BYZANTINE MUSIC-INTRODUCTION

Byzantine music is the evolution and cultivation of ancient Greek music and was named after the region of Byzantium, which is the first name of New Rome, capital of the new empire, according to Constantine Paparigopoulos.

   Byzantine music is considered the religious and traditional music of the Byzantine Empire, which derives from the ancient Greek music and expresses the daily necessities of the Greeks since the early Christian period.  Greek and foreign historians agree that these melodies, ecclesiastical tones, and the whole system of Byzantine music in general, are closely linked to the ancient Greek music system.  Its origins are dated back to some scholars in the 4th century AD, shortly after the transfer of the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople by Constantinus Magnus.

   The Byzantine music that survives is ecclesiastical in its entirety, with the exception of some imperial hymns, which also have religious elements. The Byzantine chant was singular, free-flowing and often sought to portray the meaning of the words. The language used was Greek. The Byzantine hymn, of which there were three types, was the greatest manifestation of this genre.

   As part of the Byzantine musical tradition, though later in time and with several western influences, mainly from 1204 onwards, can be considered the folklore music; it differs from ecclesiastical music in that it serves the dance processes.