The Origins of Byzantine Music

The concept of “Byzantine Music” was identified in various ways by being given several definitions, according to the sense of musicologists that had taken charge of describing the phenomenon. A more conclusive definition points out the fact that byzantine music is the art of song in the Orthodox Church, which maintains a significant popular composition, resulting from the interaction of several ancient musical cultures and which appeared, developed and was disseminated under various forms of manifestation, in areas and with civilizations that were part of the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as with nations sharing the same religious affiliations, until present date. The crystallization of Byzantine music at its core was achieved in the shadow of controversy, which spread out until the 19th century, between the theophanic religious movement – represented by the ecclesiastic centers of grand citadels and the ascetical movement – monasteries located in the wilderness of Egypt, Palestine and Syria.