Supervisors info:
Θωμάς Αποστολόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Μουσικών Σπουδών, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The main object (scope) of this dissertation are the Psaltotragouda. These are a peculiar poetic genre which belongs to secular songs but it borrows heavily mousikopoiitika (musical and poetic) elements of the ecclesiastical hymns and are sung mostly by intoners who are highly fond of it. With regard to the methodology, some primary audio material (approximately 300 songs) of known intoners singing psaltotragouda was initially collected from various sources and their records in the Byzantine musical notation system of music writing were sought. After the collection of the material followed its categorization and processing, both at a musical, as well as at an anthropological level (perspective). Thus, an attempt was made to define the meaning of psaltotragouda and determine their relationship with the other genres of Greek music. Finally, having completed the processing and having drawn conclusions, the structure of the project was laid out, while the relative material (both printed and audio) was presented to the reader.
With regard to the content the meaning of psaltotragouda was initially difined and demarcated with approximation in this dissertation and then, its relevance to the ecclesiastical as well as the non-ecclesiastical (secular) aspects was examined, in regard to both poetry and relative hymns musical cladding of the written element. In addition, its relevance to the genres of Greek music (traditional, folk and ethnic) was examined and briefly the relevance to the external (non-indigenous) music (Arabic - Makam). The musical system (notation, stave) by which they are composed was determined and their records were sought in the old handwritten tradition (manuscripts) and also in the later printed versions. Furthermore, a list of renowned intoners and choirs was drafted along with the songs they performed and a reference was made to past and more contemporary performers who had both the status of intoner and that of singer. There was a brief reference to websites, where material relevant to this paper could be found and finally, the general inferences of the study have been stated.
The dissertation is available in both printed and electronic form, and the latter contains the entire audio material that was used as the source for the research.
Keywords:
Psaltotragouda, genres of Greek music, external (non-indigenous) music, catalogue of intoners and choirs, soundtrack material
