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HymnofKassianiTHEBYZANTINEhymnography(Anthonydivisions)
[Greekmusic]

[Greekmusic]

HymnofKassiani
theByzantineHymnography

OR
church, orthodox hymnography, which draws on the music of
ancientGreeceandcontinuityistheByzantinechurchhasitsorigins
in the early Christian times, years of fermentation during which the
new religion had to face many enemies. Who and how many are the first
hymnographers can not know, since the hymns passed the centuries by word of
mouth and this made it difficult to continue the reputation of the eponymous
Hymnographer.Itiscertain,however,thatthemostimportanthymnographerswrote
intheGreeklanguageanditbequeathedustheexquisiteexamplesofthepoeticart.
[1]

Heresies tossed the sacred body and heretics were rising and even the patriarchal
throne.TheChurchinordertoaddresstheseissuesconvenetheHolySynods,which
tookplacegreatprelates.Apartfromthesessionsinordertoeliminatetheheretics,
the Orthodox, especially clerics, educated and inspired, composed hymns in
conformity with the devotional spirit, it determined that the Synods and it prevailed
andreachedasoursyearsandgoesbeyondthem.

Large hymnographers presented by 4aiona [2] . Gregory of Nyssa, the Megas
Athanasios (About Psalms), Ephraim the Syrian, Basil the Great, Gregory of
Nazianzus,RomanostheMelodist(hewasthemostfamouspoetbutts,wroteabout
one thousand butts), John Chrysostom, Andreas Crete (Great Rule), Theodore
Studite, Kosmas the Melodist are some of the most important. Prominent
chronologically hold John the Damascene, John Koukouzelis and Peter the

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Peloponnesian, who contributed with their work in the formation of the Byzantine
notation.

In 1814, invented the current writing system (New Method) of the three teachers,
Chrysanthos,ChourmouziosBriefcaseandGregoryCantor,whointroducedthesounds
of Byzantine Music from the letters of the Greek alphabet (nA, Wu, Ga, Bi, kDa, Zo
VH).

The reason of the hymn and the music of the garment, the wonderful this twofold
body and representative of the Orthodox faith is the main instrument of our church
worship. This is because with the short, content and music lined hymns are the
commonprayers,theentryfimabelievers,themostappropriatemeansofritualbody
congregation. Suffice it to recall the hymns of M. Week and funeral to understand
whattheyfeelloyaltotheirhearingit.Notonlyenrichfeelingshymnswhileeducate
andteach.Theirlanguagecourse somewhat strange, but despite the difficultyisnot
an obstacle to understanding the hymns because they speak to the heart the
uneducated, but faithful people understand their meaning. Good observed: "The
sacred hymns are symbols and symbols say much more than what the mind can
reasonablyconceiveandwordtospeakmouth"[3].

The Byzantine music is perhaps monotonous drab for
anyone who is the Gospel, awkward for anyone who is
clumsy Gospel, simplistic for anyone who is simplistic
Gospel,paliomeniforanyonewhoispaliomenotheGospel.
But it is joyful for everyone is joyful Gospel, peaceful for
anyone who feels the peace of Christ. Also there is music
AKROAMAmusicinotherwordsaccompanythereasonto
delighttheearsoflistenersbuttoillustrateit.Asstatedby
John Chrysostom "essential is the Church Theater,
fiberamenityakouomen".

We will complete this brief reference to hymnography our

ChurchKassiani,asthisisconsideredtophymnographer
that transfect in "song" of the ecclesiastical body and "Godlaw" spiritualheart
experience.Helivedinthe9thacenturyinIstanbul.Hecamefromanoblefamilyand
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wascalledcassia,PROCEDUREorGuess.Thecultureandbeautywasverylargeand
was considered the best candidate to become the wife of the heir to the throne of
Theophilus.TheselfishbutTheophilusdidnotwanttohaveaspousemoreeducated
thanhim,soitrejectedtheideaofmarriagetoher.

After this, Kassiani founded convent [4] and lived culturing poetry. He composed
secularpoems,epigrams,butiambicdealtwithhymnographywherestood.Prominent
ByzantinologistK.Krumbacher (18561909), referring to Kassiani poet, writes: "...
KassianiaparadoxinhisGeneralofpoitikocompetition.Herpoetrystyledistinguishes
kindness and sweetness unsaturation State ". In his opinion it "Kassiani is the only
memorable Byzantine poet." The most important of the projects hymnographical is
DoxastikonofMatinsofM.Wednesday"Lordthispollaissins..."[5]

TraditionsaysthatwhenlatertheAftokratorasTheofilosvisitedthemonasterywhere
he was a monk Kassiani, not seeing her among many welcomed him, going round
lookingcellstomeether.ClickingstepsapproachingheKassianiintohiding,leaving
on the desk of the misogrammeno Doxastikon the "Lord this pollais sins" in the
period "croton per osin ichitheisan". Theophilos meaning the meaning of the lyrics
thereaddedthewords"attachedtothefearofhiding."Thepoet,later,didnotdelete
the words but brilliantly completed the hymn as follows: "My sin crowds and thy
shame abysses to unravel, psychososta my Savior? Not to sin doulin Parides the
countlesshathmercy."

The Kassiani, conscious of sin, describes very accurately and with great literary
sensibility:theresemblesthedarkness,whichdoesnotallowmantodiscernthepath
becausethereisnotthedimlightofthemoon("moonlessnight').Ticharacterizes
as "irrepressible pleasure" and as "love", wanting to emphasize the great man's
difficulty to get rid of it. In the struggle against sin, only weapon of man is what
Kassiani describes as "a source of tears" and "sighs of the heart." Remarkably
Kassianireachessuchapointofawarenessofsinfulness,thatlikenshersituationto
thatsinfulwomanwhoanointedwithmyrrhfeetoftheLordandwipedwithherhair.
Infrontoftheconsciousnessofsinandthepsychicburdenitentails,onlytheinfinite
mercyofGodcangivehope.

TheparallelismofthesinfulnessofKassianithesinfulwomanwho
anointed with myrrh walk of Christ is the reason why this
particular hymn sung on the evening of M. Tuesday (Matins of
Great. Wednesday). The fact that the sinful woman was made
shortly before the Passion of the Lord, for this was set at the
recollectionM.Wednesday.KassianiHerwordsremindusthatthe
womanintheactofpleadingsinfulnessandaskedforgivenessof
sins.TheanthembutKassianihasreviewsandburialoftheLord.
Itisthatpointwherethepoetexpresseshisdesiretoappearas
Myrofora so wanted to emphasize repentance feeling the grips.
The mention of the burial hymn is an introduction to the Passion of the Lord
therefore, another reason the position of the hymn in M. Wednesday is perfectly
justified.

The analysis of the anthem has been argued that the whore identified with Mary
Magdalene,withoutthisviewbedemonstrated.Thispositionwassupportedmainlyby
Westerners, perhaps because Mary Magdalene is the most famous of the women
mentioned in the Bible. The poem is not mentioned anywhere woman name in the
GospelsnowherewrittenthatMaryMagdalenewasaprostitute.Informationaboutthe
sinful woman get from the Gospel of Luke (7.3650), which gives us the most

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beautiful description of the scene. With great lyricism, from which inspiration and
Kassiani,theevangelistdescribesthesceneofrepentancewhore.

Thesingersofthechurchshowrepentancewhoreasasignofhopeandopposedthe
betrayalofJudasasatokenofsoulprostitution.Theprostituterepentsandremoved
fromcommerceofherbodyatthesametimethestudentprostitutionspiritualentity
withpaidbetrayal.

The verses chanted the evening of. Tuesday and mentioned in the Gospel are sinful
alsoworkKassiani."Andwhenthesinnerofferedthemyrrh...OhofJudahmisery...
IplosenwhorethehairstheeinterimDespot..."Allidiomelaandstichera,exceeding
40 discern the exaltation, the sense of depth, the great independence and piety, all
thegreatfeaturesofpoeticbreath.

ApartfrompurelyreligiouspoetryKassiani
dealt with varied content poems. Even
wrote many sayings and epigrams. In 32
verses dealing wonderfully large and
serious issue of friendship. "If however
you want and filein and fileisthai, and the
whisperedenviouslyabstain."Inthesetwo
verses the subtle mind of Kassiani
periekleise entire philosophy. And
following notes: "wise Fillon as gold, the
Gulf Valle di dawns moron kathaper
fleeingserpent."Thatis,theFillonwiseto
put your side, as you would like to have
andgold.Butthefooltoavoidhimlikethe
snake. The Kassiani except the wise
epigram "On Friendship" wrote more
profound epigrams referred to human
nature, the woman, the happiness, the
grace,thebeauty,themorals,thewaysof
true life, leading to the world of harmony
intrueblessedness.

Great composers have done wonderful
compositions to chant Kassiani. In
Byzantine music Peter Lampadarios, the Kon. Priggos,John Sakellaridis and others.
In European music N.. Matzaros, Th. Polycrates, G.. Triantis, G.. Kazasoglou, M..
Theodorakis, B. Karpodinis, K.. Klavas and many others. The C. Slave composed
Opera (1936) inspired by the tropario Kassiani libretto of S. Sperantsas. Dimitri
Mitropouloscomposedthemusictothepoem"TheKassiani"KostisPalamas.[6]

The ecclesiastical hymns generally not left unaffected and writers, like Alex.
PapadiamantisAlex.MoraitidisFotisKontoglou,andC.VizyinosandthemodernGreek
poets Solomos, Calvo, Palama, Varnali, Sikelianos, Seferis and Elytis, who used or
adapted them verses from the church sequences. The lyrics are inspired by
HymnographyChurch,theextensiontakinganytimetoourcontemporaryverse,raise
thecurrentpoet,likesingers,exponentinthecommonprayerofthepeople.

Let'shopeeveryoneofusorlisteningtothelyricsofthehymnorreadingtheverses
of our poets to synaisthanthei the Divine Passion and reach with devotion in Holy
Resurrection.

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AnthonyKladis
Zakynthos,March2010
(Http://www.kladis.gr/(http://www.kladis.gr/) )
PageEditorDimitrisKypreos

6Kassiani,(R.Stale)

Sir,sinfulwoman,many,
many,blurred,heavymyshame.But,ohLord,howThygodheadspeakAvinmy
heart!Sir,beforeyouhideyouentafiatheearthfromdrosafgigotflowersandfrom
thedepthsofworshipsourceyoubringmyrrh.Withvervedragsdebauchery...at
night,darkmoonless,starlessbanded,thedarknessofsinfireburns,tomelt.You
whoguestwatersthecloudsheights,takethem,myLove,flowing,fieryriversare
mytears.Roundsinme.Thesouliswhathurts!AcceptwithYouforacceptingand
tiltafrastaashereKatouheavensandaffectflesh.

Fyouimmaculatefootking
Iwillwipe,
meYouwillfallandthekiss,
andmyheadhair

TakousenEvaAvinaposperno
ofParadisenrepercussionsregardinglight,
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ofParadisenrepercussionsregardinglight,
andhidalafiasmeni...hurt,
save,domercy.

Psychosost,mysinspeople,
theinextricablywhoxedialysi?
CountlessThymercy,God!
'Abysscrisis

******************

Bibliography

DetorakiTheohari,ByzantineHymnography[universitysupplies],Heraklion1997.
TheMusicThroughHistory,SchoolBookofBandCGymnasiumOEVD1990
KavarnouConstantine,TheHolyByzantineart,publishinghouse"Astir"
Al.Mr.E.Papadimitriou,Athens1996
p.MetallinouGeorge,"ThehymnographyHolyWeek",articleinthenewspaper
"SundayPresent"04.12.2009.
XidiTheodore,ByzantineHymnography,publishing"Nicodemus"1978
Orthodoxfaithandworship,SchoolbookAhighschoolOEVD2000
ArchimandriteParthenius,"OsiaKassiani(Byzantineladyandhymnographer)"atwww
.imodigitrias.gr.
G.Mcivicmilitia,hymnographyandmelodies,ed."TheGreekbook."
StathisTh.Gr.,IntroductiontoByzantineMusicology,Athens1999
ThirdMichael,"TheKassianiandthehymnof"Reproducedfrom'BreakfastWord
"newspaper.
TsironiNikeimportfromversionKassianiIYmnodos,versionsofPhoenix,Athens
2002.

[1] Christ invited all nations. But first of all he called on Greeks who had gone
throughallhumanwisdomandart.Heclearedbyryponofsin,"errantisenthemand
hyssopcleansed"andkatestisen"servantsoftheword."Andfromthistransformation
havechangedandthearts,andinsteadofcarnalbeautyexpressedthebeautyofthe
spiritual,andinsteadoftheamenity,theybroughtthe"katanyxin".

[2](#_ftnref2)Until1000(approximately),melodywasthehymnographeritself.

[3]Bynotbeingabletofeeleachourownecclesiasticalart,willsaythatthisisonly
forthefewwhofeelthesameway.Barely
Itisforeveryhumanheart,butthisheartisaneedtohavetruespiritualdepth.Do
not feel enthusiasm, devotion, not pleasure but redemption. Therefore Dostoyevsky
wrote:"OnlyanOrthodoxheartcanfeelthedeepmysteries."

[4](#_ftnref4)not led to the Monastery of the sinful life, because I was not the
sinner.

[5]Translation:Lord,thewomanfellintomanysins,becauseherealizedthatyouare
God, you take Myrofora work and lament brings your myrrh (to a smeared) before
evenburied.Andsays:WoetomebecauseIliveinonenight,inaunbridled,terrible
anddarktendencytolicentiousness,toaloveofsin.Acceptmymanytears,thouthat
changesincloudsseawater.Bendforwardatsighsofmyheart,youwholoweredthe
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heavenswithindescribableyourincarnation.Uncontaminatedwillkissyourfeet,Iwill
wipe the braids of my head these feet, that their sound Eve heard that evening in
paradiseandhid.Thesinsofmycrowdsandbottomlessdepthsofyourjudgmentwho
will be able to explore, psychosostamy Savior? Do not overlook me your handmaid,
youwhohaveinfinitemercy.

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