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Some Notes Upon Russian Ecclesiastical Music, Ancient and Modern

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

W. J. Birkbeck
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Extract

No foreigner can fail to be struck by the Church music of Russia. Even if his acquaintance with the country be limited to a short visit—say a fortnight spent in St. Petersburg, with perhaps a flying visit for a few days to Moscow, he is sure to be impressed by the excellent unaccompanied singing of the choirs not only in the large cathedrals and monasteries, but also, if he visit them, in the ordinary parish churches. He will be loud in his praise of the marvellous richness and compass of the voices, and more especially of the deep notes sung by some of the basses, going down to the A, G, and even F of the 16-ft. octave of the organ, voices the like of which are to be heard in no other country. Although there is no organ or instrumental accompaniment of any kind to sustain the voices, the singing is never out of tune. Even the clergy seem to be universally possessed of musical ears. In the long ectenæ, which recur so frequently in every one of the Greek Church services, and which in form somewhat resemble our Litany, neither the deacon who sings the suffrages nor the choir which responds ever seem to lose the right pitch, and get flatter and flatter as we so often hear in this country. In fact, I don't think that anyone who has had the opportunity of comparing the ecclesiastical music of the various nations of Europe will refuse Russia the credit of surpassing all other countries in the general excellence of her church singing.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Musical Association , Volume 17 , 1890 , pp. 137 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1890

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References

∗ I am speaking of course of the nation as a whole, not of individual artists.Google Scholar

∗ Confessiones, x. 33.Google Scholar

∗ The translations of these three passages are (I) “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee”; (2) “Most holy Mother of God, save us”; and (3) “Holy … Alexander, pray to God for us.” In the latter the words velíki knázhe (grand duke) have been omitted, as they do not affect the melody.Google Scholar

∗ The eight Greek modes are arranged in a different order to those of the Gregorian system. In the latter the odd numbers represent the authentic modes and the even numbers their respective plagals. But in the Greek books the authentic modes are numbered first (, etc.) while the plagals form the last four modes. Thus the fifth mode is called “plagal of the first” (), the sixth mode “plagal of the second” () etc. In the Slavonic books they are simply numbered from 1 to 8.Google Scholar

∗ It will be seen in the diagram that two forms are given of this letter. The one in brackets appears sometimes, but the preceding form is the more usual, as this is the way the letter B itself was usually written at this period.Google Scholar

† In each case I have placed the interpretation in our notation immediately above the corresponding signs. It will be seen that by means of these marks, the pitch of each note in the scale is definitely fixed, whereas without them it was in the case of accented notes only approximately shown, and in unaccented notes not at all.Google Scholar

∗ Specimens of the application of the priznaki may be seen in the lowest line of the diagram, the first, third, fifth, and eighth notes (or groups of notes) have no priznak, and therefore represent the lowest note of the trichord, while the second and seventh have the priznak of the second note, and the fourth, sixth, and ninth of the third or upper note of the trichord. The specimen quoted is the opening' passage of the Oktoikh, and is the Slavonic translation of the Greek words from Vespers on Saturday evening of the First Mode.Google Scholar

† A complete copy of this work is to be seen in the Bodleian. It was presented to the University by M. Pobédonostzeff, the Chief Procurator of the Russian Holy Synod.Google Scholar

∗ The well-known Archbishop Nicanor of Kherson and Odessa was an enthusiastic advocate for their restoration, and devoted much of his time, even down to within a few weeks of his death, in teaching their proper execution in his choir.Google Scholar

∗ See “Proceedings of the Musical Association,” 1887–8 Page 149–150.Google Scholar