Χορος Αγγελικος

[Παναγιωτης Πετροπουλος]

This hymn is shown in the Greek Meiaia as an automelon.
Can anyone tell me where it exists in Byzantine notation?
I've been checking all the Greek Byzantine books I have, and cannot find it in Anastasimatarion, Mouskios Panthektes, Mousike Panthekte, Tameion Anthologias, Mousike Kypsele, or any Eirmologion (especially automelon sections).

The hymn fits Ton Tafon Sou, but I always hear it sung in diatonic.

Can someone tell me where to find this automelon in Byzantine notation?
Is it in the Menaion somewhere, and I missed it? Is it hiding in the Triodion?

Please help.

Thanks,
Παναγιοτης

 

[Nikolaos Giannoukakis]

Dear Mr. Petropoulos,

Other than an older slow eirmologic version by Matthaios the Vatopaedian , kindly uploaded by a member on the Greek side of Psaltologion (http://analogion.com/forum/showpost.php?p=63809&postcount=9), the hymn in byzantine notation in the strict eirmologic variation does not exist in any of the "classic" pre-1910 texts as far as I know.

In modern Minaia, published by contemporary psaltai it exists in two variations. In volume 2 of the Minaia by Georgios Syrkas it is presented in first tone diatonic (similar to "Tou Lithou Sfragisthentos"). In others, it follows the template "Ton Tafon Sou Sotir" (in soft chromatic from Di).

The question arises about which of the two variations is "correct". There is no absolute answer. By conjecture and tradition we can consider this:

The term "Aytomelon" indicates that the hymn in question is unique and its meter and melody do not rely on a pre-existing template. Aytomela can serve as templates but they themselves are not modeled on templates. Therefore, in this regard, it makes more sense to use a melody that is distinct from template melodies to interpret "Xoros Aggelikos". Thus, there is justification in following Syrkas' version (i.e. the diatonic that you refer to), which was what the traditional practice in most churches in Constantinople was at the turn of the 19th century (George Syrkas was the son of Antonios Syrkas, student of Nileas Kamarados, Giagkos Basileiadhs, Polychronios Pacheidis and contemporary of Naypliotis and all the Constantinopolitan chantors of the period).

If "Xoros Aggelikos" were to follow the melody of "Ton Tafon Sou Sotir", the phrase "Aytomelon" would not precede it but rather, the phrase "Ton Tafon Sou Sotir" indicative that "Xoros Aggelikos" would be a prosomoion. This is not the case, evidenced in the Minaion.

This is not an absolute answer, and future manuscripts may shed more light on this particular hymn that may change this conjecture, but this was the oral practice in Constantinople in the 1900s, as transmitted by the teachers and psaltai of the time to their students and then on to the next generation of psaltai (which includes myself and a few others in the US and Canada, certainly many in Greece).

NG

 

[Παναγιωτης Πετροπουλος]

Κυριε Γιαννουκακη,

Πρωτα, λεγετε με Παναγιωτη, σας παρακαλω <γ>
Thanks for your answer. It's as I suspected:
the original melody has been lost, but it's so similar
to other melodies that we can still construct it, I guess.

Because the Menaion labeled it an 'automelon,' I expected
to find it with the other automela, in an eirmologion.

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question, and
for posting the version we have, though it seems too 'argon'
for me. I don't think it's something we can use in an ordinary
church setting.

Thanks again,
Παναγιωτης

 

[Nikolaos Giannoukakis]

Dear Panagiotis,

Appended below is a pdf file with the aytomelon from Georgios Syrkas' volume 2 of his 7-volume Minaia set. I hope it is useful to you.

NG