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Byzantine music is the body of music that
is associated with the Byzantine Empire, from its foundation
by Constantine I in AD 324 to the fall of Constantinople to
the Turks in 1453. Most of what is known about Byzantine music
is related to the liturgical chant of the Byzantine, or Eastern,
church. Superficially, Byzantine music appears to have descended
from GREEK MUSIC; but it is more similar to the music of Western
Christianity than to that of ancient times. The language of
the Byzantine church is Greek; there the similarity to the
classical past ends. The modes used in the Eastern church
are more closely related to the modes of the Western medieval
church than to the Greek; the chant itself has features in
common with its Gregorian counterpart, PLAINSONG, in that
it consists of a single stepwise melodic line without accompaniment
or strict meter. The greatest difference, however, lies in
the texts: the Western chant is based primarily on psalms
and other scriptural texts; most Eastern chants are nonscriptural
HYMNS.
The Byzantine liturgy was firmly established with coronation
of Justinian I in 527, barely two centuries after the Eastern
Roman Empire was Christianized. Justinian, a hymn writer himself,
recognized the need for trained singers to conduct the musical
affairs of the church, especially because the varied Office
hymns required more time in the service than did the masses
of the Western church.
The principal forms of hymn, the major accomplishment in Byzantine
music, were established early. The troparion, a monostrophic
prayer, was known from the 4th century; the kontakion, a form
having numerous stanzas, dates from the 6th century; and the
kanon, which replaced the kontakion at the end of the 7th
century, increased in length and had great mystical symbolism
through its connection with the biblical canticles.
A musical staff was not developed in Byzantine notation; instead,
signs were used to show the rise and fall of pitch levels.
Because no intervals were shown, the signs must have been
no more than a memory aid for music previously learned. The
melodies of the hymns were built from formulas in common use;
linking these formulas supplied what variety existed in the
chant. Reiteration and VARIATION, important features of Oriental
art, were evident in the rearrangement and modification of
the chant formulas.
Outside the church the only surviving pieces are a few processional
songs and some acclamations to the imperial pair and the patriarch;
no other nonchurch music has survived. Instruments were commonly
used, but not in church. The organ was important as a processional
instrument, at the circus, and in theatrical performances.
Christmas Eve was one of the rare occasions when instruments
were permitted in church, and even then only wind and percussion
instruments were allowed.
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