Beginners question

I was long time listening Fotios Ket., Angelopulos, Ormilia and Simonopetra
And I am in deep love with those chants
But recently I saw that byzantine music scales are very complex matter

Can someone tell me in few words about my favorite chanters
Are they chanting exactely ancient byz scales with koma ratios ?

I am asking becouse I have a book with pictures of scales
Ant it says that Byz Chanters are slowly losing original ratios between notes, by western influence
But does not say clearly who is under western influence

Thank you, and sorry I had to edit this more times

Please see my reply at
http://analogion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23472

aprilka said:

I was long time listening Fotios Ket., Angelopulos, Ormilia and Simonopetra
And I am in deep love with those chants
But recently I saw that byzantine music scales are very complex matter

Can someone tell me in few words about my favorite chanters
Are they chanting exactely ancient byz scales with koma ratios ?

I am asking becouse I have a book with pictures of scales
Ant it says that Byz Chanters are slowly losing original ratios between notes, by western influence
But does not say clearly who is under western influence

Thank you, and sorry I had to edit this more times

Click to expand...

It is perhaps not as complicated as it appears. Using Byzantine commas, the closest analogy I can come up with is a 12 constitutes a whole step Western interval, and a 6 constitutes a 1/2 step. Using that analogy, a Ni Plagal 4th scale of 12-10-8 would be a whole step, something just a hair flat of a whole step and then something slightly greater than a 1/2 step to create a perfect 4th from the Ni. This does not take into account the varying elxeis that exists, particularly between the Ni and the Vou, but this will give you a good idea. My colleagues can add as they will. In regards to your first question, they are probably approximating the intervals as they heard and sung with their teachers.

Respectfully,

JPP