Talk:Byzantine Chant

this is just my opinion but... i think the sections describing a hymn genre should be its own article, such as the kanon, because it's something that operates independently of any particular culture. byzantine chant should address the particular musical character, i.e. the melody and the performance. but this is just my opinion and i wanted to discuss here before doing anything =]

Fedya 11:51, February 2, 2006 (CST)

I'm very much of the opinion that this whole article needs a rewrite. It was originally a paper (as is noted) and not really an encyclopedic article. Regarding the issue you raise, while most of the poetic forms of Orthodox liturgical hymnography were designed to be performed to Byzantine chant, they've come to have an independent state to them, since the same hymns are now performed to multiple kinds of chant. Perhaps it would be best for this article to discuss mainly the music itself, noting of course that it is the original Orthodox Church music. —Fr. Andrew ^talk contribs (THINK!) 12:21, February 2, 2006 (CST)

The Chant of the Church?

I've heard this before, but it sounds like Hellenism to me. It is possible, in non-hellenic churches, to see an entire year through without hearing a single Byzantine melody. Gasp if you must, but the point is that the scope of the introductory paragraph seems limited to Hellenic churches (such as Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Greece, etc.), rendering non-hellenic churches with their own chant systems third-class citizens of the Orthodox musical world. I'd like to hear some opinions on this from a variety of traditions and sources. --Basil 12:43, March 3, 2006 (CST)