Grave mode - why grave?

[Augustine1006]

Why is grave mode or βαρύς considered to be "grave", heavy, or serious? To me it is the mode with the most "major" modality and doesn't sound like how it is described. What did it sound like in medieval Byzantine chant that might have characterized it as sounding harsh to their ears? I know a lot of modes changed their base pitch (i.e first mode on κε plagiarized to be based on πα) but it looks like γα was the original base for grave mode.

 

[giorgosgoudi]

Grave is an English interpretation of greek varis word. Varis means heavy but in the meaning of heavy bass voice. It's the tone with the lowest base tone Zo. Just lowest base. Melody expands very high and fine, non bass vocal is needed. There is also not more seriousness comparing with other tones. Just lowest base.

It could be third plagal but it's not exactly the plagal of third in terms of intervals, so occured the need to invent an alternative name.

 

[brucewayne]

This is an interesting question. The plagal of the third mode has been called varys (which means heavy, deep, or grave), even in the oldest surviving chant manuscripts from the first millenium. The reason is probably lost to time, as none of the surviving ancient theoretical treatises give an explanation, so one can only guess.

One such guess is put forth in Chapter X of the Great Theory of Music by Chrysanthos. My simplified explanation for those with a background in Western music notation is below.

Originally, the base of the first mode was what we would now call Ke, or A, to use Western conventions. To "find Ke", one started at Dhi, or G, and went up a whole tone to Ke, singing the syllables "ananes". That is, one starts at G and ascends to A, and this is the first "sound", or "mode" as we now call it. From there, a pentachordal scale called "the wheel" was used. This scale is (approximately) Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone.

The first five notes of the scale then become the following, using Western note names.

G A B C D

Then, being a pentachordal scale, the scale repeats itself starting from D. This gives the following scale.

G A B C D E F# G A

So looking at this scale so far, it appears to be the diatonic octave scale in G. This is because, thus far, it just so happens that the notes of two conjunct pentachords is the same as that of the octave system.

But how do we descend in this scale below the base note of G? If this were an octave scale, we would descend to F#, giving

F# G A B C D E F# G A

But this is not an octave scale. It is a pentachordal scale and we actually descend a whole tone to F.

F G A B C D E F# G A

Descending the full pentachord gives

C D E F G A B C D E F# G A.

So to find the "grave mode", one starts at G and descends a whole tone. Because this tone "pulls us down" farther than we would have if we were using the octave scale, the note is called "heavy".

In this ancient system, you find the authentic "sounds" or "modes" by going up from G, and you find the plagal "sounds" or "modes" by going down from A. So starting at G, you go up one note in the scale to find A, the first sound. B is the second sound. C is the third sound, and D is the fourth sound. Going down from A, G is the plagal of the fourth, F is the plagal of the third, E is the plagal of the second, and D is the plagal of the first.

In those times, there was little or no distinction between a "note", a "tone", a "sound", or a "mode". That is, Ke, or A, was simply the "first sound", which denoted not only the note in the scale, but also the entire "mode" as we would now call it. So the "heavy sound" was the "heavy mode" because its base was found by "finding the plagal of the third", or rather "finding the heavy sound".

 

[tudorvolcano]

This is an interesting question. The plagal of the third mode has been called varys (which means heavy, deep, or grave), even in the oldest surviving chant manuscripts from the first millenium. The reason is probably lost to time, as none of the surviving ancient theoretical treatises give an explanation, so one can only guess.

One such guess is put forth in Chapter X of the Great Theory of Music by Chrysanthos. My simplified explanation for those with a background in Western music notation is below.

Originally, the base of the first mode was what we would now call Ke, or A, to use Western conventions. To "find Ke", one started at Dhi, or G, and went up a whole tone to Ke, singing the syllables "ananes". That is, one starts at G and ascends to A, and this is the first "sound", or "mode" as we now call it. From there, a pentachordal scale called "the wheel" was used. This scale is (approximately) Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone.

The first five notes of the scale then become the following, using Western note names.

G A B C D

Then, being a pentachordal scale, the scale repeats itself starting from D. This gives the following scale.

G A B C D E F# G A

So looking at this scale so far, it appears to be the diatonic octave scale in G. This is because, thus far, it just so happens that the notes of two conjunct pentachords is the same as that of the octave system.

But how do we descend in this scale below the base note of G? If this were an octave scale, we would descend to F#, giving

F# G A B C D E F# G A

But this is not an octave scale. It is a pentachordal scale and we actually descend a whole tone to F.

F G A B C D E F# G A

Descending the full pentachord gives

C D E F G A B C D E F# G A.

So to find the "grave mode", one starts at G and descends a whole tone. Because this tone "pulls us down" farther than we would have if we were using the octave scale, the note is called "heavy".

In this ancient system, you find the authentic "sounds" or "modes" by going up from G, and you find the plagal "sounds" or "modes" by going down from A. So starting at G, you go up one note in the scale to find A, the first sound. B is the second sound. C is the third sound, and D is the fourth sound. Going down from A, G is the plagal of the fourth, F is the plagal of the third, E is the plagal of the second, and D is the plagal of the first.

In those times, there was little or no distinction between a "note", a "tone", a "sound", or a "mode". That is, Ke, or A, was simply the "first sound", which denoted not only the note in the scale, but also the entire "mode" as we would now call it. So the "heavy sound" was the "heavy mode" because its base was found by "finding the plagal of the third", or rather "finding the heavy sound".

The modes are still distinct by direction.

The plagal of the first, for example, is also Ke, but in descent, rather than in ascent.
So, C would also be Varys, if you go downwards.

Plagal refers to sideways movement: authentic modes (kyrioi echoi) have an ascending (or descending-ascending) melody, while plagal modes (plagioi echoi) have a descending (or ascending-descending) melody.
You go upwards towards the authentic mode, but downwards towards the plagal mode.

The question still remains why the Varys mode is called Varys, why was the plagal of the third chosen to be so called, and not another plagal, like the plagal of the 4th.
Maybe it has something to do with how a fretboard was made for the neck of an instrument like the Byzantine pandoura?

 

[brucewayne]

The plagal of the first, for example, is also Ke, but in descent, rather than in ascent.
So, C would also be Varys, if you go downwards.

C would be Plagal Fourth. Bb would be Varys.

F G A Bb C D E F G A B C D E F# G A

Below is the original paragraph from Chrysanthos, translated into English.

What he says is that according to the diapason (octave system), you get

di ke zo ne pa bou ga Di Ke Zo Ne Pa
G A B C D E F G A B C D

but according to the wheel system (pentachordal), you get

di ke zo ne pa bou ga Di Ke Zo Ne Pa
G A Bb C D E F G A B C D

Hence the martyria on the wheel for Zo is called Varys because Bb is "heavier" than B.



What's not clear from this explanation is Chrysanthos' source. Perhaps he came up with this explanation himself, or perhaps he was merely repeating what was at the time considered common knowledge among cantors.

 

[brucewayne]

This topic also on the Greek forum here. I seem to recall another post, too, but I can't find it. The overall conclusion was the same: it's been called varys for so long that no one really knows for sure why. Chrysanthos' explanation kind of makes sense, but there's no solid evidence that it is correct. Unless we discover a manuscript from the first millennium with an explanation, we probably will never know for sure.

 

[Augustine1006]

This is all very interesting. So if it is because of the pitch, why is it skipped during paschaltide? I thought it was because it was the tonality of it was considered improper for such a joyous season.

 

[brucewayne]

Could you clarify what you mean by "skipped during paschaltide"? The dismissal hymn for Thomas Sunday is in the grave mode, for example.

 

[Augustine1006]

Could you clarify what you mean by "skipped during paschaltide"? The dismissal hymn for Thomas Sunday is in the grave mode, for example.

I have heard this from several different sources, at least colloquially. Maybe it's not skipped entirely but it jumps from tone 6 to tone 8 in the pentecostarion.

Here is quoting from OrthodoxWiki

"Within Bright Week itself, the mode changes each day, thus:

Bright Sunday – First Mode (1),
Bright Monday – Second Mode (2),
Bright Tuesday – Third Mode (3),
Bright Wednesday – Fourth Mode (4),
Bright Thursday – Plagal of the First Mode (5),
Bright Friday – Plagal of the Second Mode (6),
Bright Saturday – Plagal of the Fourth Mode (8).
The Grave Mode (7) was chosen as the mode to be left out due to its heavier sound, considered least appropriate for the festal period among the eight modes. Since Pentecost falls on the Sunday when the grave mode would have been used in the normal sequence, the mode is once again skipped and the hymns of Pentecost are used. "

 

[brucewayne]

The Resurrectional stichera for the grave mode are omitted, that's true. But the prokeimonon in Vespers for each day is in the grave mode, as is the prokeimenon for Pentecost, so I'm not totally convinced that the explanation had to do with the grave mode being musically inappropriate for the Bright Week.

In the Greek forum there is this post, which discusses this. At least at some point in the past, the grave mode was used during Bright Week or at least included as an option in liturgical text i.e. cantors could choose between the grave mode or plagal fourth since there were not enough days to sing all eight tones. Over time, it seems cantors chose more often the plagal of the fourth, probably because hymns in the plagal fourth are far more common and familiar than hymns in the grave mode.

 

[tudorvolcano]

The Resurrectional stichera for the grave mode are omitted, that's true. But the prokeimonon in Vespers for each day is in the grave mode, as is the prokeimenon for Pentecost, so I'm not totally convinced that the explanation had to do with the grave mode being musically inappropriate for the Bright Week.

In the Greek forum there is this post, which discusses this. At least at some point in the past, the grave mode was used during Bright Week or at least included as an option in liturgical text i.e. cantors could choose between the grave mode or plagal fourth since there were not enough days to sing all eight tones. Over time, it seems cantors chose more often the plagal of the fourth, probably because hymns in the plagal fourth are far more common and familiar than hymns in the grave mode.

From what I remember, there were originally only eight modes.
Varys was an extra one that was added later. If you look into the melos of the Anastasimatarion of the Old Sticherarion (the so-called Anastasimatarion of Ioannes Damaskenos, probably improperly attributed to him), you will see that the Kekragaria in Varys mostly have the melody of Echos Protos, apart from the finalis on Ga (the Varys note).

 

[tudorvolcano]

C would be Plagal Fourth. Bb would be Varys.

F G A Bb C D E F G A B C D E F# G A

Below is the original paragraph from Chrysanthos, translated into English.

What he says is that according to the diapason (octave system), you get

di ke zo ne pa bou ga Di Ke Zo Ne Pa
G A B C D E F G A B C D

but according to the wheel system (pentachordal), you get

di ke zo ne pa bou ga Di Ke Zo Ne Pa
G A Bb C D E F G A B C D

Hence the martyria on the wheel for Zo is called Varys because Bb is "heavier" than B.

View attachment 118891

What's not clear from this explanation is Chrysanthos' source. Perhaps he came up with this explanation himself, or perhaps he was merely repeating what was at the time considered common knowledge among cantors.

In Chrysanth's system, Πα is A, so Νη is G. This was the system he used, and is pretty much the same that was used by the Ottomans (and the Turks now: Νη = Ottoman Rast = Sol):

And in the translation too:

What you actually have with Νη = Do, was an attempt by the Patriarchal Comission at the end of the 19th century to fix the pitch of the Byzantine diatonic scale, but this attempt failed.
Later, it was also suggested by Westerners too to adopt this system.

Still, what Chrysanth said would make sense. Because the κάτω Ζω κατὰ τρόχου would be lower by around a quarter tone than the κάτω Ζω in the system of the Διὰ πασῶν, therefore it would be called Varys.

 

[giorgosgoudi]

Varis tone includes this "plagal of third" variation with the name varis enarmonios from zo hyphesis.

The question why varis is excluded from penticostarion can be reversed: why octoechos has eight tones instead of seven? heptaechos (hepta=seven)