# Orthodox Chant



## brianvds

I have recently been discovering some of the music of the Orthodox churches. Not sure who the composers were, or when it was composed, or whether it is always performed in this manner. But this stuff has blown me away:











Any other enthusiasts?


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## Dan Ante

Yep I like it very much a friend of mine (a kiwi) was Greek Orthodox he was in our music group and we heard quite a bit of his collection. I like the Serbian chant above I must d/l and hear the complete work.


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## Larkenfield

brianvds said:


> I have recently been discovering some of the music of the Orthodox churches. Not sure who the composers were, or when it was composed, or whether it is always performed in this manner. But this stuff has blown me away:
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> Any other enthusiasts?


Oh yeah. I'm also big on sacred Russian music. The deep Russian male voices are simply outstanding, and the female voices can be just as good.


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## Dan Ante

Larkenfield said:


> Oh yeah. I'm also big on sacred Russian music. The deep Russian male voices are simply outstanding, and the female voices can be just as good.


I agree, the deep voices you mention are the Russian Oktavists they can sing an octave lower than the bass.


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## Klavierspieler

brianvds said:


> Not sure who the composers were, or when it was composed, or whether it is always performed in this manner.


Most Russian Church music has been heavily influenced by western music (largely due to the westernizing policies of Peter the Pig and his successors). The Serbian chant is in a more traditional Byzantine style.

More Byzantine Chant from the Monks of Simonopetra Monastery on the Holy Mountain

Traditional Znamenny (Russian) chant

One of the most beautiful and most interesting musical traditions of the Orthodox Church is Georgian Chant:

Paschal Troparion - "Christ is Risen from the Dead"


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## brianvds

Klavierspieler said:


> Most Russian Church music has been heavily influenced by western music (largely due to the westernizing policies of Peter the Pig and his successors). The Serbian chant is in a more traditional Byzantine style.


When I listened to the Russian chant I posted above, what struck me is how similar it is to Rachmaninoff's Vespers - clear where he got his inspiration from!



> More Byzantine Chant from the Monks of Simonopetra Monastery on the Holy Mountain


And speaking of Rachmaninoff, that introduction with the bells reminds very strongly of the last movement from his first suite for two pianos. Apparently he had a life-long fascination with the sound of church bells, but once again, he heard orthodox bells, so to speak, not the sedate protestant ones we have in the west. 








> One of the most beautiful and most interesting musical traditions of the Orthodox Church is Georgian Chant:
> 
> Paschal Troparion - "Christ is Risen from the Dead"


This is indeed haunting; I must go look for a whole album full of it. Thanks for the links!


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## Dan Ante

Klavierspieler said:


> One of the most beautiful and most interesting musical traditions of the Orthodox Church is Georgian Chant:


Yes, and not to be confused with Gregorian chant which is of course Catholic, but never the less is very nice.


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## brianvds

Dan Ante said:


> Yes, and not to be confused with Gregorian chant which is of course Catholic, but never the less is very nice.


Gregorian chant is nice, though I often find it a bit too monophonic to my liking. What I like about some of the other cants above is melody above a drone thing they do, or other hints of more than one part in the writing (but nevertheless keeping it simple enough to be easy to follow).


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