An Emblematic Chant, the Stikhira of Pious Paisie of Neamū Monastery

In its two basic variants this stikhira is to be found in a fairly large number of manuscripts belonging to several libraries in Romania. Written in the Koukouzelian notation the chant dates back very likely to the end of the 18^th century or the beginning of 19^th century. The author is supposed to have been Iosif the Monk from Neamū Monastery, a novice and disciple of abbot Paisie. The constitutive elements of this chant, namely the perfect match of text to melody, its rhythmic and melodic formulae, its cadence system, its smooth graduation of phrases constitute definite proofs to the chant being an authentic Romanian creation, exhibiting moreover interesting traits linking it to ancient Romanian folklore music.

Florin Bucescu