Psalm - Byzantine Chant - St. John Koukouzelis - 14th Century

[1awareness]

Where should an awaken spirit dwell? I kept my vows; I was reject my the ones that claimed the same oaths as me.. Amen Varcan!

[persenso]

Viva San Giovanni Crisostomo!!

[tony1234872]

sound like an old Roman chant also sung my Ensemble Organum called Kierei Eliesson

[MihaiZamfir1984]

Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieste-ne pe noi pacatosii!!

[pavloskouris]

The perfection.

[kafkazar]

im not a christian, or a person of religion- but this music is liberating

[xgreciandelightx]

@kafkazar That's because this music is dedicated to Christ, the greatest liberator of all. :)

[tony1234872]

Long live Jesus Christ and all his followers. Vivat Iesu Christi cum omnibus suis

[TheMistAnchorite]

This is more than divine , believe me 1 it makes me cry for my sins ! God bless you all all the best from Romania 

[TheMistAnchorite]

Koukuzelis is the best , i was at his cave in Mounth Athos ! he is a true saint and chantor, thanks to his prayers to Theotokos 1

[pavloskouris]

Fantastic choir.

Lykourgos Aggelopoulos is the maestro of this choir.

[MrAllthatnmore]

Much love and respect to my Orthodox Brothers and Sisters in Christ from a Catholic , I just have noticed that there is alot of Nationalism with you guys on this page. I say that this Saint did this song for Lord alone not any one nationality.

Peace be with you all and with all Christians in the world and prayers for the oppressed brethren PAX ET BONUM

[romaniasmartRAPP]

@MrAllthatnmore you are right, thank you sir.

[MrAllthatnmore]

Much love and respect to my Orthodox Brothers and Sisters in Christ from a Catholic , I just have noticed that there is alot of Nationalism with you guys on this page. I say that this Saint did this song for Lord alone not any one nationality.

Peace be with you all and with all Christians in the world and prayers for the oppressed brethren

[grekos1940]

@MrAllthatnmore Catholics should go on other Catholic videos, not in Orthodox ones...

[MrAllthatnmore]

@grekos1940 God Bless you I will go on whatever Videos I will my brother in Christ. For this song/chant was made to praise the Lord not you and not me

[grekos1940]

@MrAllthatnmore It is chant not song...songs are for catholics and other heretics.In Orthodox Church we chant...You believe in filioque right??? This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit..You Catholics lost your faith in True Orthodox God and you have made Cardinals and Popes your gods...You have to return in the True Faith..Christ shows every year in Jerusalem that He is with Orthodoxy giving ONLY TO US the Holy Light of His Resurrection... ORTHODOX-TRUE FAITH...

[terveron]

Shame on everybody who claims a Saint's nationality! His music belongs to the whole Orthodox Comunity all over the World and to anyone who enjoys it! It's a priceless gift he gave to the humanity!

Now that he isn't amongst us, we won't be ever able to learn about His own opinion of His nationality and ask Him! Surely He would head never denied his place of birth!

[terveron]

His Holy Music seems so wide and high, breathtaking and full of Sacred Illumination! Only light can reach those dimensions and fill them up! The light of Divine Consacration!

[Berrenum]

Joan Kukuzel is Bulgarian composer! He wrote the very best masterpieces of Medievel Bulgarian Ortodox Music. In glorification of his mother he composed the "Polielej of the Bulgarian woman"

[Callixtinus]

@Berrenum : Actually according to historians Koukouzeles was born in Dyrrachium, Illyria (present day Albania). He did compose a lament called "Bulgara" (greek for "Bulgarian woman") when he heard his mother weeping at the fake news of his supposed death. However, the term "Bulgara" appeared only after the 15th century and it has been contested by modern musicologists. Since 1982 it has been claimed that the actual name of the piece was "Burgara" but was somehow copied wrongly on manuscripts...

[Callixtinus]

@Berrenum : ... The term "Burgara" refers to an old byzantine dual flute, of which one pipe was used as a droning continuo and was called "gourgourion". This flute created a lyrical woeful sound that was close to the sound of the composer mother's weeping. So, he called the lament (chanted vocally) with the name of the flute to indicate the type of feeling it aroused to those who listened (ie a mournful one). It was typical in that era to name lay compositions after birds or instruments.

[Bulgaroification]

@Callixtinus

I could only assume you're Greek. You people can not get enough of stealing other people's cultural heritage, can you?

Joan Koukouzel (Йоан Кукузел) was indeed born in Durrës (Bulgarian Drach, Драч) in late 13th century but guess what, Durrës was within the Bulgarian borders then. His mother was Bulgarian, his father probably Greek.

He created a new musical style based on folklore with Bulgarian song motifs penetrating the church singing of other orthodox countries as well.

[Callixtinus]

@Bulgaroification :

1) I never said his mother was not Bulgarian. I just made a note on the name of the lament, since he himself gave the original title in greek, based on scholarly data, not my own phantasy. Why would a different interpretation to a name contest any musical heritage?

2) Dyrrachium was indeed captured by Simeon the Great in the early 10th century and lost to Peter I around 4 decades later. Round the end of the 11th century Sauel recaptured the city and held it till 1018 (co'ed)

[Callixtinus]

Correcting errors:

I wrote: ** ..Round the end of the 11th century Sauel.. **

I meant: ** ..Round the end of the 10th century Samuel.. **

I wrote: ** ..If his father was a greek and his mother albanian.. **

I meant: ** ..If his father was a greek and his mother bulgarian.. **

[Callixtinus]

@Bulgaroification : (co'ed)

Then it came under byzantine control until 1082 when Alexius Comnenus lost it to Robert Guiscard then byzantines recaptured it and again lost it to William II of Sicily in 1185 being thereafter ruled by latins. In the time of John Koukouzeles' birth at around 1280 the city was an independent duchy under John of Anjou. In 1336 it was captured by the Serbian Tzar, Stefan Dusan and when Koukouzeles died at 1360 there ruled the Albanian family of Thopias (co'ed)

[Callixtinus]

@Bulgaroification : (co'ed)

All that info is not very hard to find, it's readily available in wikipedia.

3) If his father was a greek and his mother albanian, and if Koukouzeles received greek education in Constantinople and composed in greek language, what would prevent him from being a part of both greek and bulgarian cultural heritage. And why would greeks "need" to "steal" him?

4) As to the argument about greeks stealing other nations' cultural heritage, that's argumentum ad hominem. (co'ed)

[Callixtinus]

@Bulgaroification : (co'ed)

Since I am the subject of that argumentum ad hominem, I'll leave the judgement of your allegation to others.

[mgiroud21]

@Bulgaroification I wouldn't expect this kind of racist comments here. Koukouzelis is a greek name ( you like it or not) and as you may know there were not frontiers inside the Byzantine empire. So, the place of birth has not much meaning anyway. A genius person and a Saint, as he was, really enriched the Byzantine music and the music of all empire's people.

Can we just listen to him? Can we just try to understand what he gave us?

[jazzpsalti]

I LOVE AGIA

[aecrim085]

Can you send me music with angelopoulos choir, please?? I bizantine music. God bless you.

[aecrim085]

This truly divine! Ortodoxy forever and ever, Amen!!! Sf. John Koukouzelis was really enlighten by the Holy Spirit, when he composed this hyms.

[MateyDan]

best respect

[alex12gods]

respect....apla auto!!!

[prayingmantis2]

What a beautiful chant!  Saint John Koukouzelis was really a master of byzantine music. I have heard many hymns composed by Koukouzelis, but never this one. Absolutely beautiful. Thank for posting!