The Abbey of Grottaferrata, a vibrant monastic community founded in the suburban hills of Rome, has functioned without interruption under the Church of Rome since the Middle Ages.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Cappella Romana offers this two-disc set of psalms and hymns from Grottaferrata to make the sacred music of Italy's medieval Greek minority more widely accessible.
Historical Context
A thousand years ago, significant portions of Italy were Greek in language and East Roman (Byzantine) in culture, with much of southern Italy ruled from Constantinople.
Composition History
Grottaferrata was home to an important scriptorium, whose surviving musical manuscripts include precious examples of repertories sung in Constantinople before the Crusader sack of 1204.
Interpretation
The performance practice on this album incorporates non-Western tunings, chromatic inflections, a vigorous Mediterranean-influenced vocal style with ornaments, and the use of a drone or 'ison'.
Compositional Technique
The Kontakion for St Bartholomew of Grottaferrata is set to the tune of "Today the Virgin," a famous Christmas hymn by St Romanos the Melodist (late 5th c.-after 555).
Performer Biography
Ioannis Arvanitis, a cantor and director on this album, is completing a doctoral thesis on rhythm in medieval Byzantine music at the University of Copenhagen.
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