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Author: Subject: Greek manuscripts as a source for Oriental Secular Music
reminore
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[*] posted on 1-3-2013 at 06:48 AM
Greek manuscripts as a source for Oriental Secular Music


I'd like to bring this volume " Post Byzantine Music Manuscripts as a Source for Oriental Secular Manuscripts" to the attention of the forum.
It is the PhD. thesis of an old friend, Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, who is also the artistic director of the 'En Chordais' music ensemble, and one of the finest oud players in Greece (youtube : enchordais).

I haven't read the completed work, but i remember going over some of the documents collected from various monasteries dating to the 15th and 16th centuries at kyriakos's home. Amazing to read arabo-persian terminologies used by the monks, pesrev and saz semai as well as the names of makams like karcigar and segah...in documents dating from the early 1500's - clear evidence that the give and take between musicians from the 'orthodox' and 'muslim' traditions predates the fall of constantinople by decades, if not centuries...

for myself, i think this work might engender a better understanding of the musical continuity between the 'byzantine' and 'ottoman' years, a continuity which historians have documented in the realm of administration, the arts etc...for anyone who has listened to the highly developed makam based music of orthodox liturgy, this syncretic relationship is there for all to see.





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Jody Stecher
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[*] posted on 1-3-2013 at 09:29 AM


Is this book a collection of musical compositions or a discussion about the compositions?
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Jono Oud N.Z
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[*] posted on 1-3-2013 at 11:42 AM


Wow!
This looks amazing!

Quote:

Is this book a collection of musical compositions or a discussion about the compositions?


I am curious to know as well.

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reminore
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[*] posted on 1-3-2013 at 11:51 AM


don't know! i'll venture a guess and say both, seeing as it is a doctoral dissertation...i'm sure it is heavily footnoted and referenced. i'll have a copy in my hands soon hopefully.

i do think the subject warrants much more research, and it always amazes me how little exists in the english bibliography on the relationship between byzantine ecclisiastical/secular music and its ottoman successors. for example, feldman's book only dedicates 5 or so pages out of 560 pages to the culture dominant in asia minor before the arrival of the ottomans.

the best part is that kyriakos is also a fantastic musician, besides his scholarship!
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spartan
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[*] posted on 1-4-2013 at 02:55 AM


As far as I know therε are a few manuscipts from the monasteries in the Mount Athos and in the National Library in Athens that contains secular music

These manuscripts are written in the Byzantine notation and in Greek lettering.
The first manuscript that contains Secular compositions is from 1560-1570 !! It's the No305 Manuscript of the Xyropotamou Monastery. At the p.310 there is a secular composition called "national" and then a composition in maqam Rast caled "Persian" . The composer is Theofanis Karykis , a protopsalt and then Patriarch.


At the same era we can find other manuscripts at monasteries that contains secular compositions.One of the composition is in Greek language, the other in Ottoman with greek lettering. The composer is a monk called Leontios Koukouzelis.

At the Ali Ufki's collection of compositions (mucmua) there is a composer called Papaz (that means Priest in greek) , so we can imagine a same origin.

despite all these it seems that the post-byzantine greek influence at the music of the ottoman court was very weak during these centuries, persians have been the most influential.

some pictures from a more recent manuscipt (1818)
http://pemptousia-2.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/598-546.jpg


http://pemptousia-2.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/604-553.jpg

Some of the more recent compositions ( 18th-19th centuries)have beautiful love poems and compositions called samai, pesrev , beste, sarki etc.


A greek-english essaie about the same subject (more or less greek oriented)

http://users.uoa.gr/~nektar/arts/tradition/secular_music_agioreitikoi_kwdikes.htm

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It will be a great work I guess if someone will transport all these manuscripts from the Bynantine notation to the European (ottoman or arabic)

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Funny thing. During the end of the 18th century many chanters understood that the byzantine notation was very difficult. A greek musician called Agapios Paliermos (from Palermo??) have tried to convice the clergy to change to the european notation, but finally this couldnt be accepted
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Jono Oud N.Z
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[*] posted on 1-5-2013 at 09:44 PM


Very interesting!

I would like to learn how to translate some these pieces from the Byzantine notation.
The sixteenth century pieces are of particular interest.




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reminore
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[*] posted on 1-6-2013 at 02:49 PM


i'm waiting for kyriakos to send me the table of contents and some pre-publication info - i'll upload when i receive it...
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