Τρίτος Ήχος / Third Mode
A comprehensive treatment of a controversially notated and chanted mode
Questions and Answers
Most theory books call Third Mode "Enharmonic". Simon Karas calls it "Hard Diatonic" instead for the first time in his Theory book. Why?
Y. Bilalis:
These are the misnomers that happened during the 19th century
development of the Chrysanthine notation along with the influences that
they had from the Enlightenment era. The Patriarchal Committee 1881 (7
cantors/musicians gathered in Constantinople at that time with
president the Archimandrite Germanos Afthonides [ the Ottoman empire
used the name Constantinople till 1905, when it was changed into
Istanbul!! ]) decided to use the term "enharmonic" probably from their
overzeal to show that the byzantine chant had a direct relationship
with the theory of ancient greek music and shared all three genre that
are described from the 7 Harmonic teachers. So, they appointed 3rd mode
and barys into the "enharmonic" genre. One other possible reason for
that 1881 decision (I was not there that time) might be that the
interval ke-Zo' was less than halftone in chanting practice, and so by
theory whatever was less than a halftone should have a flavour of
enharmonic; this is another attempt to deepen into their thinking.
Going back to their theory, the intervals of 3rd mode and/or barys
(heirmologic/sticheraric) are Ga(F) - Di(G) =12 [full tone], Di(G) -
Ke(A) = 12, and Ke(A) - Zo'(B)= 5.5 (6). These are the intervals of
piano major scale which in the terminology of ancient Greek music is
called diatonon suntonon (=hard); unfortunately the 1881 committee (pg.
46) changed the terminology into "enharmonic" for this 4chord. At the
same time, the 1881 committee did not specify that the plagal of 4th
and 4th modes as well as First and its plagal belong to another sibling
of the Diatonical genre, the soft diatonic one (with intervals 12,10,8
in any order [=between the piano cracks], but simply stated that these
4 modes belong to the diatonic genre. So, probably they wanted to be
general in their terminology and appointed the modes 1st-plagal 1st and
4th-plagal 4th into the DIATONIC genre whereas the 3rd-barys into the ENHARMONIC genre.
Why are some pieces of Third mode chanted with soft diatonic intervals by some psaltai even though there is no diatonic fthora of NH on GA?
See special page which is a performance analysis of the Exaposteilarion "Ton Nymfona Sou Vlepo" [
html]
Why do Papadic pieces of Third mode have the fthora of diatonic NH on GA? Are they meant to be chanted with diatonic or enharmonic (hard diatonic precisely) intervals?
[pending]
How have composers used the enharmonic (atzem) and permanent fthorai (o+) in Third mode and why is it confusing?
What is "real enharmonic" (as opposed to hard diatonic) according to Simon Karas?
[pending]
Is it wrong to call Third mode "Hard Diatonic"?
[pending]
How many ways are there to chant a piece that is prescribed as Third Mode?
For most pieces, there is no doubt, only one way: hard diatonic intervals. For other pieces like "Ton Nymfona Sou" there appear to be two ways.
What apechema should be done in pieces of Third mode
The simplest one is a plain "Ne" on GA. The old apechema of the mode is "Nana" (there exist short and long versions of it which are considered classical, see Mega Theoretikon of Chrysanthos. There is no really long apechema for the papadic pieces as there is for instance in other Authentic modes. Ioannidis [Theoretikon] gives a complex apechema of his own.
What are the common mistakes of psaltai when chanting Third mode?
[pending]
Why are there so few automela in Third mode relatively to other modes?
[pending]
Does Third mode have a Plagal mode on low ZW flat in practice? Is that the same as Varys Enharmonic mode from low ZW flat?
[pending]
What are the modal branches of Third mode according to the literature?
[pending]
What isokratema should we do when Third mode pieces do cadences on PA (two notes below the basis)? In Father Dositheos recordings we hear GA isokratema in this case.
[pending]
What isokratema should we do when Third mode pieces move or cadence on high ZW flat (with enharmonic fthora)?
[pending]
Why does "Tin Oraiotita" do cadences on DI, against the theory of Third mode?
[pending]
Why are there so few pieces (like Doxastika, Kathismata, Papadic pieces) composed in Third mode compared to other modes?
[pending]
Can Third mode be played with its exact intervals on the piano?
[pending]
What is the melodic range of pieces of Third mode?
[pending]
What are the melodic attractions of Third mode according to theory books?
[pending]
Are there any pieces or parts of pieces of Third mode that are truly Enharmonic (not just hard diatonic) according to Simon Karas?
[pending]
What are traditional example recordings of good Third mode intervals?
[pending]
What are non traditional example recordings of Third mode intervals?
[pending]
The Kalophonikos Heirmos "En Sinaio to Orei" of Petros Bereketis (found in the Kalophonikon Heirmologion transcribed by Gregorios Protopsaltis) is notated as Third mode however its melodic movement is totally unfamiliar with Third mode. Why? Is it all up to the isokratema choice and the melodic attractions performed?
[pending]
Did the Three Teachers change the basis of Third mode in the diapason?
[pending]
What system (tetrachordon/pentachordon/diapason) does Third mode's scale(s) use?
[pending]
Does the enharmonic fthora (atzem) of Third mode have the same effect as in Barys mode?
[pending]
On which note should the verses of Third mode cadence on? Is "Theos Kyrios" of the Orthros (Matins) service an exception?
[pending]
The last stanza of the Engomia (Lamentations) is notated in Third mode but usually a Westernised alternative is chanted instead. What is the traditional Third mode version?
[pending]
Why does Simon Karas ignore the existence of the crossed permanent fthorai (o+)?
[pending]
Are the crossed permanent fthorai (o+) effective both on descent and ascent?
[pending]
There are three different signs to flatten ZW in Third Mode. Normal yphesis, permanent yphesis and enharmonic fthora (atzem). How much does each sign flatten ZW?
[pending]
Why does Fr Haralambos Oikonomou propose a new definition of the Enharmonic scale?
[pending]
Are there any ancient melodies in Third mode?
Angelos Boudouris mentions [Eisagoge eis ten Byzantinen Mousiken] that "Kyrie Soson tous Euseveis" (Lord save the Faithful) is an ancient melos.
Why does Fr Haralambos Oikonomou propose a new definition of the Enharmonic scale?
[pending]
Some theory books recognise Plagal First as the Mesos mode of Third mode and they say that some pieces of Third mode are written in this mode. Is that correct?
[pending]
Next to the martyria of Third mode there is an Elaphron (or Syneches Elaphron). What does it mean?
[pending]
Why does Third mode have two modal martyriai (a long and short one)?
[pending]
What does the long martyria of Third mode mean?
[pending]
How does Third mode (with and without the fthora of NH on GA) differ from Plagal Fourth Triphonos mode?
[pending]
Should BOY be raised in cadences of Third mode to PA? In cadences to NH?
[pending]
Did Chourmouzios innovate when composing cadences of Third mode in low GA (outside of the Dis Diapason range considered standard for Psaltiki)?
Apostolos Konstas considers low DI as the lowest possible basis for a mode [Apostolopoulos].
[pending]
Is Simon Karas' "Hard Diatonic" genre exactly what is mentioned by Ancient Greek scholars?
[pending]
Why is it common for Papadic pieces of Third mode to place a soft chromatic fthora in their Tetraphonia (high NH)?
[pending]