Byzantine Chant Theory and Practice in the Light of Ancient Greek Music Theory and Occicentrism

Abstract

Ancient Greek music theory comprises a large body of speculations which are not necessarily related to how music practice was really carried out at the time. This complex set of theories was reduced by 19 th -20 th centuries scholars to a ditonic – as for two whole tones in a Just fourth – substrate for many reasons, the first of which being the legitimation of Western music and its alleged Ancient Greek affiliation. The same biased Hellenistic tool was used to influence Byzantine chant in the late 19 th century (2 nd Patriarchal Reform) in such a way as to modify both its theory and praxis, pulling it away from its “Eastern” sources. The article demonstrates that today, more than ever, the future – and the preservation – of Byzantine chant is closely dependent on a better understanding of its intrinsic characteristics, far from the ideological speculations – and political considerations – of the last few centuries. The article is based on the book of the author on Arabian Byzantine chant (see http://foredofico.org/CERMAA/archives/584 ) and on his further research on Hellenism in musicology, notably the dossier for NEMO-Online No. 5 (see http://nemo-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/INTERNET-5-04.-Article-NEMO-n%C2%B05-Amine-Beyhom-161130-S.pdf ) and other articles on modality (see http://foredofico.org/CERMAA/ publications/publications-on-the-site/publications-amine-beyhom ).