The Elements of the Papadike

How did the Byzantines learn to sing in church? And how can we understand the neumatic signs they used? The Elements of the Papadike presents, for the first time, a critical edition of texts and notated exercises designed for elementary training in medieval Byzantine chant. Careful and long-term studies in the rich manuscript tradition have led the researchers of Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae to establish a secure chronology of the formation and development of these didactic materials. Likewise, the crystallization of four basic types brings clarity to the entire Papadike tradition that began in the thirteenth century, flourished in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and continued well beyond the Fall of Constantinople.

The edition of the Greek text and Byzantine neumes is accompanied by English parallel translation and transcriptions into modern notation on facing pages. In addition, each element and exercise is accompanied by a running commentary with explanations and bibliographic references for further reading.

The edition forms part of the Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae – Corpus Scriptorum de Re Musica series and fills a significant gap in the documentation of Byzantine chant during the later Middle Ages.

Preface
I. Introduction
I.1 The importance of the Papadike tradition
I.1.1 What is the Papadike?
I.1.2 Why a critical edition?
I.1.3 Earlier editions
I.2 The history of the Papadike tradition
I.2.1 The ‘Proto-Papadikai’
I.2.2 From early to mature Papadike types
I.3 Editorial principles
I.3.1 General remarks
I.3.2 The order of elements
I.3.3 Choice of manuscript sources and ratio edendi
I.3.4 Description of the manuscripts
II. Edition: The Basic Elements
II.1 Titles and rubrics of the Papadike
II.2 The ison as degree sign and tonal principle
II.3 On melodic motion
II.4 List of interval signs
II.5 Step signs (‘bodies’) and leap signs (‘spirits’)
II.6 Step values of the interval signs
II.7 Subordination rules for the interval signs
II.8 Combination of interval signs (table)
II.9 The function of the interval signs
II.10 Group and phrasing signs (‘great signs’)
II.11 Modulation signs (phthorai, ‘spoilers’)
II.12 Sustained notes (argiai, ‘suspensions’)
II.13 Total number of signs
II.14 The eight modes and their ancient Greek names
II.15 Authentic (kyrioi) and plagal modes
II.16 On the ‘middle modes’ (mesoi echoi)
II.17 Modes a third (difonia) above the plagals
II.18 Intonations (echemata) and signatures (martyriai) of the eight modes
III. Edition: Exercises and Didactic Chants
III.1 Cheironomic exercise on the interval signs
III.2 Exercise on the intonations (echemata)
III.3 Exercise on the interval signs (metrophonia)
III.4 Koukouzeles’ Mega Ison
III.5 Exercises to keep the pitch (isasmoi) in all modes
III.6 Exercise on the modal structure (parallage) of the eight modes
III.7 Solmization exercise on the sticheron Χορὸς τετραδεκαπύρσευτος
III.8 Method of kalophonia by Xenos Korones
III.9 Exercise of octave-transposition on the sticheron Θεολόγε παρθένε
IV. Edition: Diagrams
IV.1 The modal system as tree (parallagai)
IV.2 Koukouzeles’ Wheels or the ‘Composed Wheel’ (trochos)
IV.3 The small wheel
V. Commentary: Basic Elements
VI. Commentary: Exercises and Didactic Songs
VII. Commentary: Diagrams
VIII. Bibliography
IX. Indices