Church Polyphony in the Light of Ecumenical Dialogue

Abstract

The existence of polyphonic forms within the liturgical music of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches appears to be closely related to the domain of ecumenical dialogue. The appearance of polyphonic music in the liturgy, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, aimed to preserve the unique identity of both the nations and the Church within the given cultural context. The authors use a comparative analysis of the material gathered from both theological and musicological field. Using the example of church polyphony, the authors argue that ecumenical dialogue is also correlated with the issue of music in the liturgy and, consequently, with everyday life.

Keywords

• church polyphony
• roman catholic church
• orthodox church
• ecumenical dialogue