Κεκραγάριον Πρώτου Ήχου / Kekragarion First Mode
Σχόλια του Γ. Μιχαλάκη / G. K. Michalakis' comments
Iakovos Nafpliotis: What a marvel... Notice very large Ni-Pa many times. "phoni tiIIIIIIS Deiseos mou"Slightly smaller Ni-Pa, and high Zo on "ta PantAAAAAAA synePashon".

Pringos: Dragging away, with frequent use of a higher Di as comPared to "back then"..., and with the Zo as low as he had learnt it back then (yet, all in all, NOTHING = to Iakovos, in this case)...

Stanitsas. Ne-Ne not large enough (Ni too high). Almost all of his Nis are quite high. Ga is beutiful. Zo high in "tis deiseos mou"(and Ni as well). Too many acrobatics, nothing to do with Iakovos... NO stability. "Oti Para soi"... beautiful NI, finally.... "epidHHHmeian", Ni = high... (Ni = high = occidental)

Sfikas: Upgoing Bou too high. Ga unstable. Ni high, yet Zo quite low in the end... Not a good example to learn Parallagi from...

Basilikos: Ne Ne occidental. Yet, just right after, Ni = good ..Zo low... (standard, like Pringos). Second Zo not as low, but not high . His Ni in the melody is EXCELLENT vs. his apechema..

Taliadoros: Ni not too low, and Zo high ... yet , in eisakousOOOn mou, ±low Zo... later on, Ni get better. "TIIIIIs deiseos mou", same as in the beginning.. Ni a bit high, Zo not too low... Cacophony from helper, and unstable intervals throughout... Ni - Pa beautful. Zo low. Nice DI hyphesis (not too low, NEVER too low). Stability on Ga, which is NOT occidental . Later on, Zo even lower.

Dositheos monk: The prototype of interval STABILITY... Zo is always low. All the rest of the intervals are beautiful... Listen to the beautiful DI hyphesis... not too low, not too high, just where is should be.

Zoe Choir: Initial Ni not low enough. Zo low (but not too low) initially, yet a bit higher later, even in the conclusive line. (= occidental Ni zo) . DI hyphesis not too low either (=GOOD). "thymiamAAA"(high Zo). DI usually a bit high on the returns from Ni. Ni eventually fixes up to psaltic standards.

Chariatidis: Stable over all. Ni-Pa == large, good,; Zo low... Nice, serious, psaltiki.

G. K. Michalakis:
Parrallagi Ioanni's version:
Chronos: Of the "kata rhythmon" type, but exaggeratedly so, and must not serve as an example.
First Zo low. Second Zo just a bit high. Third = good. Fourth = perhaps a bit high...
DI changes on the coming back down from analyseis (almost always a bit high).

Melos Ioannis version:
"eisakouson mou"... good, low Zo.
Second "eisakouson mou", with ending on Zo = high
"tIIIIS deiseos mou" == Zo = high
"ThymiamAAA", Zo not too high, not too low.

Then, when doing it freely:
No Zo on "PrOOOOs se"...
"Eisakouson mou".. nice low Zo .
"Eisakouson mOUOUOU". not too high, not too low

Passages from high Ni with analysis going to high Pa == high Pa a bit flat, because of vocal limitations (normally, a good psaltis should know the vocal limits not only of "good" days bas of "bad ones as well.. I over-estimated my vocal potential that day...)

Syneptigmenos:
First low Zo == low...
"Eisakouson mOUOUOU": Zo not too high, not too low.
"TIIIIIS deiseos mou": Zo not too high, not too low.

Notice how "proseuchi mou" becomes almost second mode, whith high Ni, close to Pa

Damarlakis: Takes "tweezers" to chant this.... first Zo low..second and thrid Zo = nice and low. Third = Zo = low
He's really VERY careful with "kekragenai me pros se".. I don't understand why... Zo stable. Ke not always psaltic (the usual Pathology).

Kalambakas' choir: Nice Ni-Pa... Ni-Pa-Zo then becomes occidental. The second one = Nitoo high, but zo Low. Ibid for the Zo conclusion.. Nice Ni-Pas in "Kateuthinthito", except in "PrOOOOOseuchi mou". Then becomes good aGain.
Overall, I wasn't too displeased.

Konstantinos Katsoulis: Notice how the Di hyphesis (flat) is much lower in the melody versus the Parallagi, where is EXACTLY where it should be. Overall, this hyphesis is not a just a frequency change sign, but indicates as well (and more importantly so) a WAY of "pronouncing" this musical line. Katsoulis, of course, has excellent pronunciation and very good chronos and enGagement into tempo (lipsis chronou).

Metr. Elias Qurban: Notice how Ni-Pa isn’t quite large (most Arabs, however, do a nice, large Ni-Pa).