# Monophony Central: Plainchant, Byzantine/Eastern Chant etc.



## Jobis

Recommend your favourite monophonic chants, give a bit of background on where they come from if possible.

E.g.

Armenian Chant.

Wikipedia: 'Armenian chant is now sung to a precise rhythm, including specific rhythmic patterns which are atypical of plainsong. This is considered by some scholars (such as P. Aubry) to be a result of Turkish influence, although others (such as R. P. Decevrens) consider it to be of great antiquity and use it as evidence in favour of a more rhythmic interpretation of Gregorian chant.'






Mozarabic Chant.

The term Mozarabic refers to the Mozarabs, that is, the Christians of Hispania (modern Spain and Portugal) living under Muslim rule.






Hildegard von Bingen, Plainchant






I need more


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## science

There is "old Roman" and Ambrosian chant as well. 

Are you exclusively interested in the Christian tradition? Muslims chant the Koran, Buddhists chant various scriptures, and so on.


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## PetrB

*American Indian "Arrival"*

Just as Africans have picked up western materials and instruments to use in their indigenous musics, so here: There is a keyboard / synth pad -string pad harmonic underlay to this chant, otherwise a still strong and stirring one: it includes some traditional hand-held rattles, and a native wood flute.

What was monophonic remains, but now with a bed of chordal underlay. If I had my druthers, the chant, the melodic line, percussion and flute would be more than enough. But _these people are still with us, and this is the way they do it now_ -- 'what it is', its energy and force, I think still come through plain and clear.

Joseph Spotted Eagle and others ~ Arrival.





One side note... North American Indian languages have no sounds which have the mouth closed, i.e. nothing like a P or an M. For those Indians first hearing and seeing the Europeans talk, they thought, "What men speak while closing their mouth?" 

P.s. @ the OP:
Loving the thread; loving its title. _Thanks!_

P.p.s. If anyone knows of this same chant in an earlier, perhaps an ethno-musicological field recording- sans contemporary western instruments and accompaniment, please P.M. me with that information.


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## Jobis

science said:


> There is "old Roman" and Ambrosian chant as well.
> 
> Are you exclusively interested in the Christian tradition? Muslims chant the Koran, Buddhists chant various scriptures, and so on.


That's just my own personal bias showing through, but yes, all religious chant is welcome!


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## science

Jobis said:


> That's just my own personal bias showing through, but yes, all religious chant is welcome!


There is no end of this kind of thing:


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## millionrainbows

I have this one. Nobody really knows how the early chant actually sounded, because very little notation had been standardized. I think they did a good job in reconstructing it, though.


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## Mandryka

millionrainbows said:


> I have this one. Nobody really knows how the early chant actually sounded, because very little notation had been standardized. I think they did a good job in reconstructing it, though.


I love everything I've heard by Ensemble Organum. If you can get hold of their CD of religious music from the Carmina Burana manuscript, it's extraordinary.

Anyway I watch this thread with interest because I'd like to hear more chant


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## Jobis

Eastern Orthodox (Russian primarily) Znamenny Chant

The Beatitudes






Disclaimer: Not strictly monophonic!


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## science

The OLD Russian Orthodox chant was monophonic, but once the pagan west started influencing them, things got corrupt....


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## Lukecash12

science said:


> The OLD Russian Orthodox chant was monophonic, but once the pagan west started influencing them, things got corrupt....


Meh, if I hear Tchaikovsky coming from the church then I'll hurry on over and sit in on the whole service.


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## science

Lukecash12 said:


> Meh, if I hear Tchaikovsky coming from the church then I'll hurry on over and sit in on the whole service.


Fine with me, but don't expect the Old Believers to like it!


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## Jobis

Some indispensable recordings of Gregorian chant, from the 1904 Gregorian congress.











And more on this page (scroll down to the video links):

http://www.ccwatershed.org/Gregorian/

An eternally beautiful tradition, and sadly absent from the liturgy in many parishes.


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## millionrainbows

I saw a book on Medieval music, and I think I'll get it and read it before posting any more on this thread.


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## Lukecash12

millionrainbows said:


> I saw a book on Medieval music, and I think I'll get it and read it before posting any more on this thread.


Yes, chasten thineself post haste.

Hmmm... I am very much enjoying some of the Eastern references here. Most of my exposure to Eastern Orthodox liturgy has been Kiev chant and the liturgy of St. John.


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## science

Lukecash12 said:


> Yes, chasten thineself post haste.
> 
> Hmmm... I am very much enjoying some of the Eastern references here. Most of my exposure to Eastern Orthodox liturgy has been Kiev chant and the liturgy of St. John.


I guess you mean the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. In the Eastern Church, there are so many St. Johns that they always or almost always specify. I don't know who you heard leaving off the the "Chrysostom," but at any rate that's an unusual thing to do.


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## Jobis

Want to learn a bit about Gregorian chant? Here is a two part video tutorial:











If you're feeling ambitious try this Znamenny chant introduction!


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