Journal of the International Society for Orthodox Church Music Vol. 4 (1), Section III: Miscellanea, pp. 198–207 ISSN 2342-1258 https://journal.fi/jisocm A Concise Glossary of the Genres of Eastern Orthodox Hymnography Elena Kolyada [email protected] The Glossary contains concise entries on most genres of Eastern Orthodox hymnography that are mentioned in the article by E. Kolyada “The Genre System of Early Russian Hymnography: the Main Stages and Principles of Its Formation”.1 On the one hand the Glossary is an integral part of the article, therefore revealing and corroborating its principal conceptual propositions. However, on the other hand it can be used as an independent reference resource for hymnographical terminology, useful for the majority of Orthodox Churches worldwide that follow the Eastern Rite: Byzantine, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian et al., as well as those Western Orthodox dioceses and parishes, where worship is conducted in English. The Glossary includes the main corpus of chants that represents the five great branches of the genealogical tree of the genre system of early Christian hymnography, together with their many offshoots. These branches are 1) psalms and derivative genres; 2) sticheron-troparion genres; 3) akathistos; 4) canon; 5) prayer genres (see the relevant tables, p. 298-299).2 Each entry includes information about the etymology of the term, a short definition, typological features and a basic statement about the place of a particular chant in the daily and yearly cycles of services in the Byzantine rite.3 All this may help anyone who is involved in the worship or is simply interested in Orthodox liturgiology to understand more fully specific chanting material, as well as the general hymnographic repertoire of each service. Before the reader approaches the Glossary, it is worth giving a few explanatory notes on the notion of the “hymnographic genres” and on the most important criteria for the definition of the numerous varieties of genre. The majority of the hymnographic genres have the same semantic elements, which sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate them, especially those belonging to one group. The crux of the matter is manifested in a very important characteristic of Eastern Orthodox mediaeval art4 (including church music): the larger the scale, the 1 The article was published in the online Journal of the International Society for Orthodox Church Music (JISOCM) 3 (2018): 295–312. https://journal.fi/jisocm/issue/view/6102. 2 The spelling of the hymnographic terms in the glossary follows the convention adopted in current liturgiology and musicology. Wherever there are two versions of a spelling, both are given, with a slash sign. 3 The musical components of the chants are not discussed due to the non-specific, general informative character of the entries. 4 The Middle Ages in Russian history comprise the period from the ninth up to the late seventeenth century. 198 JISOCM Vol. 4 (1), 198–207 more stable and obvious are the patterns of the formation and interrelationship of the genres. Conversely, the smaller the scale, the more vague, indistinct and variable they are, as if a miniature structure is unable to absorb and convey the macro-world – the greatness and magnitude of the ideas and images that constitute the contents of a religious feast. Therefore, while it is possible to differentiate the akathistos from the canon, it is very hard to distinguish the genres within the troparion-sticheron group, or even to discern the troparion (the smallest unit within the hymnographic genre system) and the kontakion (the latter regarded here as a single-strophe hymn). Thus the genres of Eastern Orthodox hymnography can be regarded as the totality of chants that appeared in its historical process of formation. They are endowed with a certain artistic meaning that expresses different aspects of the worshippers’ thoughts and spiritual feelings, and in which every structural element is bigger than the structure itself. Thus the genres of Russian hymnography can be regarded as the totality of chants that appeared Acclamation (Russianin itsаккламация historical process, Greek of formation.προσφώνησις, They are ἐπιφώνημα)endowed with ais certain a artistic meaning that generic term standing forexpresses different, different short aspects prayerful of the formulae worshippers’ that thoughts occur duringand spiritual any feelings, and in which worship. They are said evbyery the structural priest (“Blessed element is isbigger the Kingdomthan the structure of the itself.Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages”, “Wisdom, let us Acclamation (Russian аккламация, Greek , ) is a generic term attend. Let us hear the Holy Gospel”, “A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise”). Other standing for different short prayerful formulae that occur during any worship. They are said by formulae are said by thethe deacon priest (“Bl or priest,essed is in the case kingdom the service of the Father is conducted and the son without and the a Holy Spirit, now and ever deacon. These may includeand to“Wisdom”, the ages of “Let ages”, us “Wisdom,stand well”, stand “Let still. us Let attend”, us hear chantedthe Holy Gospel”, “A mercy of by the choir, sometimespeace, together a sacrifice with theof praise”). congregation Other formulae (“Lord arehave said mercy”, by the deacon “Grant or priest, in case the service this, O Lord”, “Alleluia”,is conducted “Amen”, without“Glory a to deacon. Thee TheseO Lord, may glory include to “Wisdom”,Thee”). They “Let us stand well”, “Let us may also appear in theattend”, form ofchanted a responsorial by the choir, dialogue sometimes between together thewith priest the congregation or the (“Lord have mercy”, deacon and the choir, e.g.“Grant “Peace this, O be Lord”, to all. “Alleluia”, – And to“Amen”, thy spirit”, “Glory “Let to Thee us Obow Lord, our glory to Thee”). They may heads unto the Lord. – alsoTo Thee,appear Oin Lord”.the form More of a responsive specifically dialogue acclamation between the refers priest to or athe deacon and the choir, laudatory textual and melodice.g. “Peace formula be to all. called – And ecphonesis to thy spirit”,. It refers “Let us to bow God, our is heads said untoby the Lord. – To Thee, O the priest after litanies Lord”.[see Litany More] specificallyand contains acclama the themetion means of doxology a laudatory. There textual are and a melodic formula called few fixed textual patterns,ecphonesis the best. It refersknown to God,being is “Forsaid byThine the ispriest the kingdom,after litanies and [see the Litany ] and contains the power, and the glory, oftheme the Fatherof doxology and. ofThere the Sonare a and few offixed the textual Holy Spirit,patterns, now the andmost well-known being “For ever and unto the ages Thineof ages” is th usede kingdom, as the and concluding the power, doxological and the glory, acclamation of the Father at and of the Son and of the the end of the Lord’s prayerHoly Spirit,“Our Father”.now and ever and unto the ages of ages” used as the concluding doxological acclamation at the end of the Lord’s prayer “Our Father”. Akathistos/Akathist (plural Akathistoi; Russian акафист; Greek ἀκάθιστος ὕμνος, literally ‘unseated’Akathistos hymn), / Akathist a cyclic (plura compositionl Akathistoi; consisting Russian акафист of twenty-five; Greek , literally hymns of praise, of which‘unseated’ there hymn), are thirteen a cyclic kontakiacomposition (the consisting initial kontakionof twenty -beingfive hymns of praise, of which called proomion) and twelvethere are oikoi thirteen [see kontakia Oikos]. (theWithin initial the kontakion large and being elaborate called proomion) cycle and twelve oikoi [see of the akathistos there areOikos twelve]. Within mini the kontakion-oikos large and elaborate cycles cycle ofpreceded the akathistos by the there first are twelve mini kontakion- independent kontakion,oikos which cycles contains preceded the by mainthe first subject independent of the kontakion, entire piece. which It contains is the main subject of repeated once again at thethe conclusion entire piece. of It theis repeated whole akathistosonce again at thus the formingconclusion a structuralof the whole akathistos thus forming frame. Each of the kontakiaa structural except frame. the first Each oneof the ends kontakia with theexcept refrain the first ‘Alleluia’. one ends The with the refrain ‘Alleluia’. refrain of the oikoi and Thethat refrain of the of first the oikoikontakion and that is ofbased the first on thekontakion greeting is based ‘Hail’. on theAll greeting ‘Hail’. All the the refrains are chantedrefrains by the are choir chanted together by the with cho irthe together congregation, with the congregation,whereas the whereas the text of the text of the akathistos is akathistossaid by the is said priest. by the priest. Alleluiarion/AllelouiaAlleluiarion (plural / Allelouiaalleluiaria (plural; Russianalleluiaria; аллилуиарий Russian аллилуиарий; Greek; Greek / ἀλληλουιάριον / ἀλληλούϊα from from the the Hebrew Hebrew hywllh / hal&lUiAhhaləlûiāh renderedrendered as as ‘Praise ‘Praise the Lord’), a chant based on the Lord’), a chant basedthe on text the of thetext Alleluia of the Alleluiapsalms (148 psalms-1505). (148-150 It is chanted5). It atis the chanted Liturgy between the reading of at the Liturgy between thethe lessons reading from of the Epistleslessons and from the the Gospel. Epistles It can and be regardedthe Gospel. as a preface to the following passage from the Gospel and is thematically