Ισοκράτημα Δεύτερου Ήχου / Isokratema of Second Mode
Can ison be BOY sometimes?
Questions and Answers
What should the isokratema be in Second mode, especially in temporary endings on
BOY?
Discussion on Typikon and ByzantineChant forums:
G. K. Michalakis:
Ths ison, according to Tsolakidis, and
concerning the children, was DI for everything of the above (2nd mode Di, Second
mode Vou, Pl. 2nd heirmologic bou, even fourth mode Di). The same goes for Katavasiai
of 6 Jan: The Pa of the "hard chromatic" heirmologic 2nd is considered as the Di
of th "soft chromatic" heirmologic 2nd. Now, there are those that "soften" the "hard
chromatic heirmologic" tetrachord, and in the canon of the Holy Monday provided
in Constantinos Doxastarion, the lines he provides make this easier. I've tried
to "mix" a bit these intervals in the "Kalophonikos Heirmos " of 2nd mode "hard
chromatic" fthora I sent you (for instance, Ga is not always closse to Di, an Bou
isn't always close to Pa. If I were singing a True Pl 2nd, I'd do my best ot keep
Ga up, regardless of the way the melody progresses (now, there is a whole debate
about the functuation of this Ga: but my opinion is that it should be lowered only
when the fthora of plagal 2 is used in 2, whereas as it should barely move in Pl
2nd.) Now, some Arabs do an isson on Ni for pl2nd BOU. It doesn't sound bad....
I don't know where they hold that from. Elie Khoury did have a Greek clergyman as
a teacher... So, I don't know...
D. Koubaroulis:
Ok, but would you (I mean Tsolakidis)
follow melos at the end of "H Asomatos Fysis" for example or keep DI throughout
the piece? Would you follow melos at the long cadences to BOY in the slow "Agapesw
Se"?
G. K. Michalakis: That's a very good question. The children
who were beginners would continue to keep Di throughout. The first Canonarch was
a "partial domestichos", just as some of the adult isokrates, the isokrate being
all as well divided into two groups: those who knew and those who were beginners.
Beginners would keep isson an octave lower than the melody. Otherwise, they would
be on the melody line, but where the "initiated" ones would follow the melody, the
"beginners" would fade out (lower the volume) so a not to intefere. As I was saying,
the first canorch was an "initiated one". He therefore had authorisation to be a
"partial domestichos (a true domestichos would sing along from a to Z, except maybe
parts of "Triadi", or parts of "Doxa soi of the Evangelical reading), which means
he would sing along just before the martyriai (partial , complete and total catalixeis),
which Tsolakides resumed in the phrase "o canoa=narchos ito pragmatikos psaltis.
Gnorize olo to mathima ek stithous. Ochi monon canonarchouse, alla synepsalle kai
eis ++++olas tas katalixeis++++(The First canonarche was a true Psaltis. He knew
the chanted lessons in full and by heart. Not only did he precede the chantor by
calling out rapidly what was to be chanted, but he would sing along ++++all the
conclusive musical lines++++. So, the First canonarche and the isokrates (non initiated
group) had differnt isokratima functions. Let's take the "I Asomatos fysis".
I A so ma tos fy sis ta Che rou bim
1can: DI...................................
IsonB DI..................................
a si gi tois se hYm nois do xo lo gei
1can: DI...............MELOS.............DI.
IsonB Di...........lowervolume.......Normal
For Agapiso se, I don't have a direct answer. But I suppose it would be the same
as Epinikios hYmnos (Sanctus) of Meg. Basil. . The question is, what happens during
modulations (fthora) in that peiece. I don't know, because he was kind enough to
let me explore various isson. So i did what is current use. If ever I did "too much",
however, he'd let me know, so "explore" did not mean just about anything. But I
won't give you facts that are not from his sayings. But for the chants of Holy big Tessarakosti, I know so, because he told me so.