The most significant part of the musical history of the Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire) is undoubtedly church music, which represents a complete musical civilization with its own principles, distinctive style, advanced notation system, and an unparalleled variety of forms with countless interpretive possibilities from its vast melodic richness.
Church music evolved into a highly sophisticated art form and reached its pinnacle during the 13th and 14th centuries. During this time, simple melodies were elaborated and expanded, kallophonia (a musical technique emphasizing beauty and complexity) was elevated, and the music itself gained more weight in contrast to the text. This period saw the activity of the most famous quartet of church composers and teachers: John Glykys, Nikephoros Ethikos, John Koukouzelis, and Xenos Koronis. These masters of church music are the foundation of composition in all its forms, for all ages. Their contemporaries and successors—around a hundred musicians flourishing in the same era until the Fall of Constantinople—produced thousands of compositions, shaping the path and development of church music. Among them was the lambadarios (the chief chanter of the second choir in the church, opposite the protopsaltis, who leads the first choir and is the head chanter of both choirs) of the “Venerable Imperial Choir,” John Kladas.
Around the time of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the art of chanting displayed remarkable creativity. Several factors contributed to this climax: great composers and teachers lived during this time, all musical forms, especially the papadike style, flourished, the repertoire of musical books was stabilized, and these books were multiplied to meet growing demand. The monastic typikon (liturgical order) prevailed throughout the Orthodox world, and the order of services was solidified.
The most significant figure of this period was the lambadarios of the Venerable Imperial Choir, Manuel Doukas Chrysaphes, originally from Silivria in Eastern Thrace, whose work had immense artistic value. Chrysaphes was a friend of Emperor Constantine Palaiologos and served as a chanter at the imperial court during the Fall of Constantinople to the Turks. In remembrance of this event, he composed a lamentation psalm (based on the text of Psalm 78), where one can feel the deep sorrow of every Christian on the day when the last hope was lost, on the day when “the eye of the universe closed.”
Here, we present Chrysaphes’ composition, written in the eighth tone, with one rendition by the Great Protopresbyter Georgios Tsetsis and another by the choir Cappella Romana:
The text reads:
O God, the heathens have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. They have shed their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. Do not remember our former iniquities; help us soon and have mercy on us.
During the same period in Constantinople, another significant musician, composer, codicographer, and theorist, Hieromonk Grigorios Bounis-Aliates, was active. At the time of the Fall, he was the protopsaltis of Hagia Sophia. The works of these composers remained in use for over two centuries, serving as the foundation for the development of the art of chanting, influencing all post-Byzantine compositions.
The chronicler Dorotheos Monemvasios records an interesting event involving Hieromonk Grigorios Bounis-Aliates:
Sultan Mehmed heard that the Romans notate the voices of chanters and singers, so he summoned them to the palace, where there was a select Persian singer. He ordered the Persian to sing, while Lord Georgios (Grigorios’ secular name) and Lord Gerasimos, the chanters, notated the Persian’s voice. Thus, they composed the Persian’s song. Then the Sultan commanded them to sing it, and they performed it better than the Persian. This pleased the Sultan greatly, and he marveled at the sophistication of the Romans, rewarding the chanters generously, while the Persian, upon witnessing their skill, bowed to them.
Unfortunately, after the Fall of Constantinople and the collapse of the Roman Empire, the onset of Ottoman rule affected all spiritual spheres, including church music. Along with the glory of the empire, the vast wealth of artistic expression diminished, including the impressive musical performances of professional and numerous choirs of chanters. However, despite the pressures of the conqueror, church music contributed significantly to Ottoman culture and had a profound influence on Turkish secular and sacred music. Nevertheless, church music survived within the Orthodox Church and continues its dynamic tradition as the highest art form, giving birth to many new composers and excellent chanters who carry on and enrich this tradition.
