Translating ήχος to English

Dimitri

Δημήτρης Κουμπαρούλης, Administrator
Staff member
Hi all,

English texts about Byzantine music topics often use different ways to translate the term ήχος and corresponding labels of Byzantine terminology. To my knowledge there is no official translation of these terms. For example, πλάγιος πρώτος ήχος may be seen as

first plagal mode (or plagal first mode)
first plagal echos (or plagal first echos)
plagios protos echos (or mode)
echos pl. a
mode pl. a
mode V
mode 5
tone 5

plus variations of the above and I am sure there are more versions.

Is there any translation that is more 'official' than others?

Thanks.
 

herron.samuel

Ieropsaltis
I personally prefer the way Papa Ephraim translates it as "mode", and just keeps it plain as "Plagal First Mode". I honestly have no reason as to why I prefer this to "tone", however knowing Papa Ephraim I am sure he had a carefully considered reasoning behind this choice. I will say this also is habit since I use his music in English almost exclusively so I am used to reading and saying it this way as well.
 

Nikolaos Giannoukakis

Παλαιό Μέλος
My own personal preference would also be Mode. The original Greek term "Ηχος" goes beyond the context of the word "Tone" in the English. Mode would be more appropriate. Again, this is only a PERSONAL preference, and I am multiply-guilty of interchanging Tone and Mode and of course Hchos in discussion and writing.....

NG.
 

neoklis

Νεοκλής Λευκόπουλος, Γενικός Συντονιστής
Mode is also more in accordance with the greek word "τρόπος" which is sometimes used as a synonym of "ήχος". (Another synonym used is "δρόμος").
 

GabrielCremeens

Music Director at St. George, Albuquerque, NM
I personally prefer the way Papa Ephraim translates it as "mode", and just keeps it plain as "Plagal First Mode". I honestly have no reason as to why I prefer this to "tone", however knowing Papa Ephraim I am sure he had a carefully considered reasoning behind this choice. I will say this also is habit since I use his music in English almost exclusively so I am used to reading and saying it this way as well.

In his "Intonations of the Modes" file, Papa Ephraim has a footnote on the first page, stating,

"While most Orthodox liturgical books in English translate the word “ηχος” as “tone,” it is more accurate to use the
term “mode.” (Vid. Harvard Dictionary of Music, Revised Edition, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970, pp. 535,
856.)"

I don't happen to have access to the Harvard Dictionary of Music right now, so I can't read up on the justification for use of the term "mode" over that of "tone". But here's the reference, for those able to check.

-Gabriel
 

Dimitri

Δημήτρης Κουμπαρούλης, Administrator
Staff member
Thank you all for the relevant references. I also found uses of

Ihos a
Ichos a

and also

échos
 
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