Books and publications translated from Byzantine music notation

Books and publications

Psaltics (Psaltica)

Toward the end of 2010 a few psaltic art manuscripts written by Andon Shahpaski were discovered in the church of “Dormition of Virgin Mary” (village of Smojmirovo, Republic of Macedonia). This collection of manuscripts is much older than the one previously discovered in 2003. Amongst the majority of writings in Church Slavonic language, there are also a small number of compositions written in Greek language. This book is ready for publishing under the title of “Psaltica”. In addition to the newly discovered manuscripts, this compilation also contains compositions from the two already published books on Andon Shahpaski, “Short book of Resurrection Hymns” (2004) and “Liturgical chants collection” (2006).

Liturgical Chants Collection (2006)

Following the publishing of part one titled “Short book of Ressurection hymns”, Jane Kodjabashia continued his work on the second part of the manuscript, along with further research on Shahpaski – the newly discovered author from the period of the Macedonian musical renaissance. This additional research resulted in creation and publishing of the second book, “Liturgical chants collection” with an extended introduction to Shahpaski’s life and authorship.

Short Book of Resurrection Hymns (2004)

Until a few years ago, Andon Shahpaski’s name (born in the village of Smojmirovo, Maleshevo region in Macedonia, approx. 1860-1928) was completely unknown to Macedonian music history. As a result of Kodjabashia’s discovery of a musical manuscript and a few liturgical books from Shahpaski’s library, Macedonian musical heritage was enriched with a new set of artefacts and scientific evidence.

Shortly after this discovery, the Centre for Byzantology studies released part one of this magnificent manuscript, titled “Short book of Ressurection hymns”.

Liturgy (2004)

Until Jane Kodjabashia’s discovery of the manuscript “Psaltic guide” in 2003, Dimitar Zlatanov – Gradoborski (approx. 1800-1887) was known in Byzantine musicology by only two compositions, already issued in a number of Macedonian Church music publications. Initially published by Gradoborski in Greek language in 1886 in Thessaloniki – the original contains tens of Gradoborski’s own compositions affirming him as one of the most significant authors of liturgical chants in the Eastern Orthodox world. Professor Jane Kodjabashia transliterated and translated Gradoborski’s original work and published the aforementioned book, making it available to the wider scientific and cultural audience in Macedonia and abroad for the first time in one hundred and twenty years.

Church singing in Macedonia (2008)

This book is a compelling study on centuries-long development of the Church music in Macedonia and its most significant emissaries. It also reveals some authors, unknown before publication of this book.

Orthography (with base theory) of the Byzantine notation (2010)

Following the publishing of “Theory and practice of Church singing from Byzantine tradition” and “Study guide for Eastern Church singing” in 2004, this is the third theoretical text, essential in the process of studying Church singing of Byzantine tradition. In his most recent book, Dr Jane Kodjabashia fuses the theoretical perspectives of the most renowned Macedonian Church music instigators, as well as certain theorists from Bulgaria, Greece and Romania combining them into a scientific construct, which outlines the base characteristics of the Eastern Church Singing and its orthography.

Study guide for Eastern Church singing (2004)

In 1997, a group of scholars headed by Dr Jane Kodjabashia formed the Centre for Byzantology studies. Through its program of work, which involves conducting activities such as courses for Eastern Church singing as well as publication of theoretical and practical books on Church singing of Byzantine tradition, the Centre began the restoration process of the traditional Church singing in Macedonia introducing it as a new subject in religious studies. These publications solved the problem of a shortage of adequate literature on the subject of Church singing within religious studies. At present, these publications are widely used throughout Macedonia, but also in Serbia, Bosnia and Bulgaria as well as other regions and institutions that deal with orthodox Christian music heritage. Both the “Theory and practice of Church singing from Byzantine tradition (2004)” as well as the “Study guide for Eastern Church singing (2004)” are available for download

Theory and practice of Church singing from Byzantine tradition (2004)

Life and creation (2007)

This musicology dissertation is a result of Kodjabashia’s many years of research into the life and authorship of Joan Harmosin Ohridski (1829 – 1890).The book contains the majority of Joan Harmosin’s compositions, transcribed in both Byzantine and modern European music notation.

Eastern Liturgical Chants – Vespers and Matins (2005)

The collection of “Eastern Liturgical Chants” in four parts is a result of Kalistrat Zografski’s (cca.1820 – 1913) many years of work as a theorist, author, translator and writer. This collection has earned Kalistrat great respect amongst the relevant musical circles at that time. These works have been published in two books: “Eastern Liturgical Chants – Vespers and Matins (2005)” and “Eastern Liturgical Chants – Liturgy and Resurrection Hymns (2005)” and are available for download.

Eastern Liturgical Chants - Liturgy and Resurrection Hymns (2005)

The fourth part of Zografski’s collection of “Eastern Liturgical Chants” – Lithurgy, has great significance for the Macedonian Church music, attributable to the music creations by Dimitar Zlatanov – Gradoborski, Joan Harmosin – Ohridski and Kalistrat Zografski as Macedonian authors.

Psaltic Hymns of Ressurection (2002)

Vasil Ivanov Bojadziev (1876 – 1950) is the final legate in the sequence of great Macedonian Church singing representatives. His collection of Church music preserved as a manuscript is a synthesis of all ressurectal psalts published before his time. It appears that Vasil Ivanov Bojadziev commenced his only music creation, shortly after World War One, when the traditional Church singing was eliminated from Macedonian Churches and replaced with Serbian folklore-based Church singing. This book is a result of a lengthy and arduous research of this monumental creation of Macedonian Church Singing, as well as Vasil Ivanov’s life and authorship.