Worldy music in the orthodox tradition

[Nikodemus]

If an orthodox christian listens to Gospel music then he or she is in a great spiritual danger, since this music is of wordly sensuality and not according to the spirit. In the orthodox tradition there were in ancient times attempts made to introduce wordly music in the church, but these attempts led people on a wrong course in their relationship with God. One thing is that this wordly music ("Gospel")shows so little reverence to the divinie persons in the Trinity and are often very infantile, banal and of course heretical. The Church decided not to allow music instruments for this reason. In Russia in the 19 th century there were experiments with German romanticism that led to the new "Obichod" traditon that is a great departure from the byzantine slavonic eznaminie tradition. Rachmaninov and other great russian composers even went so far as to write their own music for the Divine Services of the Church!!! If you listen to the two traditions, you will ecperience a great difference in spirituality. Only the Greecs and russian Old believers have kept the ancient tradition intact from wordly influence.

[Priest Siluan]

Personally I think that in fact it is not so important the external appearance of music, but the interior part. If the music is made by heretics or unbeliever is much more dangerous and more sensual that if it is written and executed by people in the true faith.

And although the Russian modern religious music, have many western reminiscences, the important thing is its orthodox spiritual interior.

[Nikodemus]

Reverend Father

As you know I dont want to argue with priests. I just have one question for you. Dont you think it would be wonderful if the same byzantine tradition were used in both the greec and slavonic traditions? I recently met a priest in Stockholm who belonged to ROCOR-V and lived outside Moscow. He used to be an old believer and in his parish they use eznamine exclusively. It was wonderful to hear this authentic slavonic music. I buyed many cassets.

[Priest Siluan]

I agree with you, I also like very much znamenie, I also know that some of our priest in Russia use it and old byzantines melodies.

[尼古拉前执事]

Met Laurus once said something to the effect that we have gotten rid of the Western Icons and now it is time to get rid of the Western Music and go back to Znameny. It is hard to learn, but I, for one love it!

Somewhere around here there is a thread on Znameny with a lot of info.

[Priest Siluan]

Here link:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/4612/znamenny.htm

[Jean-Serge]

Yes I agree with you. the modern Russian Music is musically good but theologically and spiritually poor : too emotional. If you go to the Cathedral Saint Alexander Newsky in Paris, you will hear a real opera... However, this sort of music can also be well interpreted with less enthusiasm and it is quite good. However, I prefer Byzntin chant...

Please also not that the Georgian way of singing would come from the period before Christianism. It sounds polyphonic song but not too emotionnal... Does evryone has data about Georgian liturgic song? Thanks...

But globally, I agree it is time to get rid of Western music...