Themata and Melismata in Old Stichera and Heirmoi: On a Systematic Approach of Their Rhythmic Interpretation

The so-called “Themata”, i.e. short stereotype melismatic figures found on the last one or two syllables of musical phrases, are a characteristic of the otherwise syllabic old sticheraric and heirmologic style. Other, more free, melismatic parts can also be found mainly in stichera, which could be generally called “Melismata”. While the presence of a poetic text, and especially the occasional lack of isosyllaby and homotony in prosomoia, has served to me (in my PhD dissertation) as a principal methodological tool for the rhythmical interpretation of the notation of old stichera and heirmoi, this tool cannot serve here because Themata and Melismata have only one syllable. Other methodologies should be applied. One is to investigate their forms in the Palaeo-byzantine notations and try to extract whatever can be extracted from these forms. Another is to compare their Middle-byzantine forms found in various manuscripts. Examples of Themata and Melismata will be given, as well as the application of these methodologies on them, in order to find an as far as possible documented interpretation of them.