mv_ns
Member
Greetings to everyone!
Having spent some time chanting in the Greek Church here in America, I've noticed something rather interesting - and troubling, frankly - about the chanters. Namely, they have an unfortunate habit of practically running through the Kekragaria, Apolytikia, Theos Kyrios...everything, practically, with the exception of the herouvika; speed-reading and mumbling the paroimion, exapsalmoi, etc.; generally chanting with a lack of clarity in terms of the given tone.
Coming from the Western musical tradition, the Byzantine musical tradition was exciting, and I taught myself chanting through books and recordings (of the Patriarchate primarily). Aside from the regal and majestic characteristics of chanters such as Asteris and Emmanouilidis, their phenomenal diction and enunciation, control of tempo, additional emphasis of certain syllables and words given the context of the hymn, have almost exclusively influenced my chanting. I know that Asteris had a career as an operatic tenor in the Istanbul Opera, which can be heard in the delivery of his chanting, as well as the influence of his training with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Sadly, it seems that every chanter in the GOA (that I have personally come across, at least) would rather rush through the service just to get it done than take their time and focus on proper tempo, clarity, enunciation, and highlighting the immense beauty of the melodies.
I have never been to Greece, but I am curious if this is a common issue there? Are chanters more "relaxed", or do they prefer to get as much done in as short of a time as possible?
May the Panagia shelter us all.
Regards,
M
Having spent some time chanting in the Greek Church here in America, I've noticed something rather interesting - and troubling, frankly - about the chanters. Namely, they have an unfortunate habit of practically running through the Kekragaria, Apolytikia, Theos Kyrios...everything, practically, with the exception of the herouvika; speed-reading and mumbling the paroimion, exapsalmoi, etc.; generally chanting with a lack of clarity in terms of the given tone.
Coming from the Western musical tradition, the Byzantine musical tradition was exciting, and I taught myself chanting through books and recordings (of the Patriarchate primarily). Aside from the regal and majestic characteristics of chanters such as Asteris and Emmanouilidis, their phenomenal diction and enunciation, control of tempo, additional emphasis of certain syllables and words given the context of the hymn, have almost exclusively influenced my chanting. I know that Asteris had a career as an operatic tenor in the Istanbul Opera, which can be heard in the delivery of his chanting, as well as the influence of his training with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Sadly, it seems that every chanter in the GOA (that I have personally come across, at least) would rather rush through the service just to get it done than take their time and focus on proper tempo, clarity, enunciation, and highlighting the immense beauty of the melodies.
I have never been to Greece, but I am curious if this is a common issue there? Are chanters more "relaxed", or do they prefer to get as much done in as short of a time as possible?
May the Panagia shelter us all.
Regards,
M