- Armenian chant
Armenian chant is the
melisma tic monophonicchant used in the liturgy of theArmenian Apostolic Church .Armenian chant, like
Byzantine chant , consists mainly ofhymn s. The chants are grouped in anoktoechos . The oldest hymns were in prose, but later versified hymns, such as those byNerses Shnorhali , became more prominent. The official book of hymns, the "sharakan", contains 1,166 hymns.The earliest surviving manuscripts with music notation date from the 14th century, and use a system of
neume s known as "Armenian neumes." These seem to use a developed system but have not been deciphered. In the 19th century a new notation, still in use, was instroduced byHamparsum Limonciyan .Armenian chant is now sung to a precise rhythm, including specific rhythmic patterns which are atypical of
plainsong . This is considered by some scholars (such as P. Aubry) to be a result of Turkish influence, although others (such as R. P. Decevrens) consider it to be of great antiquity and use it as evidence in favor of a more rhythmic interpretation ofGregorian chant .The chants used by communities in the
Armenian Diaspora are usually harmonized and differ from the original forms. The source of the most traditional music is the liturgies atEchmiadzin , the religious center of Armenia.References
*cite book |last=Apel |first=Willi |authorlink=Willi Apel |title=
Harvard Dictionary of Music |edition=2nd ed. |year=1972 |publisher=Harvard UP |location=Cambridge*cite book |last=Velimirović |first=Miloš |authorlink=Miloš Velimirović |editor=ed. Richard Crocker and David Hiley, |title=The New Oxford History of Music |edition=2nd ed. |year=1990 |publisher=
Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |id=ISBN 0-19-316329-2 |pages=pp. 9-14 |chapter=Christian Chant in Syria, Armenia, Egypt, and EthiopiaExternal links
* [http://www.akn-chant.org/en/chant Armenian Liturgical Chant] Ensemble Akn
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