Der vorliegende Band als Ergebnis einer Tagung von Musikologen und Byzantinisten in Schloss Hernen/NL, beleuchtet verschiedene Aspekte des byzantinischen und des daraus entsprungenen slavischen Kirchengesangs. Zwei grosse Themenkreise stehen im Vordergrund: Notation und Melismatik, daneben beleuchten Beitrage zur Liturgie, zur Modalitat der Gesange und zur oralen Uberlieferung die byzantinische und slavische Tradition. Es ist wichtig, musikalische und liturgische Erscheinungsbilder der byzantinischen und slavischen Spatzeit nicht losgelost von der fruhen Tradition zu untersuchen, sondern die Wurzeln ihrer Entstehung stets im Auge zu behalten. Hierin stellt die Entwicklung der verschiedenen Notationssysteme die Basis fur jede weitere Untersuchung dar. In der liturgischen Musik der Hagia Sophia von Konstantinopel entstanden bereits im 8.-10. Jahrhundert melismatische Gesange, wahrend im monastischen Ritus einfache Melodien vorherrschten. Die Verschmelzung von Kathedral- und monastischer Tradition schuf eine neue Basis fur die Entstehung einer hochmelismatischen Gesangform, der Kalophonie. Basierend auf der byzantinischen Gesangtradition sind auch im slavischen Raum bereits ab dem 11. Jahrhundert melismatische Gesange uberliefert, die auf die ornamentierten Melodien der russischen Kirchenmusik des 15.-17. Jahrhunderts Einfluss hatten. Ein bedeutender Aspekt ist die Berucksichtigung der oralen Tradition, die durch alle Zeiten ein tragendes Element in der Uberlieferung der Gesange war.

This study is concerned with the vocal iso(n) repertory, used, on the one hand, in the oral traditions of the multipart unaccompanied singing (IMUS) of the Southwest Balkans, or, more specifically, South Albania, North Epirus in Greece and a small part of the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and on the other hand in Byzantine chanting. The vocal iso(n) is an important component of these traditions, which are still practised today in the Southwest Balkans region. The study presents evidence on various manifestations of the practice in their particular geographical regions, and examines in detail the historical roots of these traditions. An ison, a drone holding-note, is the voice that provides the drone in Byzantine chanting. This chant is part of the liturgical music of the Orthodox Churches, in contrast to the IMUS, which has developed as a secular repertory. The Byzantine liturgical singing of the Arbëresh Diaspora of South Italy and Sicily, which has been passed down orally from the 15th century to the present day, as well as non-liturgical singing, is also explored in this book. The three unaccompanied forms of singing, two of which use the ison (IMUS and Byzantine chanting) and the third, the Arbëresh, which does not (with some exceptions in recent times), are analysed in separate sections of the book. Unlike many studies of similar subject matter, which suffer from a one-sided point of view because of national bias, this book is multifaceted and even-handed. While multipart singing in Albania is usually considered to be a solely Albanian phenomenon, in Greece, it is thought of as being Greek. In fact, the multipart singing of the Albanian and Greek, as well as Aromanian and some Slavic populations is more intrinsically bound to the region than to any ethnic group. The distinct sound of iso(n) singing echoes the internal and external historic influences of the region, interwoven with the complex modal idioms.

Aural architecture identifies those features of a building that can be perceived by the act of listening in them. Emerging from the challenge to reconstruct sonic and spatial experiences of the deep past, this book invites readers into the complex world of the Byzantine liturgy, experienced in its chanted form in interiors covered with monumental mosaics and frescoes. The multidisciplinary collection of ten essays explores the intersection of Byzantine liturgy, music, acoustics, and architecture in the Late Antique churches of Constantinople, Jerusalem and Rome, and reflects on the role digital technology can play in re-creating aspects of the sensually rich performance of the divine word.

In The Past Is Always Present, Tore Tvarnø Lind examines the musical revival of Greek Orthodox chant at the monastery of Vatopaidi within the monastic society of Mount Athos, Greece. In particular, Lind focuses on the musical activities at the monastery and the meaning of the past in the monks' efforts at improving their musical performance practice through an emphasis on tradition. Based on a decade of intense fieldwork and extensive interviews with members of Athos' monastic community, Lind covers a vast array of topics. From musical notation and the Greek oral tradition to CD covers and music production, the tension between tradition and modernity in the musical activity of the Athonite community raises a clear challenge to the quest to bring together Orthodox spirituality and quietude with musical production. The Past Is Always Present addresses all of these matters by focusing on the significance and meaning of the local chanting style. As Lind argues, Byzantine chant cannot be fully grasped in musicological terms alone, outside the context of prayer. Yet because chant is fundamentally a way of communicating with God, the sound generated must be exactly right, pushing issues of music notation, theory, and performance practice to the forefront. Byzantine chant, Lind ultimately argues, is a modern phenomenon as the monastic communities of Mount Athos negotiate with the realities of modern Orthodox identity in Greece. By reporting on the musical revival activities of this remarkable community through the topics of notation, musical theory, drone-singing, and spiritual silence, Lind looks at the ways in which Athonite heritage is shaped, touching upon the Byzantine chant's contemporary relationship with practice of pilgrimage and the phenomenon of religious tourism. Offering unique insights into the monastic culture at Mount Athos, The Past Is Always Present is for those especially interested in sacred music, past and present Greek culture, monastic life, religious tourism, and the fields of ethnomusicology and anthropology.