But there is to this day a ban on any musical performance there. Since the Eastern Orthodox liturgy is sung, there has been no way to know what it sounded like back in Justinian's day. Except now the science of acoustics and digital signal processing has brought this sound back to life after more than 500 years.
This is a very unusual edition of my Sunday Classical posts - the focus is less on the music than on the building. The experience of the divine was captured in a unique way in the church, one that could not be experienced in the same way anywhere else in the world. The architecture merged with and changed the sound in a way that was entirely sui generis; the rising (or setting) sun lit the interior in a way that was described as liquid gold. While we cannot experience that today, we can get a feel for what it must have been like with the musical recreations of the group Cappella Romana, electronically enhanced to match the acoustics of the Hagia Sophia.
This is a very different experience from western church music, which we have seen here many times. There is an outstanding (and long) discussion of this experience and how they recreated it at the podcast Byzantium and Friends. It covers different aspects of the religious experience in that church - the sound, the decoration, the lighting, and how they all came together as much more than the sum of the parts. I expect that Peter Grant, Lone Star Parson, Rev. Paul, and maybe Tim Wolter might want to listen to it despite the length (over 60 minutes). Other people might want to click through that link which will lead them to a documentary about how the sound was recreated, which is included on the DVD of Cappella Romana's performance of Lost Voices Of The Hagia Sophia. I expect that the DVD experience will far surpass MP3, because of the surround sound effect.
Hat tip to Peter Grant, who posted about this a couple weeks back; I ran across the podcast which adds a ton of depth to what he wrote about. If you, like me, are a history nerd, then this is a great way to spend some time while you are isolating at home.
You never disappoint on a Sunday morning class professor!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating look at an aspect of music and worship, that I hadn't known of.
Interestingly enough the acoustics of performance halls was the subject of a paper I did, I think in college, but maybe in high school. Nearby Boston Symphony Hall is a world class place known for its acoustics, as well as a hall in Vienna, if I recall. Maybe a more recently built hall is known now.
Thanks as always for doing this, we may have a small class, but it is an appreciative one!
Thanks BP. Good stuff to write by on a grey, soggy morning.
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Since Erdogan gained supreme power, muslim services have been held in the Hagia Sophia.
ReplyDeleteGetting close to time to call for another Crusade.
As to the musicality of the HS, many medieval cathedrals also had voices of their own. Al.l the interior naves, structural and decorative elements gives each cathedral it's own sound. Voices hauntingly bouncing around, building upon each, the echoes providing a background tract. Speaking from the altar or pulpit, the voice of the priest could be heard all the way to the back, even when celebrating mass facing the Crucifix and thus putting the back of the priest facing the congregation. A church and altar area designed to reflect the priest's voice back past him, to the rear of the church and into every nave. That's a design skill of a master craftsman.
Compare to today's 'modern' churches, often some sort of semi-pre-manufactured metal structure. Where voices are deadened and flat sounding, and only using a sound system can the officiant be heard past the first 5 rows.
Libertyman, I knew that you would like this.
ReplyDeleteTim, same thing. Good reflection on days past for a cold, rainy spring day.
Beans, I encourage you to listen to that podcast. The sound is only a small part of the experience. While I love the western cathedrals, this has convinced me that Hagia Sofia is *not* similar.
Best solution is to return it to the Greeks, and let the Ottomans have whatever they created, which is essentially nothing.
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