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John Koukouzeles

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John Koukouzeles Papadopoulos (Greek: Ιωάννης Κουκουζέλης Παπαδόπουλος, romanized: Ioannis Koukouzeles Papadopoulos) was a Byzantine composer, singer and reformer of Byzantine chant.[1] He was recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church after his death. Among the most illustrious musicians of the Palaiologos dynasty,[1] his music remains held in high esteem by Albanians, Bulgarians, Greeks,[2] Macedonians, Romanians and Serbs.[3]

Saint

John Koukouzelis
St. John Koukouzelis depicted on a 15th-century musical codex at the Great Lavra monastery, Mount Athos, Greece
BornDyrrhachium or Anatolia
Venerated inEastern Orthodox Church
Feast1 October

Name and etymology

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The name "Koukouzeles" was not the composer's surname. His real surname was Papadopoulos.[1][4][5] "Koukouzeles" is allegedly derived from the Greek word for broad beans (κουκιά, koukia) and a Slavic/Bulgarian word for cabbage (зеле, zele).[4][5] Allegedly, the name appeared when Koukouzeles was asked in school about the food he was eating and he replied koukia kai zelie (Greek: κουκιά και ζελίε).[5] This, however, is regarded as a folk etymology. The name is most likely derived from the Greek word koukoutzi (Greek: κουκούτζι, lit. 'seed') along with the common Greek suffix -elis (Greek: -έλης).[5] A relation with the word koukoutseli (Greek: κουκουτσέλι, lit. 'little chicken (?)'), a Greek word which was used to refer to some kind of bird, has also been proposed.[5]

Life and career

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Information about Koukouzeles' life and career is unclear and subject to controversy.[4][5] Even the era in which he lived is disputed. It is conjectured that he lived between the 12th and 15th centuries.[5] According to musicologist Gregorios Stathis, it is unlikely that Koukouzeles lived in the 12th or early 13th centuries, or after the late 14th century, proposing instead that he lived during the late 13th (c. 1270) and early 14th centuries (before 1341).[5]

Information about his life is derived mainly from two sources. First, the large body of his musical manuscripts containing his works and secondly from copies of a late, anonymous and problematic work of dubious authority called Life.[4] From the former, we learn that his last name was Papadopoulos;[1][4] he studied with Xenos Koronis under a cantor named John Glykes (likely a reference to John XIII of Constantinople[5]) and changed his name to Ioannikios when he became a monk.[4]

 
The wheel (trochos) known as "the solfège of Master John Koukouzeles" (ἡ παραλλαγὴ ποίημα κυρίου Ἰωάννου μαΐστορος τοῦ Κουκουζέλη)

According to the latter, the anonymous biography Life "of dubious authority",[4] Koukouzeles was born in Dyrrhachium (modern-day Durrës, Albania) in the late 13th century to a father of unknown origins,[4][6] (probably Greek)[5] and a Slavic/Bulgarian mother.[4][7][8] He was orphaned in childhood.[9] Nevertheless, the accuracy of Life is disputed, since it was written many years after the death of Koukouzeles and also makes several fantastical claims.[5] According to a modern German historian, he was instead born in Anatolia under the Empire of Nicaea;[5][10] this opinion is based on the existence of chromatic intervals in Byzantine music.[5] As evidenced by his real surname Papadopoulos, he was probably the son of a priest.[5]

At a young age he was noted and accepted into the school at the imperial court at Constantinople,[11] where he received his education and established himself as one of the leading authorities in his field during the time. A favourite of the Byzantine emperor and a principal choir chanter, he moved to Mount Athos and led a monastic way of life in the Great Lavra. Because of his singing abilities, he was called "Angel-voiced".[12]

Musical style and compositions

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Koukouzeles established a new melodious ("kalophonic") style of singing out of the sticherarion.[13] Some years after the fall of Constantinople Manuel Chrysaphes characterised the sticheron kalophonikon and the anagrammatismos as new genres of psaltic art which were once created by Koukouzeles.[14]

 
Mural of Saint John Koukouzeles inside an Orthodox church in Patras, Greece

Reception

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In general it is useful to make a distinction between compositions which can be verified as the compositions by Koukouzeles, and those which are simply based on the method which he taught (as a stylistic category based on the kalophonic melos as exemplified by Mega Ison). Even concerning famous compositions, their authorship is often a subject of scholarly debates whose concern is not always the talent of one individual composer – like the Polyeleoi of the Voulgara[5] allegedly dedicated to his mother that, according to some Bulgarian researchers, contains elements of traditional Bulgarian mourning songs.[15][12] Greek editions of the same Polyeleos are different and especially the authorship of the Kratema used in the Bulgarian edition has been a controversial issue.[16] Additionally, the word Voulgara might not refer to his alleged mother, but instead to the European bee-eater, a bird which was called by the same name.[5] Concerning stichera kalophonika, there are numerous compositions made up in his name, but his authorship must be regarded as a certain school which had a lot of followers and imitators.

Modern print editions of chant books have only a very few compositions (different melismatic echos varys realisations of Ἄνωθεν οἱ προφήται, several Polyeleos compositions, the cherubikon palatinon, the Mega Ison, the Anoixantaria)[clarification needed] which are almost never sung, except the short Sunday koinonikon, for the very practical reason that most of Koukouzeles' compositions, at least based on the exegetic transcriptions by Chourmouzios Chartophylakos,[17] are simply too long.[18]

Sainthood and legacy

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Koukouzeles is regarded as the most influential figure in the music of his period. He was later recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, his feast day being on 1 October.[19]

A musical school in his native Durrës bears his name, Shkolla Jon Kukuzeli. Also, Kukuzel Cove in Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica is named after Koukouzeles, using the Slavic form of his name.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Williams 2001.
  2. ^ "The Stewardship of St. John Koukouzelis – Parish & Church Life – Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America".
  3. ^ Casiday, Augustine (2012). The Orthodox Christian World. Routledge. ISBN 9780415455169.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lingas, Alexander (31 January 2021). "Koukouzeles, St. John". In Speake, Graham (ed.). Encyclopedia of Greece and the Hellenic Tradition. Routledge. pp. 911–912. ISBN 978-1-135-94206-9.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Γρηγόριος, Στάθης (1986). Ο μαΐστωρ Ιωάννης Παπαδόπουλος Κουκουζέλης. Η ζωή και το έργο του [The magister John Papadopoulos Koukouzelis: His life and works]. Αθήνα: Περιοδικό Εφημεριος. pp. 1–38
  6. ^ Παπαγεωργίου, Αγγελική (2007). Ο Ιωάννης Β' Κομνηνός και η εποχή του (1118–1143) (Thesis). National Documentation Centre (EKT). doi:10.12681/eadd/19826.
  7. ^ Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991), "Koukouzeles, John", Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, p. 1155, ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6, There is evidence... that his mother was Bulgarian.
  8. ^ Maguire, Robert A.; Alan Timberlake (1998). American contributions to the Twelfth International Congress of Slavists. Slavica. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-89357-274-7. For instance, the famous reformer of Byzantine music, loan Kukuzel (ca. 1302 – ca. 1360), not only used his musical composition "Polieleos of a Bulgarian Woman" melodic elements from his mother's laments...
  9. ^ "Venerable John (Koukouzelis)", Orthodox Church in America
  10. ^ "Saint John Koukouzelis Institute of Liturgical Arts". koukouzelis.net.
  11. ^ "St. John Kukuzelis". Orthodox America. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
  12. ^ a b Бакалов, Георги; Милен Куманов (2003). "Йоан Кукузел (ок. 1280–1360)". Електронно издание "История на България" (in Bulgarian). София: Труд, Сирма. ISBN 954528613X.
  13. ^ See as an example Maria Alexandru's study (Alexandru 2011) of Koukouzeles' composition of a sticheron kalophonikon which he created over a part (ποὺς) of a traditional sticheron for Saint Demetrios.
  14. ^ See the edition and translation by Dimitri Conomos (Conomos 1985, pp. 40–45).
  15. ^ "725 години от рождението на Йоан Кукузел" (in Bulgarian). Ruse Library website. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
  16. ^ Sarafov's edition (Sarafov 1912, pp. 201–203) has a teretismos which ends a fifth too high for the Polyeleos composition, his edition of compositions ascribed to Koukouzeles is regarded as authoritative by Bulgarian chanters until today (listen to the interpretation of the Bulgarian Byzantine choir under direction of Dimiter Dimitrov) (Belgarkata).
  17. ^ Chourmouzios 1819.
  18. ^ Some collections of stichera kalophonika made alone of the Menaion cycle – they were usually called "exercise books" (mathemataria) – have a volume of 1900 pages. In fact, even the traditional way to sing the sticheraric melody had been already so expanded that the modern editions must all regarded as different efforts to abridge the traditional melody.
  19. ^ Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) "Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἰωάννης ὁ ψάλτης ὁ καλούμενος Κουκουζέλης". 1 October. synaxarion.gr.

Sources

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  • Alexandru, Maria (2011). "Byzantine Kalophonia, illustrated by St. John Koukouzeles' piece Φρούρηζον πανένδοξε in Honour of St. Demetrios from Thessaloniki. Issues of Notation and Analysis". Studii şi cercetări de istoria artei. Teatru, muzică, cinematografie. Serie novă. 49–50: 57–105.
  • Audio on YouTube, John Koukouzelis: "Polielei na Bĕlgarkata in Glas 5" (extracts), Bulgarian Byzantine Choir, Dimitar Dimitrov Archived 2021-12-14 at Ghost Archive
  • Conomos, Dimitri, ed. (1985), The Treatise of Manuel Chrysaphes, the Lampadarios: [Περὶ τῶν ἐνθεωρουμένων τῇ ψαλτικῇ τέχνῃ καὶ ὧν φρουνοῦσι κακῶς τινες περὶ αὐτῶν] On the Theory of the Art of Chanting and on Certain Erroneous Views that some hold about it (Mount Athos, Iviron Monastery MS 1120, July 1458), Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae – Corpus Scriptorum de Re Musica, vol. 2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, ISBN 978-3-7001-0732-3
  • Koukouzeles, Ioannes (1819), Chourmouzios the Archivist (ed.), "Athens, National Library of Greece (EBE), Metochion of Panagios Taphos (ΜΠΤ) 703", Manuscript with Chourmouzios' transcriptions of 14th-century composers (Ioannes Glykys, Ioannes Koukouzeles, Xenos Korones, Ioannes Kladas etc.) according to the New Method, Istanbul
  • Sarafov, Petĕr V., ed. (1912). "Biografiya na Sv. Ioan Kukuzel, Iz carigradskaya prĕvod (Aniksantari, Golĕmoto Iso, Poleyleyat na Bĕlgarkata, Heruvimska pĕsn, Pričastno, Svyše prorocy)". Rĕkovodstvo za praktičeskoto i teoretičesko izučvane na Vostočnata cĕrkovna muzika, Parachodni uroci, Voskresnik i Antologiya (Polielei, Božestvena služba ot Ioana Zlatoousta, Božestvena služba na Vasilij Velikij, Prazdnični pričastni za prĕz cĕlata godina, Sladkoglasni Irmosi). Sofia: Peter Gluškov. pp. 131–216.
  • Williams, Edward V. (2001). "Koukouzeles [Papadopoulos], Joannes". Grove Music Online. Revised by Christian Troelsgård (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.15428. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription required)

Further reading

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  • "Hiera Mone of Timios Prodromos (Skete) Veroias, Ms. 1". Papadike. 1796. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  • Alexandrescu, Ozana (2011). "Tipuri de gramatici în manuscrise muzicale de tradiţie bizantină". Studii şi cercetări de istoria artei. Teatru, muzică, cinematografie. Serie novă. 49–50: 21–55.
  • Alexandru, Maria (1996). "Koukouzeles' Mega Ison: Ansätze einer kritischen Edition" (PDF). Cahiers de l'Institut du Moyen-Âge grec et latin. 66: 3–23.
  • Angelopoulos, Lykourgos (1997). "The "Exegesis" of Chourmouzios Hartofylax on Certain Compositions by Ioannis Koukouzelis". In Christian Troelsgård (ed.). Byzantine Chant – Tradition and Reform: Acts of a Meeting Held at the Danish Institute at Athens, 1993. Monographs of the Danish Institute at Athens. Århus: Aarhus University Press. pp. 109–122. ISBN 8772887338.
  • Chourmouzios the Archivist (1896). Kyriazides, Agathangelos (ed.). "Τὸ Μέγα Ἴσον τῆς Παπαδικῆς μελισθὲν παρὰ Ἰωάννου Μαΐστορος τοῦ Κουκκουζέλη, Χερουβικὸν παλατινὸν, Κοινωνικὸν". Ἐν Ἄνθος τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς Ἐκκλησιαστικῆς Μουσικῆς περιέχον τὴν Ἀκολουθίαν τοῦ Ἐσπερίνου, τοῦ Ὅρθρου καὶ τῆς Λειτουργίας μετὰ καλλοφωνικῶν Εἴρμων μελοποιηθὲν παρὰ διάφορων ἀρχαιῶν καὶ νεωτερῶν Μουσικόδιδασκαλων. Istanbul: Alexandros Nomismatides: 127–144, 278–287, 350–353.
  • Fleischer, Oskar, ed. (1904), "Die Papadike von Messina", Die spätgriechische Tonschrift, Neumen-Studien, vol. 3, Berlin: Georg Reimer, pp. 15–50, fig. B3-B24 [Papadike of the Codex Chrysander], retrieved 11 April 2012
  • Germanos Hieromonachos; Panagiotes the New Chrysaphes; Petros Bereketes; Anastasios Skete; Balasios Iereos; Petros Peloponnesios; Petros Byzantios. "Athens, Ιστορικό και Παλαιογραφικό Αρχείο (ΙΠΑ), MIET, Ms. Pezarou 15". Anthologiai of Psaltic Art (late 18th century). Athens: Μορφωτικό Ίδρυμα Εθνικής Τράπεζας. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  • Hannick, Christian; Wolfram, Gerda, eds. (1985), Gabriel Hieromonachus: [Περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ ψαλτικῇ σημαδίων καὶ τῆς τούτων ἐτυμολογίας] Abhandlung über den Kirchengesang, Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae – Corpus Scriptorum de Re Musica, vol. 1, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, ISBN 3-7001-0729-3
  • Koukouzeles, Ioannes; Korones, Xenos; Kladas, Ioannes (1400). "Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. theol. gr. 185". Βιβλίον σὺν Θεῷ ἁγίῳ περιέχον τὴν ἄπασαν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς τάξεως συνταχθὲν παρὰ τοῦ μαΐστορος κυροῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Κουκουζέλη. Thessaloniki.
  • Tardo, Lorenzo (1938), "Papadiche", L'antica melurgia bizantina, Grottaferrata: Scuola Tipografica Italo Orientale "S. Nilo", pp. 151–163
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Koukouzeles.
  • Audio on YouTube, Sticheron kalophonikon about Φρούρηζον (Protect, o most glorious) in echos plagios devteros, Greek Byzantine Choir, Lycourgos Angelopoulos
  • Audio on YouTube, Sunday Koinonikon Хвалите Господа с'небес in Glas 5, Sofia Priest Choir, Kiril Popov
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