Mediæval Byzantine Music

Author(s): H. J. W. Tillyard
Source: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr., 1937), pp. 201-209
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/738676
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 ERRATA SLIP
MEDIEVAL BYZANTINE MUSIC
The Musical Quarterly,April 1937
p. 206 The example belonging with "2. Hymn from the Octoechuzs.Mode III ...." is the LaudamusSalvator
P. 207 " ' " "3. A Proper Hymn for Christmas.Mode IV . . ." is the Huc adeste, can
.. .." ." " "4. A Polychronism .... Mode IV" is the Multi sint anni, printed on
p. 208 " " " 5. Hymn from the Octoechts. Mode I ...." is the Auctorem summum,
....." " " ""6. .Canon for Saturdayin Holy Week. Mode II, plagal. . ." is the Flu
7. . . hymn for the last Sunday after Epiphany.Mode IV, plagal .. " is t

"Since my articlewas written, the Committeeof the MonumentaMusice By

recommendedthat b-flat should always be marked as an accidental,not as
H. S. W. TILL
 MEDIAEVALBYZANTINE MUSIC'
By H. J. W. TILLYARD

T HE MUSICof the EasternOrthodoxChurchin the MiddleAges,

which is what I mean by Byzantine music, is clearly distinguished
both from ancient Greek music and from the music of the Greek Church
at the present day.
The early Christianhymn from Oxyrhynchus,probablydating from
the fourth century, is in a Greek mode and in Greek notation; and its
characterproves, as Professor Mountford has pointed out, that Hebrew
music cannot have been the sole origin from which the early Christian
melodies were derived. Though our evidence for the early ages of
church music is vague and scanty, it seems more than likely that the
church inherited the Greco-Roman musical tradition, but incorporated
Syrian and Hebrew elements as well, avoiding, however, the chromatic
ornamentations of pagan musicians, which were regarded as meretri-
cious and sinful. The modal system must be regarded as a simplifica-
tion of ancient Greek theory.
St. John of Damascus (VIIIth cent.) may have been one of the
earliest composers who wrote systematically in all the modes. Older
hymns that did not fit exactly into the scheme may have been assigned
to whatever mode their finalis seemed to indicate. In the early Middle
Ages the Eastern and Western churches had virtually the same musical
theory, as is shown by the Byzantine names of the Gregorian modes,
and by the application, or rather misapplication of ancient Greek
names, like Dorian and Phrygian, to both series. Both the Western and
the Byzantine neumes are descended from the Ecphonetic notation,
used to regulate the musical reading of the Scripturelessons.
This resemblance,however, does not help much in practice. For, at
the earliest stage, neither the Byzantine nor the Gregorian neumes can
be exactly deciphered: their meaning can be only partially inferred by
comparisonwith later versions. And when we reach a definitely legible
notation-the four-line staff in the West and the Round System in the
1 A paper read before the Western New York Chapter of the American
Musicological
Society, May i6, I936, by Gomer L1. Jones, Commonwealth Fund Fellow at the Eastman School
of Music from Cardiff, Wales.
201
202 The MusicalQuarterly

East-, it is clear that each sectionhas gone its own way and only a
generallikenessremains.This also appliesto the Russianneumes. In
the eleventhand twelfthcenturiesthey seemto be almosta copyof the
Byzantine.Butwhen theyreachthefully intelligiblestage-namely the
Late Sematicnotation(or Kryuki,i.e. "Hooks")-, the melodiesshow
the strongestdivergencefrom the Byzantineoriginals.
The Round or Middle Byzantinesystem,inventedin the twelfth
century,survivedthe Latin conquestof Constantinople and flourished
the
throughout age of the In
Palaeologi. this long stretchof time the
whole hymnodyof the churchwas recordedin a notationthat can be
read with virtualcertaintyin all its main features. The fall of Con-
stantinoplein I453 and the Turkishconquestbroughta suddenend to
the productionof musicalmanuscripts.It is not until the laterseven-
teenthcenturythata notablerevivalcanbe seen,bothin the copyingof
old hymnsand in the compositionof new tunes. In the eighteenthcen-
tury the Greekmusiciansat Constantinople were the minstrelsof the
Sultan'scourt,and theirwork had a thoroughlyorientalquality. This
naturallyspreadto musicintendedfor Greekaudiences.Thus, about
I82I, when the ArchimandriteChrysanthusand his associateswere
reformingthe notation,they found a music in use whose theoryand
practicewere mainly Arabo-Persian.The new notation,adaptedfor
print and providedwith a speciesof sol-fa,soon establisheditself; the
more easilyas the previousor Late Byzantinesystemwas falling into
disuse. Butthey did not try to reformthe musicitself;and theirtheory
is a strangemixture of Easternnotions with ill-digestedscraps of
ancientGreektreatises. Therefore,when anyone speaksof the con-
temporaryGreekmusicas "Byzantine," this meansonly that it is non-
European. The Greek church music of the MiddleAges, resembling
Gregorian,properlydeservesthe name Byzantine;and in this senseI
shalluse it.
The folk-songsof modernGreece(of which Greekscholarssuch as
Mme. Merlier,Prof. Psachos,and M. Pachtikoshave publishedad-
mirablecollections)aremidwaybetweenthe two traditions-lessorien-
tal than ChrysanthineChurchmusic,becausethey were the work of
simplemen,not courtminstrels,andlessdiatonicthanByzantinemusic
had been,becausethe centuriesof Turkishswayleft theirmarkon the
songsas on the languageof Greece.
It need scarcelybe pointedout that the modernharmonizedmel-
odiesof someGreekcity churchesare a loan from the West. They are
 MediaevalByzantineMusic 203
muchdeploredby Prof.Psachosandhis followerswho wish to standfast
by the I82I tradition.So, too, in the MiddleAges, Byzantinemusicwas
unisonicand unaccompanied.No instrumentalmusicfromthosetimes
has come down to us.
* *

In the absenceof an oraltraditionolderthanthe eighteenthcentury,

we aredrivento the manuscripts for our knowledgeof Byzantinemusic
in the MiddleAges. Not only haveseveralhandbooksof varyingmerit
come down to us, but the collectionsof hymnsaffordvaluableinternal
evidence;so that the rulesof the Roundor MiddleByzantinenotation
havebeenpromulgatedand aregenerallyacceptedby scholarsin West-
ern Europe.Theserulesformedthe subjectof discussionat the Copen-
hagen Conferencein 1931, where agreementwas reachedconcerning
the interpretationof the rhythmicalsigns and some other details,of
which an exactdemonstration couldnot be effectedas can be donewith
the intervalsigns. In thisnotation,the firstnoteof everyhymnis shown
by the signature,which varieswith the mode. Thesesignatures,which
sometimesadd an intonation,have been tabulatedand explainedin
adequatenumbers.The restof the melodyis givenby a chainof interval
signs,at the end of which the finalisis regained.This suppliesa check
on our reading. The valuesof the intervalsigns are given in the me-
diaval handbookcalledPapadike,but the rhythmicalsigns could only
be interpretedon generalgrounds-hence the need for an agreedsys-
tem, such as the Conferencerecommended.2
Furthermore,the Conferenceput forwarda list of publications,of
which a splendidbeginninghas beenmadeby the issuein facsimileof
a musicalmanuscriptat Vienna. This, the first volumeof the Monu-
menta Musice Byzantince,was broughtout by the Danish Academy
with the help and approvalof the World'sUnion of Academies.It is a
Sticherarium,i.e. a collectionof the ProperHymns for the fixed and
movableholy days of the whole year,with certainsmallergroupsof
hymnsat the end. A greatmany manuscriptsof this classare extant,
wherebywe can verify doubtfulreadingsand correctmistakes. The
date of the Vienna manuscript is I217.
Anotherclassof musicalmanuscriptsis calledHirmologus,and con-
2 For a full description of the Round notation, see my books "Byzantine Music and Hym-
nography" (London: The Faith Press, 1923) and "The Middle Byzantine Musical Notation"
(Copenhagen: Levin and Munksgaard, I935).
204 The MusicalQuarterly
tainsthe typicalversesof the Canons,arrangedby modes. A Canonis
a hymnwith eight (or in Lent nine) odes,basedon the Canticles.The
most famousCanonis that for Easterby St. Johnof Damascus(The
day of Resurrection: earth,tell it out abroad,translatedby J.M. Neale).
Few Hirmologiare extant,the bestbeing at Grottaferrata, dated 1281.
Whereasthe ProperHymns show remarkableuniformityof text and
clearlygo back to a common original,the Canonsshow greaterdis-
agreement,whichamountssometimesto an altogetherdifferentmusical
setting. It will be requisite,therefore,to examinein detaileveryknown
Hirmologus.
The third mediavaltype of musicalmanuscriptcontainsthe Con-
tacia,or Kovxdxta,of St. Romanus(earlyVIth cent.) and others,but
only in the mutilatedform that is still in use. Romanuswas the great-
est of all Byzantinehymn-wrights,and his narrative-odes, or religious
ballads,have a fervor, simplicity,and power, of which later Greek
hymnodyshows little trace. After the iconoclasticstrife in the early
seventhcentury,the liturgicalbookswerealteredby St. Johnof Damas-
cus or his followersand only the preludesof the odesof Romanuswere
left. The originalmusic consequentlydisappeared;and the surviving
portionsof the odeswereset,at an unknowndate,in a veryfloridstyle.
They are found in veryfew manuscriptsand aremost difficultto read.
In the fifteenthcenturywe find othercollections-includingwhole
services,Lauds,Vespers,the Liturgiesof St. Basiland St. Chrysostom,
and many exercisesfor the trainingof precentors.At this time the
compositionof new melodies,usuallyflorid,for older hymns begins;
and this was carriedstill further in the seventeenthand eighteenth
centuries.
* *

The ancientlaws of quantitywere dead by the sixth century;and

the spokenlanguagewas pronounced,like modernGreek,by accent.
Butmen of lettersstill wroteepigramsand lyricalpoemsin the ancient
meters;and St. John of Damascususes the ancientiambicmeter for
some of his Canons. This, however,was a literaryand technicalfeat.
Most Byzantinehymnodyis either basedon the numberof syllables
andthepositionof the chiefaccent(like the narrativeodesof Romanus)
or, moreoften, it is in rhythmicalprose,dividedinto cola or versicles,
like the Psalmsand Canticles.The music follows the words, and is
more like recitativethan melody. The rhythmis free. The cadences,
 Mediaval Byzantine Music 205
which are typical of the modes, and certain conventional ornaments,
help to make the music lucid.3
All the Byzantine modes were diatonic in the Middle Ages. An acci-
dental b-flat is sometimes needed to avoid an augmented fourth. Short
passages in the chromatic genus (tetrachord e-flat, f-sharp, g, a; or g,
a-flat,b, c') are sometimes found; but not before the seventeenthcentury
do we find a whole hymn in this genus.
The authentic modes nominally begin from the notes a, b, c', d', in
order. But Mode IV usually begins from g (as it would otherwisebe too
high) and borrows b-flat from the fourth plagal. The third mode
usually ends on f, but avoids b near a cadence. The first plagal and
third plagal (or Grave Mode; Barys) are the easiest,being like d-minor
with a flat seventh, and f-major. The fourth plagal is the most compli-
cated and expresses the highest emotion. The first mode is plain and
straightforward.
We give a few examples below, copied from the manuscriptsby the
writer and transcribedinto staff notation. With any music of past ages
we can never be sure that our manner of singing is in agreement with
the composer's intention. When we have read the neumes, there still
remain details of voice-production,expression, phrasing, and style, for
which the manuscripts give us no guidance. Nor can we say when or
how far the oriental practice of sliding from note to note (which often
gives the illusion of quarter-tones) had established itself. The nasal
singing, often remarked by nineteenth-centurytravellersin the Levant,
may be a fairly recent introduction from the East. Further, there is no
proof that the method of singing, even in the Middle Ages, was the same
all over the Byzantine empire, in which many local influences were
always at work. Hence, as the manuscriptsare our only guide, we are
bound to follow them as faithfully as possible.
* *

EXAMPLES OF BYZANTINE MUSIC

i. The first ode of a Canon for Christmas by St. John of Damascus, from the
Hirmologus at Grottaferrata. Mode I. (Crypt. date 128I.) The iambic meter is
ignored by the composer. The accentual correspondence is carried through every
ode, and possibly St. John intended this and not the quantities to be the basis of
the music. A final cadence on d is very frequent in this mode.
3 Any attempts to add vocal harmonies would be out of place, but a simple accompaniment
may be a help to some singers. It is also useful to have a Latin version in readiness for a singer
ignorant of Greek.
 _ -

206 The MusicalQuarterly

Allegro

'E - oa - aes Xa - ov uV - la - TovQ - yv o - - 6 -

Mi - ra - o - lis gen- tem Do - mi - nus ser - va - vit,

-yQOv O -Xa-da- or xv - Ia XEQ - 0oao - nd -aXa----

a - quo - sis un - dis pon- ti_ sic - ca - tis o - lim,

- V T - OEit ?X X6 - pQs; TQ - 6ov a - riv

et spon - te na - tus pu - el - la per - vi - am se - mi - tam

X> >
z~_
xo - ov q - -V - tv- v xa' o6 o - -
TI-l ; av
coe - li red- di- dit no - bis; quem per sub - stan- ti - am

;_ ov tF 30aT - Qi * xca 6Qo - Ti; o -d -- o-- - v.

ae - quum Pa - tr- lau - da - mus et mor - ta- li - bus.

2. Hymn from the Octoechus. Mode III. This mode is very difficult, and is
mostly avoided in the Proper Hymns, where the composer could choose his own
mode.
Andante
A

IVL ^J~~~~~I Nt J --I~~_

I^-rs^ J L-U_ ^s
*__=
-r
Mul- -u
ia-
. .- -- =C_M--:1
- '
floX- AX Ta ? - Trl TV V-wv6a - ol - no -X - - T td)v
Mul - ti . . . sint an - ni re - gum, mul- ti sint an - ni-
-
Lr== I J ~*TT4371 j
^_jP Jjg

V 6 - 1 -
6a - oL Xi -ov- noX Te - T - v.
re - gum, mul - ti sint an - ni re - gum.

'I- v6v - - vv F -
o Io Fo - a--TO-
o V C1-
-Co; - xal av - TO-
I- o - han - nis pi- is- si-mi re-gis et im-per-a-tor-is Ro -

xed - TO-QOg 'Po)-pai-ov, TOu na-at- o - 6 -yov- xai Ma - - t; - ao-6eo-Tr - T

a; Egn
man - o - rum,et Pa-lae-o o - l - gi; et Ma- ri-ae, Ma-ri-ae pi-iss-i-mac

Av- yow-Tr
Au-gus-tae
noAX-X
mul - ti sint
Ta& - Tn
an-ni;
'I
I -
-
o
-
-
cp
seph -
TcOU
i
a YL
sane-tis-si
-
-o
-

p p p p p-h h ..
4 Ta
5p
et O
oe - Xcu- pm - ni- ci pa - tri - ar- chi mul - At to
J

E - I-.
1

mi et oe - cu - me - ni- ci pa - tri -ar - chi mul - ti sint an - ni.

 Medieval Byzantine Music 207

3. A Proper Hymn for Christmas. Mode IV. The tune, being in the lower
region of the mode, borrows b-flat from the fourth plagal.

Adagio molto

Om - ni-po-tensDo-mi-ne, no - - vi quan-tumprae-va - le -

t)e
,w Li e,t I
....
ant la- cri- mae, He-ze-chi-amquae a fo- ri-bus mor-tis re- de - ge - rint,

et pec - ca - tri-cem a ve - te - ri-bus cri- mi-

ni-bus e - ri - pu - e - rint, et pub-li- ca-nun prae Pha- ri-sae- o iu-sti -

fi-ca- ve - rint; qui-bus-cumme nu-mer-ans mi-se-re- re pre-cor,Do - mi-ne.

4. A Polychronism, wishing long life to a Byzantine emperor. Mode IV.

Allegro
X,;; 2ffi ;ffi J '. 0-_; r
Hue ad - es - te, ca - ni - te ma - trem sal - va - to - ris,

quae postpar-tum rur-sus ap-pa - ru-it_vir - go; sal-ve urbs vi-vi- fi- ca

Re-gisnos-tri et De-i,_-- ub-i Chris-tus ha -bi-tans sa-lu-tem ef - fe - cit;

cumGa-bri-e- le cc - le-bram-uste, iuxta pas-tor- es re-so-na-bi-mus,cla-man-tes:

De-i Mat-er o - ra_. Sal-va - to-rem a te na-tum pro sa-lu - te nos-tra.

208 The MusicalQuarterly
5. Hymn from the Octoechus.Mode I, plagal.

Adagio nontroppo

- 4wrf-?
.Jh2 -
IJ--n ^
-"I f I
Fluc-ti-bus qui ma - ris o-per-u - it-quon-damper-se-cu-to-rem re -gem,

>:~ * I r pii
j vivace
A , . _.
*eIV
-^ h
t<J
_d
I ~~J7i
Ii -z-M Irj-r h I
-j__~ J, AiI IJ r I) op. - ^F _
rF*, rr
ter-ra i - unt re-demp-to-rum fi - li - i; nos au-tem sic - ut mu -
o-per-
*
+*_S f >n;
; rall.

li - e - res can - te-mus Do-mi - no; glo-ri-o-se mag-ni-fi-ca - tus est.

6. The first ode of a Canon for Saturdayin Holy Week. Mode II, plagal.
Words ascribedto Casia.

A . ' .

km
7
,rL
r r7 r
- ? . . r _
If r ru P L
- vov
P P
.
,t.
- xo
p
(l)'YL -vo - lev TO 0)- Tq - Qa, (2) TOv Ex TYi; {-
aaQ- Ea@
Lan-da-mus Sal- va - to- rem, Is_ e - nim e pu - el - la in - car

{v - to, (3) bt' fi - p ya&Q E- orav - Q - (4) xai T TQj - Tf

na - tus, et pro no - bis_ cruo- i - fi - xs ter - ti-a di-

n- eL-Qq' dv - -eo - J,(5&o) - QOV- JAe-voS - Liv To -- yE

a -o.
e re-sur- re --. xit, do- nans no-bis mag-nam mi- se - ri - cor - di - am.

7. A ratherpathetichymn for the last SundayafterEpiphany. ModeIV, plagal.

This hymn comes from a fifteenth-centurymanuscript,the words being by Casia.
Observethe common formula, a b d' c' b (thematismuseso) and b a g a f a g f
(thema haploun).This examplehas been transposeddown a majorthird.
 MediaevalByzantine Music 209

Tov do - Xn - yv rT oo - Tn -ci - c il v, XPQo- TO

Auc - to - rem sum-mum sa - lu - tis nos - trae, Chris-tum

bo o- too- o - yi o - tev. Av - TOV y&a0 X VEX- v v - a - Tav - To

fi - ca - bi - mus. Hoc en - im ab in - fer-nis sur- gen - te
mag-ni-

xoos - o; X d- V - OO- tI. Xai - QL XO - O; bcac- s6

(iy - Y - AOv uPFU-YEt
mun-dus er- ro -re ser-va-tur. Gau-det an-ge-lo - rum cho-rus, fu-git de- mo

vowv jrX - v. 'A -ba&t nE - ov - -

v - ia ta t b - a - 60- % xao - e10 - Y - Tat.
num er-ror. A-dam lap-sus re - sur - git, di- a - bo-lus de - vin - ci - tur.

8. A joyful hymn in praise of the Martyrs. Mode IV, plagal. (Grottaferrata E.

Gamma II.)

Allegro moderato

Lae - ta - bun - di iu - bi - le - mus, lae - ta men - te ce - le - bre-mus.

I
DJ DJ
^kJ%; 1JXQ?.;
Mar-ty-rum sol-lem - ni - a, qui in mun-do mor - i - en - tes, sed in Chris - to
rrall. L J
g s vi - ntlo-ri-a. -
re- nas-cen
re- nas- tes,
-- tes, so-la
so-la cr-ce - an - tes, ee - ius
riantes,
cru-ce glo -- ri vi vunt glo-ri a.