The Sense of “Pleasure” in Eastern Chant

• Authors: Achilleas Chaldaeakes
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Music is by default a key element of every kind of Entertainment. Actually, the two terms (Pleasure and Music) are almost synonymous in the geographical area of the East - especially during the late medieval period - and there is a plethora of relevant evidence in the rescued literature and musicological sources to support this argument. It seems that there is a mutual and interactive “dialogue” between the two terms. This is an ideological and philosophical dialogue, as well as a completely fundamental and practical one: the musicians (the people who actually carry out the musical task) channel in abundance and mainly ensure the pleasure of the people who participate in any type of entertainment; and they do so through both their presence and their performance. However, at the same time, in order to acquire the ability to act in this way, i.e. to bring the “entertaining” dimension of music to the forefront, they themselves have to be in a position to experience music as pleasure, to grasp the multiple gratifications which are hidden at the very core of every kind of music. In both circumstances we can refer to two high level conquests of the Spirit and the Art: the pleasure of Music and music for Pleasure. In the present article Ι will attempt a first approach of the issue and an outline of its twofold dimension.

Keywords

EN

Music; Pleasure

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Human and Social Studies
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 119-138

Dates

published

2015-03-01

online

2015-04-10

Contributors

author

Achilleas Chaldaeakes

• Faculty of Philosophy; Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 30, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Ilissia, Athens, Greece;

References

• Anastasiou, Gregorios G. (2005) The Kratemata in the Psaltic Art. Athens: Institute of Byzantine Musicology-Studies 12.
• Huron, David (2005) “The Plural Pleasures of Music”, in Johan Sundberg&William Brunson (eds.), Proceedings of the 2004 Music and Music Science Conference. Pages. 1-13. Stockholm: Kungliga Musikhögskolan & KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) [https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~cc/soco/Huron.pdf (accessed 16-2-2015)]
• Karakatsanis, Charalampos (2000) Kratimatarion, vol. I. Athens.
• Phokaeus, Theodore (ed.) (1835) Kalophonikon Heirmologion. Constantinople
• Revelation and Historical Witness 1088-1988; The 900th Anniversary of the Holy Monastery of St. John the Theologian, Patmos; Sung by the Choir of Chanters ‘The Maistores of the Art of Chant’; Leader: Gregorios Stathis, LP [Athens 1988 (No. II.a.3)].
• Tampouris, Petros Kratimata; masterieces of Byzantine instrumental music, LP [Athens 1990 (No. I.3)]. Codex No. 85/223 of K. Psachos’ Library (written in 1805 by Apostolos Konstas from Chios).
• Codex No. 1416 of Vatopaidiou Monastery at Mount Athos (written during the 2nd half of the 18th c. by Stavris domestikos).
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtqRZYyFkgQ
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8MOCRR0arw
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9YmXmZIits

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/hssr-2015-0008