Byzantine Chant: An Introduction

Byzantine Chant is an indispensable part in the history of western music. It has been regarded as the interim of the ancient heritage and western church music. Up to now, scholars has achieved plentiful and substantial production in the research of BC, but there's still disparity comparing to the research of western church music. Locally, such research has not acquired recognition yet.There's still controversy about the concept and border of BC. In this essay, I will mainly focus on the East Roman Church in the Medieval Byzantine Empire, especially the church of Constantinople. Sometimes, I would also mention the period after the capture of Constantinople (1453), and the people whose music accept some influence of BC.According the data I command, I will divide the essay into such sections. Through the description of "Byzantine Empire and Church", "the Develop of BC", "Liturgy of Byzantine Church", "MS of BC", "Notation", "Mode of BC", "the Influence of BC", I'll try to draw a general picture of this music. I'll also deal with the controversies still exist. This essay will try to establish the status of BC, through the compare with Western Chant, we'll find the significance of BC to the history of western music.The conclusion of this essay: the music of BC is one of the headstreams of western music. On the other hand, Byzantine music is parallel to the western music. These two streams slowly go on their own way, different traditions and concepts have been developed. The music of BC is both folk music and Christian music. So the research must go back into the research of western music after jump out of the frame of the traditional music history. The result will not just be the supplement of the music history. Through a new frame of reference, the research will guide us to a clearer understand of the hypostasis of the western music.