Alexandrou Maria, St Kassiani, the Faith’s Melodist Oratorio by D. Themelis on a text by A. Dafnomilis
The Oratorio St Kassiani, the Faith’s melodist has been written by the composer Dimitris Themelisin 2016, together with other two oratoria and two operas, on libretti by the poet Alekos Dafnomilis.The Oratorio is composed for symphonic orchestra, choir, two soloists: mezzo-soprano (in the roleof Kassiani) and tenor (in the role of Theophilos), and narrator. It refers to St Kassia or Kassiani, Byzantium’s most famous woman poetess and composer, who lived during the 9th cent. The dramaturgy of the work is based on scenes from the life of the Saint, as recorded by Byzantine chronographers (especially Symeon Magistros, 10th cent.) and on legends around her person. Daughter of an aristocratic family and invested with awesome beauty and brilliant intelligence,Kassiani participated in the brideshow for emperor Theophilos (829-842). She was the one he elected as his future wife and empress of the Eastern Roman Empire, by giving her a golden apple with the words ‘it is through a woman that the evil came into the world’. At Kassiani’s reply ‘butalso through a woman the better things flew into the world’, the emperor changed his mind andgave the golden apple to St Theodora. Kassiani became a nun and a prodigious melodist (poet and composer). Theophilos, however, could not ever forget her and tried to meet her once more before the end of his life, by visiting her monastery. He arrives at the point where she was composing herfamous troparion for Matins of Wednesday in Holy Week, Lord, the woman who fall into manysins. When seizing upon his coming, she hides herself. The emperor enters her empty cell and seeson the table her unfinished troparion. He sits down and continues it, by writing a verse of his own and than he leaves in sorrow. The Oratorio ends with St Kassiani completing her poem and a with a short narration about her hymnographic oeuvre.
The Oratorio comprises 516 meters and its duration can be estimated to around 40 minutes.It relies on the tradition of Baroque oratoria, as seen through the eyes of neoclassicism and modern Greek music, with influences both from Ancient Greek music and Byzantine chant. The work canbe divided into 19 units, made up by 1) initial narration | 2) an introduction played by the orchestrain Moderato (measures 1-59) | 3) Piu Allegro, referring to the childhood of Kassiani and the brideshow (m. 60-95) | 4) Moderato, with narration, about Kassiani’s beauty (m. 96-110) | 5) Pocomosso: the dialogue between Theophilos and Kassiani (m. 111-124) | 6) A tempo, Monologue ofTheophilos (m. 125-154) | 7) Andante, Apolytikion of St Theodora (m. 155-193) | 8) Moderato, Kassiani’s sorrow (m. 194-201) | 9) Piu mosso, Kassiani’s call from above to become a nun (m.202-244) | 10) narration (m. 245-258) | 11) Andante con motto, Theophilos’ love for Kassiani and his wish to see her at the end of his life (m. 259-305) | 12) The troparion of Kassiani (first part, m.306-374) | 13) instrumental intermezzo (m. 375-394) | 14) Theophilos at Kassiani’s monastery (m.395-435) | 15) Largo, orchestral interlude (m. 436-443) | 16) A tempo, Theophilos’ lament (444-460) | 17) narration (m. 461-471) | 18) The troparion of Kassiani (last part, m. 472-491) | 19) final narration and postlude by the orchestra (m. 492-516).
The musical texture combines polyphonic writing with homophonic and monophonic passages, and the orchestration presents a fine balance between parts for tutti, for choir and orchestra, choir a cappella, vocal soloists with accompaniment of various instruments, as well as narrations on an orchestral background or with voice alone, thus achieving a balanced and compelling dramaturgy of the piece.
As to the issue of modality, the Oratorio explores the sonorities of minor keys in the cycle of fifths c-g-d-a-e, displayed both along a vertical and a horizontal axis. As to the latter, the predominance of large descending scales in the melodic lines can be interpreted as a tribute to ancient Greek modes. On the other hand, the extensive use of the passus duriusculus, both as tertiadeficiens and as secunda abundans, often in connection with words expressing pain, egotism andsin, could be viewed as a sort of ‘Leitmotiv’ of the Oratorio. It is connected both to the Western Musica poetica of the Baroque era, and to Byzantine chant (word painting using chromatic structures of the second and the plagal of the second mode, for the rendition of sorrow). Nine selected musical examples from the Oratorio comprised in this article illustrate various issues mentioned above.
St Kassiani, the Faith’s melodist by Dimitrios Themelis and Alekos Daphnomilis represents an important piece of contemporary Greek music, which expresses in a unique way the composer’s love for and tribute to both Western music and Greek musical tradition on a diachronic perspective. It is a desideratum, that this Oratorio could soon get its premiere performance!
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