Titus Moisescu - Musicologist and Byzantinologist

A foremost personality of musical culture and research in contemporary Romania, Mr. Titus Moisescu left behind a strong and consistent legacy: the results of lifelong efforts to bring to light undiscovered sources of Byzantine musical culture, and the patiently repetead injunction, which most of those who had the chance to collaborate with him remember ever so well, to “take more care of the old chant”.

The unique chance Titus Moisescu had, during the course of a long, fruitful and mutually rewarding cooperation with Fr. I. D. Petrescu, of learning from the latter's vast knowledge of ancient music was to give Titus Mosisescu a strong, lifetime determination to achieve in this area the most that could be achieved by persevering and coordinated efforts. In his quality of director of the Printing House of the Romanian Composers Union Titus Moisescu prepared, edited and was in other ways instrumental in publishing, among other things, the Studies in Byzantine Paleography by Fr. I. D. Petrescu, the 16-volume compendium entitled Sources in Romanian Music-Monumenta and Transcripta, Fr. Grigore Pantiru works on The Iaºi Gospel Lectionary and The Notation and Echoi of Byzantine Music, Gheorghe Ciobanu's 3-volume monographical series entitled Studies in Ethnomusicology and Byzantinology, while at the same time contributing in numerous ways through his papers, talks, interest-raising activities to the advancement of research on his much cherished Putna School, and its legendary Evstatie.

Last but not least Titus Mosescu was an immediate promoter and an enthusiastic supporter of the idea and efforts leading to the establishment and development of the Centre for Byzantine Studies at Iaşi.

Gabriela Ocneanu