Рукописна та книжкова спадщина України (Jan 2024)
Two Ukrainian 16th century chant alphabets in context of final stage of znamenny notation usage in church books of Kyiv Metropolis
Abstract
The goal of the research is a comparative study of two Ukrainian neumatic (znamenny) alphabets-lists (from the 1540s-1560s and the 1590s). Methodology. The textual critic, the semeiographic and the palaeographic methods were used; the classification of signs and the analysis of the handbooks’ structure were performed. Scientific novelty. For the first time, two Ukrainian ecclesial chant alphabets have been researched in comparison with the 15th-16th centuries East-Slavonic alphabet versions (in recent transliterations and facsimile editions). Photo of the alphabet of the 1540s-1560s is presented. Conclusions. The alphabets are contained in two (out of the five preserved) znamenny Heirmologia, which constitute priceless monuments of Ukrainian ecclesial chant: Polisskyi (author’s title) from the 1540s-1560s, and Lavrivskyi from the 1590s. Each alphabet contains 66 different neumes and formulas (but there are more units altogether due to double graphemes). Single neumes are the same or similar (47 out of 66). These alphabets mostly reflect the features of content and structure of the 16th century East-Slavonic alphabets. However, their other features date back to the 15th century and are “relics” in comparison to the 16th. The certain balance of the features of the 15th and 16th centuries determines the “unique face” of each alphabet. The archaism prompts the opinion on limited contacts in the 16th century between Ruthenian and Russian traditions of znamenny singing and writing, as some significant changes that took place in the 16th century Russian alphabets, were not reflected in their Ukrainian counterparts. In addition, Lavr contains numerous inaccuracies which seems to be the evidence of a partial loss of knowledge about znamenna notation as a system. The reason for this may be found in the specifics of this stage in the history of Kyiv Metropolis chant when znamenna notation was no longer playing the prominent role as the only form of church hymns writing. In the 1590s, Ruthenian (Ukrainian and Byelorussian) chanters were facing a new relevant task: they quickly mastered five-line notation which was new for Eastern Slavs (so called kyivska); made a written “translation” of the znamenny chant hymns and wrote down works of other styles. At the same time, the first staff Heirmologia were completed.
