σε ήχο πλ. δ’ Νη.
– Οι καταβασίες του Λαζάρου, οι μη συνηθισμένοι ειρμοί του κανόνος Ανοίξω το στόμα μου και δ ειρμός Εποίησε κράτος (της Παρασκευής του Λαζάρου).
– Άξιον εστίν δύο σειρές, δηλαδή 16.
– Το κατά παράδοση μέλος του Αποστόλου και Ευαγγελίου, σε ήχο δ’.
β) Το εξηγητικό έργο
Ο Γρηγόριος εξήγησε και μετέγραψε στη Νέα Μέθοδο τα ακόλουθα έργα των Μελουργών, κυρίως τού ΙΖ’ και ΙΗ’ αιώνα:
– Τα Άπαντα του Πέτρου Μπερεκέτη (4 τόμοι).
– Το Στιχηράριο του Γερμανού Νέων Πατρών (5 τόμοι).
– Την Παπαδική του Πέτρου Βυζαντίου (την εκδεδομένη τετράτομο Πανδέκτη) (5 τόμοι).
– Το Καλοφωνικό Ειρμολόγιο (1 τόμος).
– Το Αναστασιματάριον του Πέτρου Πελοποννησίου (1 τόμος).
– Το Ειρμολόγιον του Πέτρου Πελοποννησίου (1 τόμος).
– Το Ειρμολόγιον, το σύντομον, του Πέτρου Βυζαντίου (1 τόμος).
– Το Δοξαστάριο του Πέτρου Πελοποννησίου (2 τόμοι).
– Την Εκλογή του Παπαδικού μέλους (1 τόμος).
– Την Εκλογή του Στιχηραρικού μέλους (1 τόμος).
– Άλλα διάφορα μαθήματα διαφόρων διδασκάλων.
γ) Κοσμικά τραγούδια
Έγραψε περί τα τριάντα (30) κοσμικά-αστικά τραγούδια, κυρίως κατά τον τρόπο των τουρκικών μακαμίων. Εκείνο που πρέπει να τονισθή είναι ότι πολλές απ’ τις πρωτότυπες συνθέσεις του χαρακτηρίζονται στα χειρόγραφα με τον προσδιορισμό, «πώς ψάλλονται εν τη Μεγάλη του Χριστού Εκκλησία». Αυτή η μαρτυρία είναι το πιστοποιητικό της παραδόσεως του Γρηγορίου.
Γνωρίζουμε ακόμη απ’ τα χειρόγραφα και τις εξής λεπτομέρειες για μερικές συνθέσεις του. Μία σειρά χερουβικών, τα μεσαία, διεδόθησαν 68ησαν παρ’ αυτού κατά την εποχή 1817, εν μηνί Αυγούστω. – Το μάθημα σε βαρύ ήχο Περίζωσαι την ρομφαίαν σου με κράτημα, που ψάλλεται όταν ενδύεται ο αρχιερεύς αντί του Άνωθεν οι προφήται εμελοποιήθη δι’ αιτήσεως του σεβαστού Γέροντος αγίου Εφέσου κυρίου Διονυσίου. – Ο πολυέλεος Επί των ποταμών Βαβυλώνος σε τρίτο ήχο, μελοποιήθηκε κατ’ αίτησιν του αγίου Μολδαβίας κυρίου Βενιαμίν.
Η εξήγηση του Καλοφωνικού Ειρμολογίου απ’ τον Γρηγόριο είναι κατά την παράδοσιν Πέτρου Λαμπαδαρίου και Πέτρου του Βυζαντίου.
Το έργο αυτό του Γρηγορίου είναι διαδεδομένο με πολλά χειρόγραφα αλλά και με τα έντυπα μουσικά βιβλία. Όλο το καθ’ αυτό προσωπικό έργο τής α’ κατηγορίας είναι εκδεδομένο, εκτός του Αποστόλου και του Ευαγγελίου σε δ’ ήχο.
Απ’ το εξηγητικό του έργο εκδεδομένο είναι η τετράτομη Πανδέκτη, το Καλοφωνικό Ειρμολόγιο, το Αναστασιματάριο, το Ειρμολόγιο και το Δοξαστάριο του Πέτρου Πελοποννησίου, το Ειρμολόγιο του Πέτρου Βυζαντίου και λίγα άλλα διάφορα μαθήματα, διαφόρων διδασκάλων. Κι απ’ τα τραγούδια του Γρηγορίου είναι αρκετά εκδεδομένα στην Ευτέρπη και στην Πανδώρα (Α’ τόμος).
Life and his work
Khurmouzios, the Clerk of the M. Church, called "Yamalis", as having a fleshy swelling around his temple. He was born on the island of Halkin in the Propontis, a disciple of Jacob the Protopsaltos and George of Kritos, he served as the first cantor in the sacred church of Agios Dimitrios in Tataoulis, in the church of Agios Ioannis in Galata and in the church of Agios Ioannis in Galata, of the Sinaitic stock, he and a teacher for the entire six years of the patriarchal school that operated from 1815-1821.operation of a patriarchal school. Indeed, the renowned coppersmith Khourmuzios, for eighteen years painstakingly worked, always interpreted the music works of the ancient musicians, from John of Damascus to Manuel the Protopsaltos flourishing, more than seventy volumes and more, they were awarded in 1838 by Athanasios, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who happened to be a friend take care of Cyril, the second patriarch of the Zionist Church, who condensed these and other volumes and ordered them to be luxuriously bound and placed in the library of the Holy Sepulcher in Phanarios, where they are still preserved.
He wrote a manual of introduction to the practical part of Music, another larger one to the theoretical part, and a voluminous notebook containing by choice the best of the ancient and new musical system. Emelis "Makarios anir", "We saw the light" eight tones, "Rhodon the amaranth" eight tones, "O eschimenos Yosif", holdings, chandeliers, anixandarias, doxology, verse of vespers by sound, verse of Praises in eight sounds, antiphons slow and short in sound, Typical in sound Heavy in the diatonic genus, a series of cherubic and social of the Sundays and other social of the same art, the maximum verseHe interpreted and published in a second edition the Anastasimatario (the resurrected canon and the consumptives he himself elaborated) of Peter of the Peloponnese, he interpreted and published the short Ermologion of the Descents of this Peter of the Peloponnese, the two-volume doxastar or long sticharion in imitation of James the Protopsaltos ( published in 1858), and the collection of Idiomelos Manuel of Protopsaltos. He was the first to publish in 1828 the two-volume Anthology of Music, the contents of which are original, as well as his book from Hebrew Neophytos.
He revised the collection of Arab-Turkish hymns, the so-called "Euterpin" by Khanende Zachariou. These things were not always done after admirable patience under the compassionate Khurmouzios, even though he was overwhelmed by poverty. He died in Halki in 1840.