Byzantine Theoretical Treatises on Music in comparison with the Theoretikon Mega tes Mousikes by Chrysanthos of Madytos

Studying the Theoretikon Mega tes Mousikes one can state, that the ambition of Chrysanthos of Madytos was to preserve the old Byzantine tradition to a certain extent, but also to take into account the development of liturgical music during the last three hundred years. With the alterations in liturgical chant, music theory had to be revised and refounded on a new basis. (...)

A dangerous triangularization of conflicting values in academic publishing: ORCID, fake authors, and risks with the lack of criminalization of the creators of fake elements

The mainstream publishing establishment is under attack from multiple known and unknown forces. This is neither hyperbole nor fantasy. Many academics may believe that the main threat lies with “predatory” journals or publishers, but this is not necessarily the case because such entities are not always easy to distinguish clearly from veritable scholarly journals or publishers. Moreover, there is a gray zone that may involve both predatory and exploitative qualities. Current submission systems are not fail-safe because they allow unscholarly or fraudulent elements to register and abuse them, for example for submitting fake research or falsified peer reports, while author identification tools like ORCID are imperfect and provide a platform for similar-minded individuals to “validate” themselves. This toxic mix of tools aimed at fortifying integrity, while allowing fake authors to breed, currently without many, or any, ethical or legal repercussions will rapidly erode the entire publishing landscape if serious legal action is not taken. The creation of fake papers by fake authors will eventually trickle down into valid literature, by virtue of the fact that cited literature cannot be thoroughly vetted, even in peer review. The integrity of valid scholarly venues is thus at high risk unless suitable, strict and ethically and legally enforceable preventative measures are implemented.

Chrysanthine theoretical thought and notation system-The relation between Orality and Textuality

Two centuries after the release of Chrysanthos’ Εισαγωγή εις το Θεωρητικόν και Πρακτικόν της Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής, this treatise remains one of the most important sources of theoretical thought in the field of Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastical Music. Moreover, it is widely known that the theoretical essays of Chrysanthos played a catalytic role regarding the structure of the modal system of Octaechia, the formulation of the new Parasemantiki notation, as well as contemporary performance practices. Indeed, Chrysanthos’ contribution to the reformation of the notation system as well as the way he attributed the theoretical content of Ecclesiastical Music, influenced the entire theoretical thought that was produced, at least until the last decades of the 19th century[1]. Therefore, despite individual disagreements that were expressed within the psaltic milieu of the 19th century[2], almost all of the theoreticians who succeeded Chrysanthos based their thought on his fundamental principles. Thus, it is worth mentioning that in treatises that followed the Reform of 1814, repetitions are frequently detected, even of Chrysanthos’ points that could be considered as scientifically problematic[3].[1] See Νίκος Ανδρίκος, Η Εκκλησιαστική μουσική της Σμύρνης (1800-1922), (2015), 124.[2] About this issue, see Αντώνιος Χατζόπουλος, Η εκκλησιαστική μουσική παιδεία στην εκκλησία της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κατά το 19ο και 20ό αιώνα, (2000); Αχιλλεύς Χαλδαιάκης, “Η διδασκαλία της Ψαλτικής Τέχνης: Παρελθόν, παρόν και μέλλον”, Βυζαντινομουσικολογικά, Τόμος Α΄, Θεωρία, (2014), 50-52.[3] Among others, the most indicative example was the repetition of Chrysanthos’ misguided calculation-measurement of the basic scale’s size. This issue became the reason of a wide discourse between important theoreticians of the 19th century through the daily and periodical press and led to the convocation of the Music Committee of 1881. See Ανδρίκος, 135-145.

Some Remarks on the Art of Exegesis in the Kalophonic Style

The present article focuses on the technique and art of the so-called exegesis, the traditional interpretation of the kalophonic piece Ἀπόλαυε τῶν θαυμάτων τὰς ἰάσεις – Enjoy, seing the miraculous healings, in honor of St Demetrios, by St John Koukouzeles, in the first authentic mode. It is based on the manuscripts Zakynthos 7, Metochion Panagiou Taphou 728, and three Anthologia from the Music School of the Putna Monastery, and highlights several exegetical procedures through microsyntactical and generative analyses of chosen passages of the piece. The profile of the kalophonic melody revealed through the slow exegesis is mainly characterized by stepwise up-and-down movements of the voice around and between the structural notes, with few skips only, and in a perfect balance with the poetical text, which emerges for the singer and the listener syllable by syllable, carried on a continuous melodic flow, a sort of Byzantine ‘unendliche Melodie’.

Ethics for "intelligent" beings created by man: scenarios of the future

Artificial intelligence is a challenge for many scientists and researchers today. On the one hand, the development of artificial intelligence can be beneficial for people as it can significantly facilitate their daily lives and jobs. On the other hand, there is the fear that we will not succeed in developing "friendly artificial intelligence" and that these created intelligent beings becoming autonomous persons will bring many problems. Worries go so far as to assume that artificial intelligence will displace humans and take their place in all spheres of life. In this article, we have tried to present future scenarios concerning the development of artificial intelligence and indicate how necessary it is to have ethics in this discourse.Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, Bioethics, Ethics, Software, Science Fiction, Technology.

The deconstruction of Byzantine mode-organization and the new Chrysanthine ‘order’

This paper was written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of musical treatise by Archbishop Chrysanthos of Madytos (c.1770-1846), the first work towards a ‘scientific’ treatment of Greek ecclesiastical music (1821)[1]. Chrysanthos attempted to reorganize the modal and rhythmic theory of this music, and reform the musical notation that has remained to this day. The paper deals with an aspect of Chrysanthine modal system that has not received due attention so far: the abandonment of the traditional authentic-plagal order and its substitution by a new one that does not make sense if placed outside its cultural context and historical antecedents. Chrysanthos’ main point of reference seems to be the Ottoman makam system that had already penetrated post-Byzantine chant but was now given a new momentum[2]. Before that, Greek composers used the Byzantine modal division into four authentic (kurioi) and four plagal (plagioi), positioned a fifth apart from each other. The authentic modes were mostly ascending in terms of melodic movement, whereas the plagal were descending (though one has first to ascend in order to get down!). Otherwise, every authentic-plagal pair shared the same melodic scale (usually an octave), which they traversed according to certain melodic motifs (some common to all, others unique to every mode).[1] Chrysanthos, Εισαγωγή εις το θεωρητικόν και πρακτικόν της Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής / συνταχθείσα προς χρήσιν των σπουδαζόντων αυτήν κατά την νέαν μέθοδον παρά Χρυσάνθου του εκ Μαδύτων, Διδασκάλου του Θεωρητικού της Μουσικής (Paris: Rigny, 1821).[2] In this paper, the Turkish terms have been rendered into their original script except for makam (mode) and usul (rhythm), the Anglicized plural form of which (makams and usuls) has been preferred instead of the longer makamler and usuler. The Greek names have been transliterated into Latin according to British Standard for transliteration of Cyrillic and Greek characters (BS), 1958.

Study on the synergy of Theatre Pedagogy and Philosophy for Children: A multi-disciplinary approach

This study explores the reasons why theatre pedagogy as practiced through drama inquiry is highly compatible with philosophical inquiry as practiced in a community of inquiry. After clarifying the way in which theatre and philosophy can be practiced in an educational context, common elements of drama and philosophical inquiry are examined in terms of epistemology and method. As it is suggested that a number of skills and attitudes can be traced in both drama and philosophical inquiry, there follows an elaborated presentation of such points of relevance. The study concludes that a synergy of drama and philosophical inquiry may not only be feasible but also highly productive as there are common aims and principles which provide a basis for applying effectively a model of philosophical inquiry assisted by drama inquiry.

Protovarys in theory, tetraphonos in practice?: preliminary observations on an archaeology of the Varys’ intervallics

This paper opens with a caveat: as denoted in the title, its intention is not to be exhaustive on its subject, as of yet (future publication soon to follow). Attempted will be the exposition and commentation upon a series of indications regarding the intervallics of the plagal third mode, commonly referred to in the sources as Varys (low; due to being the mode with the lowest basis/ison in the ecclesiastical eight-mode system, Octoechos). If these result to a reacquaintance with the mode and a reconsideration of some of its intervallic possibilities, then the paper will have been successful in its intentions.

Music and Gymnastic harmonization under the viewpoint of the platonic meaning of life

The essence of life according to Plato is summed up in the tendency of every living being to protect itself and its species from death, by searching immortality. This pursuit is achieved either by reproduction or by intellectual creation. In order for the soul to conquer the existence which will be worthy of man, it must separate from the mortal body. The highest goal of philosophical education is the soul to be led to the view of the idea of the good (agatho), which is the foundation of all knowledge. Thereunto, specific courses are proposed, Music, Gymnastics, Mathematics and Dialectics. Music is preceded temporal and absolute by gymnastics. The school of Pythagoras was the first to put the music-soul relationship, in the service of upbringing and mental physique. Plato attempts to establish man's tendency for rhythm and movement in nature and in the gods. At the same time, he emphasizes the balance between mental and physical education, in order to form the right ethos. For the best fulfillment of these terms, the two superior parts of the soul must be properly trained, the logical with music and the thymoides with gymnastics. The symmetrical movement of the body is ensured by exercise, while for the soul, music and philosophy are used. This targeted intervention will lead them to a harmonious connection. Moreover, it should be ensured that the movements are symmetrical with each other. This is the real goodness (kalokagathia). The unilateral cultivation of gymnastics at the expense of music is considered the main cause of the decline of the excellent republic and the decadence in oligarchy, in the regimein which the morality is imposed by violent, uneducated people who will have neglected the real Muse, the one who is accompanied by the logic and philosophy.

Uses of the New Method of the Byzantine Notation

At the conclusion of his well-known book about the Byzantine Notation (published in 1917,and re-published in 19782) K. A. Psachos discusses with the “retrospective parallelism of the New Method of the analytical Byzantine Notation to the Ancient Method of the stenographical Byzantine Notation through the occasional exegeseis”[«ἀναδρομικὸς παραλληλισμὸς τῆς σημερινῆς μουσικῆς γραφῆς πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν