Outstanding Documents of Bzyantine Chant in the Libraries of Iasi

This paper represents the first comprehensive attempt at uniting under one survey the results of investigative efforts carried over a long period of time in researching documents of Byzantine music sheltered by Iasi institutions. The resulting overview reveals a multitude of manuscripts written in several notations, from the ekphonetic to the Chrysanthic, by several music schools, including that of Putna, Neamt and Arges and highlights outstanding documents such as the evangelical lectionary of Iasi (11th - 12th centuries, minutely researched and publicized by Grigore Pantiru), the stikhirarion of Iasi University Library (13th - 14th centuries), and several other manuscripts of a more recent origin. The institutions sheltering these manuscripts are: the Mihai Eminescu Central Library of Iasi University, the State Archives, the Museum of Golia Monastery, the Museum of Romanian Literature, and the Library of the Metropolitan Church of Moldavia and Bucovina.

The survey offers those interested in the area extensive data on manuscripts covering a span of almost 900 years, and representing outstanding values of the culture and religious art in this country. It is also opening a broad avenue for future researchers, and inviting for more systematic work to be carried out in a very promising and challenging area.

Florin Bucescu