Voices of Byzantium: Medieval Byzantine Chant from Mt. Sinai
$9.98 – $20.00
In this recording, Mt Sinai Frontier of Byzantium, Cappella Romana performs exquisite Byzantine musical treasures–from the cathedrals and monasteries of the Eastern Roman Empire–preserved from destruction in the Egyptian desert at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine at Mt. Sinai. Features music for the medieval celebration of Vespers in honor of St. Catherine, and Byzantium’s only liturgical drama, the Service of the Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace. Music originally commissioned by the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles for its mega-exhibition “Icons from Sinai.”
- Invitatorium: Traditional, MS Sinai 1257 (dated 1332), Mode Plagal 4
- Proemium: from Psalm 103, Traditional, Mode Plagal 4
- Anoixantaria: St. John Koukouzeles (late 13th–early 14th c.)
MSS Sinai 1257, Sinai 1527 (late 15th c.), Athens 2458 (dated 1336), Mode Plagal 4 - Doxology of the Anoixantaria: Traditional, MS Sinai 1257, Mode 2
- Psalm 140: 1
- Paslm 140: 2
- Psalm 140: 3-5
- Three Stichera Prosomoia for St. Catherine: Traditional, MS Sinai 1250 (15th c.), Mode 1
- Part 1, Traditional, MS Ambrosianus 139 A sup. (14th c.)
- Part 2, Manuel Chrysaphes the Lampadarios (mid-15th c.),
MS Sinai 1234 (autograph of John Plousiadenos, dated 1469), Mode Plagal 2 - 1 Sticheron, MS Ambrosianus 139 A sup. (14th c.), Mode 2
- First Canticle, Ode 7, The Song of the Three Holy Children with Refrains
Traditional and Xenos Korones (14th c.) - Sticheron “The Angel of the Lord came down”
Manuel Gazes the Lampadarios (fl. 1st half of the 15th c.), Mode Plagal 4 c - Conclusion of the First Canticle
- Second Canticle, Ode 8
- Kalophonic Sticheron “When the tyrant saw”: Angelos Gregoriou (later 15th c.), Mode Plagal 4
- Conclusion of the Second Canticle
The Vespers of St. Catherine
From the Lamplighting Psalms, the Kekragarion: Traditional, MS Sinai 1255 (15th c.), Mode 1
Doxastikon: Sticheron Idiomelon, Mode 2
The Service of the Furnace: A liturgical account of the Three Holy Children according to MS Sinai 1527 (late 15th c.)
Early Music America
The music speaks to a higher self: its target is the divine and focuses on the soul in direct union with God. One of its hallmarks is the luxurious usage of time. ” –Paul-James Dwyer
Toronto Early Music News
“This music speaks to a higher self; its target is the divine and focuses the soul in direct union with God. One of its features is the luxurious usage of time. Time seems to be suspended when you listen to these works. Crescendo, suspensions and intensity are not lacking but the spirit of calmness is… Continue reading Voices of Byzantium: Medieval Byzantine Chant from Mt. Sinai ” –
Fanfare
The choir of eight men sings with deep-throated conviction and a solemnity that preserves the forward motion of the works. ” –J.F. Weber
