Καταβασίες Θεοφανείων / Katavasiai of Theophaneia
Ποιά είναι τα σωστά διαστήματα; / What are the right intervals?
Recordings and comments by Konstantinos Katsoulis (new)


 Vythou Anekalypse/Stivei Thallases (Parallage/Theoretical comments) [mp3, 750 Kb]
Vythou Anekalypse (Melos) [mp3, 750 Kb]



The confusion with "Aporei Pasa Glwssa"

Blind psaltis Christos Seretis [mp3, 2.7 Mb]

does a soft chromatic BOY-GA-DI in "Aporei" but later on in the phrase he does PA as DI of Second Soft Chromatic. Same later on in the piece. He seems to be confused but maybe he knows something more...

On the other hand:

Thrasyvoulos Stanitsas does PA as DI soft chromatic throughout
[rm, 293 Kb] (from cmkon.org) and here [rm] (from ec-patr.net)

The confusion comes from the placement of the soft chromatic fthora labelled B (= BOY) on PA of Plagal Second mode. Some people say that this is to be interpreted as BOY of Second Soft Chromatic. Others say it should be interpreted as DI of Second Soft Chromatic. Note that although Ioannis' Heirmologion has the letter B on the soft chromatic fthora, Angelos Boudouris in his transcriptions of the katavasiai does not identify the fthora with a letter, obviously implying DI (the default in this case).

Here is what Lykourgos Angelopoulos told G. K. Michalakis in a discussion they had in Paris in 1997

[mp3, 1.8 Mb]
(offered by G. K. Michalakis)

Angelopoulos explains that the soft chromatic fthora implies a low Second Soft Chromatic mode from PA, therefore PA as DI, and therefore in accordance with Patriarchal practice as expressed by Stanitsas at least. See GKM's comments below.

G. K. Michalakis has sent me two versions of the Katavasiai of Theofaneia:

One considering PA as DI

The full double katavasiai of Theophaneia with comments (PA = DI) [mp3, 3.6 Mb]

and one with PA as BOY

The full double katavasiai of Theophaneia with comments (PA = BOY) [mp3, 4.7 Mb]

G. K. Michalakis comments on his discussion with LA above:

The explanations were given after a Gregorian chant concert in Paris, 1997. I would like to my gratitude for Lycourgos Angelopoulos' INTEREST for and GENEROSITY concerning psaltiki. The intervals are good, as Matthaios ANDREOU would chant them. The Di is quite high, and it can support an isson on Bou, although LA -and ALL the other psaltis as well- ask for an isson on Di. Andrea insisted on the large Bou-DI interval and smaller Di-Ke as well. Analyseis = developments (and laryngismos = vocalisations) put aside, I'd say the present recording is all right. Note that I have always been open-minded but, ever since some time, I must take position to defend what I think is CORRECT psaltiki, and that this stance of mine is not PERSONAL, but TRADITIONAL. I found the tape and digitised it AFTER having recorded and sent out the second, "non-experimental" version, so as not to be influenced in any way..

That day, the Gregorian chant group "Organum" was "dead tired" (because they were singing all day so as to help people understand what Gregorian chant is all about) and LA really did a good job during the concert. We discussed "Bythou" around one o'clock in the morning on that very Saturday night.. the next day, we went together to chant at the Cathedral of Saint Stephanos (Paris)... ever since, I drew my conclusions as to what we share in common and what our main, yet DETERMINING differences are all about.



A study on the interpretation of "oxeia"
in the fast heirmos "Bythou"
In chronological order from older to newer

Th. Stanitsas
Notice how Stanitsas does an oxeia ascend in anekalypse and katakalypsas. And a psephiston in en polemois Kyrios.

B. Nikolaidis
His successor did the oxeia as well but not the psephiston.

L. Asteris/I. Xariatidis
(2003)
The current psaltai do nothing of the above.



The following was done "ek stethous" (off by heart) and shows that the "oxeia" effect is there in traditional chanting.

G. K. Michalakis

Comment by G. K. Michalakis:

"even though we wee hard chromatic fthroa in 2nd heirmologikos, it is not as hard as plagal second stichirariko/papadikos.... Bou is a bit higher and Ga is a bit lower (it is softer)... yet. Bou may not be higher at times, and it is this that really makes the diference with just second mode fthora...(Di ke).... the KE zo second is almost as high as the Bou Ga special fthora, but perhaps not eexactly the same... Bou Ga of real hard chromatic are REALLY far apart...."