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Some Byzantine Musical Manuscripts at Cambridge
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 October 2013
Extract
The whole subject of Byzantine music deserves far more attention from musicians than it has yet received. The richest store-houses of Byzantine musical manuscripts are the great monastic libraries of Athos, Patmos, and Sinai. There the copying of liturgical books was an important industry in the Middle Ages, and the monasteries, being also the centres of musical study, produced standard works for their own use, besides distributing them among the leading Churches in the Christian East. Valuable collections are also kept in the National Library at Athens, the Vatican, at Grotta-Ferrata, Vienna and Paris. But there are many other libraries in different parts of Europe into which a few Byzantine musical MSS. have found their way, and in our own land a few specimens have been lying for years or centuries, neglected and unread.
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- Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1919
References
page 194 note 1 Authorities: for English readers the first account of the mediaeval music and notation will be supplied by my little book, Bytantine Music and Hymnography (with bibliography). Some good general remarks in J. M. Neale and S. G. Hatherly, Hymns of the Eastern Chunk with Music. On the modern Byzantine system see W. Christ and M. Paranikas, Anthologia Graeca Carminum Christianorum; or P. Rebours, Traité de Psaltique.
My best thanks are due to Mr. C. Sayle (University Library), to Mr. Rider (Fitzwilliam Museum), to the Librarians ofGonville and Caius, Emmanuel and Trinity Colleges; and also to Mr. C. Hurry, Sub-librarian at Trinity, for much kind help.
The Council of Trinity College very obligingly sent me one of their MSS. to study at Edinburgh; Mr. S. Gaselee, of Magdalene, kindly lent his three MSS. to the University Library for my inspection.
page 195 note 1 See Musical Antiquary, 1911, p. 81.
page 195 note 2 See my forthcoming article ‘The Problem of Byzantine Neumes’ in J.H.S. vol. xli. The Neumes are also called Linear System, Notation Mixte, Strichpunktnotierung, etc. by different writers.
page 195 note 3 For the Russian notations see O. von Riesemann, Die Notat, d. alt. -russ. Kirchengesanges. (No account accessible in English.)
page 196 note 1 For discussion on rhythm see B.S.A. xxi. pp. 125 ff.; and for the modes, J.H.S. xxii. pp. 133 ff.
page 197 note 1 See p. 201.
page 198 note 1 Anyone wishing to study the modern system can gain a general idea from Chrysanthus' book, the Theoretikon Mega (in Modern Greek) or from the works already mentioned; but for practical purposes a few lessons from a Greek precentor are necessary.
page 198 note 2 For further explanation see Musical Antiquary, 1913, p. 205; and J. M. Neale, History of Holy Eastern Church, Part I. 2.
page 200 note 1 Or Rethymno, in Crete.
page 200 note 2 For these classes of Hymns see the introductions by Neale and W. Christ, op. cit.
page 201 note 1 Also called P. Peloponnesius: ob. I777.
page 202 note 1 For performance a Latin translation can be used, but English words do not suit the Byzantine rhythms.