Manuscript 105 from the “Dumitru Stăniloae” Ecumenical Library of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova and Bucovina in Iasi - an exemplary document of adapting chants to Romanian in Moldova

Abstract

Abstract Ms 105 from the “Dumitru Stăniloae” Ecumenical Library is an extensive Chrysantean Anthologhion, consisting of 236 leaves, written in Romanian with Cyrillic characters by copyist Hariton Vasiliu from Horaita Monastery (Neamt County), between 1857-1879. The chant content is specific to the musical collection this codex belongs to, namely the service of Vespers, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy, freely organized in the manuscript; for this reason, the typical ritual order could not be observed. The musical sources of Ms. 105 are exclusively repertoire collections in the Romanian language, mainly the psaltic prints circulated during that period (about 50% of the total). Their composers are initiators of the implementation of the Chrysantine reform in the Romanian Principalities: Macarie the Hieromonk, Anton Pann, Nectarie Frimu, Dimitrie Suceveanu – they were all important personalities who, through their works, contributed significantly to the replacement of church chanting in Greek with chanting in the “mother tongue” (i.e. Romanian). The other set of chants in Ms. 105 (50% of the total) are, however, from local manuscript sources and are mainly composed by unknown musicians.