Nikolaos Giannoukakis
Παλαιό Μέλος
To all interested:
For a significant time, many chanters, musicians and musicologists studying the historical and practical aspects of tonal theory, interval analysis and microtonality in Byzantine Music and its relation to vocal tradition, have yearned for a systematic and scientific comparison among the tonal intervals of the Patriarchal Musical Committee of 1881, Chrysanthos of Madyta and the very recent phenomenon of the "Karas Method".
Specifically, a need existed to reconcile vocal practice and historical audio data with the theory of the intervals. This need was made more acute by the recent propositions of the proponents of the "Karas Method" that vocal tradition is not in line with the interval theory of the 1881 Patriarchal Committee or of Chrysanthos. Rather, the proponents of the "Karas Method" argue that only Karas was correct, using arguments, intervals and "scales" in his two-volume treatise, which forms the backbone of their overall reconsideration of Byzantine Music Theory and Practice.
Towards resolving this issue, a committee of chantors, musicians, musicologists and scientists has been convened. Using state of the art microtonality software that analyse sound and that reproduce tonal intervals in the context of "test melodies", we have reproduced "test" musical manuscripts using the intervals of the respective Tone (tetrachords, pentachords, etc) of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos, and those of the "Karas Method".
In parallel, we have analysed vocal performances of "test" melodies by Iakovos Naypliotis and proponents of the "Karas Method" in order to determine the proximity of the inter-pitch intervals to the intervals of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos and the "Karas Method".
We have used the software MELODOS (http://www.melodos.com/index2.htm) as well as Sonic Audio Analysis (http://www.sonicvisualiser.org/) in our project.
We now show the first outcome of our research whose first question was which of three post-Byzantine interval representations of the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord is closer to the vocal tradition of the last 60 years using the "classic" Trisagion as the "test" melody. We compared the performance of the test melody by the MELODOS software using the intervals of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos (published in his 1832 Theory) and those of the "Karas Method".
As we supply the outcome (the data) further below, we conclude the following:
1) The intervals of the 1881 Committee are closer to the vocal tradition of performance of the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord compared to the intervals proposed by the "Karas Method". Very soon we will provide the data comparing the proximity of Iakovos Naypliotis' inter-pitch intervals to those of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos and the "Karas Method" using a series of "test" melodies.
2) The interval with an integer value of "16" which the "Karas Method" proposes as representative of the "soft chromatic" inter-tone is incompatible with the vocal performance (at least 60 years of) of the soft chromatic tetrachord. Astoundingly, analysing the vocal execution of the Di-Ke-Zo intervals by representatives of the "Karas Method", there is no proximity in their vocal execution to the interval that they champion (16).
3) The intervals that comprise the so-called "homologous diphony" of the soft chromatic generum (Vou-Ga-Di and Di-Ke-Zo) as presented by Chrysanthos are compatible with vocal practice and witness to the last 60 years of psaltic execution of Second Tone Soft Chromatic.
We conclude that the tonal intervals of the soft chromatic generum as proposed by the Patriarchal Musical Committee of 1881 are closer and more representative of the vocal execution and performance of Second Tone Soft Chromatic and we sensitise all interested individuals in tonal theory of Byzantine Music to consider using microtonal synthesis software like MELODOS and wave analysis software like Sonic Audio Analysis for comparative investigation towards reconciling psaltic tradition with musical tonal theory.
Importantly, we sensitise all chantors and musicians that the "Karas Method" as concerns the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord is incompatible with vocal tradition and analysis of the pitch waypoints of a melody in the Soft Chromatic as performed by the oldest psaltai on audio witness (i.e. Naypliotis and chantors of the period between 1940-1980).
On behalf of the Working Group,
NG
We append the following supporting sound files:
1) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Karas_Equal_Fifths_72ET_ 08_16_06_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the intervals proposed by the "Karas Method" in the MELODOS software (8, 16, 6)
2)Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal _Fifths_72ET_08_14_08_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the intervals proposed by the 1881 Committee in the MELODOS software (8, 14, 8)
3)Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal _Fifths_Fractions_KLASMATA.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the actual fractions (ratios) proposed by the 1881 Committee in the MELODOS software
4) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Other_72_ET_Equal_Thirds _09_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the "homologous diphony" as shown in Chrysanthos in the MELODOS software (9, 12)
5) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos.pdf
The music in Byzantine Notation that served as the test file.
For this announcement in Greek refer to http://www.psaltologion.com/showpost.php?p=79964&postcount=1
For a significant time, many chanters, musicians and musicologists studying the historical and practical aspects of tonal theory, interval analysis and microtonality in Byzantine Music and its relation to vocal tradition, have yearned for a systematic and scientific comparison among the tonal intervals of the Patriarchal Musical Committee of 1881, Chrysanthos of Madyta and the very recent phenomenon of the "Karas Method".
Specifically, a need existed to reconcile vocal practice and historical audio data with the theory of the intervals. This need was made more acute by the recent propositions of the proponents of the "Karas Method" that vocal tradition is not in line with the interval theory of the 1881 Patriarchal Committee or of Chrysanthos. Rather, the proponents of the "Karas Method" argue that only Karas was correct, using arguments, intervals and "scales" in his two-volume treatise, which forms the backbone of their overall reconsideration of Byzantine Music Theory and Practice.
Towards resolving this issue, a committee of chantors, musicians, musicologists and scientists has been convened. Using state of the art microtonality software that analyse sound and that reproduce tonal intervals in the context of "test melodies", we have reproduced "test" musical manuscripts using the intervals of the respective Tone (tetrachords, pentachords, etc) of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos, and those of the "Karas Method".
In parallel, we have analysed vocal performances of "test" melodies by Iakovos Naypliotis and proponents of the "Karas Method" in order to determine the proximity of the inter-pitch intervals to the intervals of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos and the "Karas Method".
We have used the software MELODOS (http://www.melodos.com/index2.htm) as well as Sonic Audio Analysis (http://www.sonicvisualiser.org/) in our project.
We now show the first outcome of our research whose first question was which of three post-Byzantine interval representations of the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord is closer to the vocal tradition of the last 60 years using the "classic" Trisagion as the "test" melody. We compared the performance of the test melody by the MELODOS software using the intervals of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos (published in his 1832 Theory) and those of the "Karas Method".
As we supply the outcome (the data) further below, we conclude the following:
1) The intervals of the 1881 Committee are closer to the vocal tradition of performance of the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord compared to the intervals proposed by the "Karas Method". Very soon we will provide the data comparing the proximity of Iakovos Naypliotis' inter-pitch intervals to those of the 1881 Committee, Chrysanthos and the "Karas Method" using a series of "test" melodies.
2) The interval with an integer value of "16" which the "Karas Method" proposes as representative of the "soft chromatic" inter-tone is incompatible with the vocal performance (at least 60 years of) of the soft chromatic tetrachord. Astoundingly, analysing the vocal execution of the Di-Ke-Zo intervals by representatives of the "Karas Method", there is no proximity in their vocal execution to the interval that they champion (16).
3) The intervals that comprise the so-called "homologous diphony" of the soft chromatic generum (Vou-Ga-Di and Di-Ke-Zo) as presented by Chrysanthos are compatible with vocal practice and witness to the last 60 years of psaltic execution of Second Tone Soft Chromatic.
We conclude that the tonal intervals of the soft chromatic generum as proposed by the Patriarchal Musical Committee of 1881 are closer and more representative of the vocal execution and performance of Second Tone Soft Chromatic and we sensitise all interested individuals in tonal theory of Byzantine Music to consider using microtonal synthesis software like MELODOS and wave analysis software like Sonic Audio Analysis for comparative investigation towards reconciling psaltic tradition with musical tonal theory.
Importantly, we sensitise all chantors and musicians that the "Karas Method" as concerns the Soft Chromatic Tetrachord is incompatible with vocal tradition and analysis of the pitch waypoints of a melody in the Soft Chromatic as performed by the oldest psaltai on audio witness (i.e. Naypliotis and chantors of the period between 1940-1980).
On behalf of the Working Group,
NG
We append the following supporting sound files:
1) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Karas_Equal_Fifths_72ET_ 08_16_06_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the intervals proposed by the "Karas Method" in the MELODOS software (8, 16, 6)
2)Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal _Fifths_72ET_08_14_08_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the intervals proposed by the 1881 Committee in the MELODOS software (8, 14, 8)
3)Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal _Fifths_Fractions_KLASMATA.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the actual fractions (ratios) proposed by the 1881 Committee in the MELODOS software
4) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Other_72_ET_Equal_Thirds _09_12.mp3
Reproduction of the test melody ("Classic Trisagion in Second Tone") using the "homologous diphony" as shown in Chrysanthos in the MELODOS software (9, 12)
5) Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos.pdf
The music in Byzantine Notation that served as the test file.
For this announcement in Greek refer to http://www.psaltologion.com/showpost.php?p=79964&postcount=1
Attachments
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Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Karas_Equal_Fifths_72ET_08_16_06_12.mp32.6 MB · Views: 45
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Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal_Fifths_72ET_08_14_08_12.mp32.6 MB · Views: 35
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Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos_Epitropi_Equal_Fifths_Fractions_KLASMATA.mp32.4 MB · Views: 20
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Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Other_72_ET_Equal_Thirds_09_12.mp32.6 MB · Views: 26
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Ps_Hel_Trisagion_Archaion_Melodos.pdf31 KB · Views: 31
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