Chants of Great Lent as a call to repentance

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Before Lent, a few weeks before, preparatory services begin in churches. On Sundays before fasting, special hymns are heard, for example, “On the rivers of Babylon” and “Open the doors of repentance,” setting the parishioners in a special prayerful and repentant mood. During Lent, in the course of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, another hymn of a similar mood sounds - "May my prayer be corrected." And at this service, the “Cherubic Song” will not sound, but instead we will hear “Now the Powers of Heaven”, other songs in the service also change. How the chants of Great Lent differ from those that sound at services on ordinary days will be discussed in this article.

Emotional power of Orthodox chants

The musical language of worship responds to the content of prayers. His task is to convey meaning, convey to the heart and awaken a repentant mood in the soul. figurativelythe emotional sphere of the musical style of chants, which developed back in the 17th - 19th centuries, is conveyed by two modal colors - major and minor. These scales are rooted in the depths of centuries, when there were a large number of modes, each of which corresponded to its own emotional state. These modes were widely used not only in temple chants, but also in folk art, so the name of the modes of folk music was assigned to them. When the major-minor musical system appeared, other modes in ordinary music began to be forgotten. It so happened that major began to be associated with joy and jubilation, light and inspiration, and minor - with sadness, sadness and sorrow. The composers of the Romantic era were no longer satisfied with this system, which seemed primitive, and they began to draw inspiration from the modes of folk music, finding there an incredible and endless source of new colors and melody. The musical language in all eras was a reflection of the state of mind of a person of his time. It was either harmonious and complex, or atonal and practically destroyed. Experiments with the musical language went on for a very long time, but it turned out to be impossible to completely displace major-minor (Western European) music. Nevertheless, the Western European musical language turned out to be alien to the Orthodox worldview and worship.

Ways of Orthodox chants

In the Church Slavonic language there is a wonderful word - "joyful sadness", which accurately conveys the state of a believer. Sorrow is impossible without joy andhope for the mercy of God and joy without sorrow for their sins. This is well heard when the hymns of Great Lent and Holy Week are heard, as well as when the funeral ringing ends with a festive chime. In liturgical musical compositions, there was also a search for ways to clarify and deepen musical and linguistic means. The convergence of major and minor with a decrease in their contrast was necessary. Over time, two ways have developed - one is simple, when in ordinary chants within the scale the tonics often shift, which causes some modal uncertainty and emotional inexpressibility. This mode has its roots in folk songs, and in liturgical hymns it miraculously took root and became a permanent attribute. It is especially noticeable if you listen to the chants of Great Lent with a variable tune, for example, “Repentance” of the Lavra melody and V. Krupitsky “On the Rivers of Babylon.”

The second, harmonically more complex, is the way of increasing one fret at the expense of neighboring chords. This direction was determined for itself by the Moscow school with composers A. Kastalsky, A. Nikolsky, P. Chesnokov and others. Their works are harmonically more colorful and varied, with a strongly underestimated dominant function of one mode. But the incredible ability of the creativity of these composers lies in the ability to lead by the word all the means of the musical language. This is clearly expressed, for example, in Chesnokov's Repentance.

Return to Znamenny Chant

Another version of the path - back to the roots of the people, when there was an opportunitygo beyond the tonality of the row. This is a variant of a return to znamenny chant, and there are opinions that the chants of Great Lent should be znamenny chant, as more appropriate for Lenten worship. Znamenny singing is simplified, ascetic, restrained, without the content of polar modal colors, it is more conducive to self-deepening and thoughtful contemplation, rather than emotional outbursts. But there are technical difficulties in switching to Znamenny singing during Lent. It's like starting to sing in another language freely, sincerely, from the bottom of your heart. This mode has slight differences from the usual minor, but the new coloring it introduces slightly reduces the emotional-figurative state imposed by minor notes. This is clearly expressed in the hymns of the modern author I. Denisova, which organically fit into the Lenten service.

When you listen to selected chants of Great Lent and Holy Week, you can hear almost all variants of the musical language. The language of worship is as symbolic as the change of clothes in vestments. Condensed minor corresponds well to the time of fasting - a period of increased repentance and contrition. Apparently, that is why it is so easily accepted when singing is replaced by reading on fast days, it is natural to want to listen to Znamenny singing.

Lent Notes

The beautiful harmony of the choir's singing is perceived better than monotonous reading, it sets you in a certain prayerful mood. Church singing has its own specifics, although it obeys the general rules of musical harmony. The notes of the hymns of Great Lent reveal the spiritual truths of the Gospel, they are a melodious sermon, a sound image of worship. In our time there are many beautiful works, so the choir directors of the church need to select the chants of different authors in such a way that they fit in one style and manner of performance. The chants of Great Lent are filled with a special mood of light sadness. When they are sung with soul, they turn out to be very beautiful, calm, restrained. This is especially evident in the hymns with the Valaam chant. One of the brightest pieces of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is the hymn "May my prayer be corrected." A rather well-known melody, set to the notes of the Great Lent chants, fills the heart not only with a feeling of repentance, but also with harmonious beauty.

Lent is a special time in the life of an Orthodox Christian. Those who have come to the temple at least once and listened to the Lenten services will keep in their hearts the beauty and bright sadness of penitential chants. Perhaps through them a deep understanding of the joy of Christ's Bright Resurrection will come.