Special Features of the Structure of the Early Russian Kliros Choirs

Main Article Content

Oksana E. Sheludyakova

Abstract

The article reconstructs several of the most important traditions of
early Russian kliros singing. The object of attention of the author
is presented by the hierarchical structure in the various church
choral ensembles of Early Rus, the distribution of duties of the
main members of choirs, the correlation of the leading positions,
the level of participation of the choral ensembles in various types
of church services and non-liturgical events, as well as some
special peculiarities of mutual relations between the leaders and
regular singers in the kliros choirs. Certain historical traditions
of formation of the monastic, the tsar’s and Metropolitan’s choirs
and their comparison are traced out. On the basis of studies of the
theory and practice of the education of choir directors and singers
in professional and monastic choirs of Early Rus a number of
practical propositions is brought out that are indispensable for the
development of contemporary church singing education.

Keywords: church singing, monastery tradition, kliros choir

Article Details

How to Cite
Sheludyakova, O. E. (2014). Special Features of the Structure of the Early Russian Kliros Choirs. Music Scholarship / Problemy Muzykal’noj Nauki, (2), 23–27. Retrieved from https://musicscholar.ru/index.php/PMN/article/view/87
Section
Sacred Music
Author Biography

Oksana E. Sheludyakova, Ural State M.P. Mussorgsky Conservatory

Doctor of Arts,
Professor at the Music Theory Department

References

1. Zabelin I. E. Domashniy byt russkikh tsarey v XVI–XVII vv. [The Household Living Conditions of the Russian Tsars in the 16th-17th Centuries]. Moscow, 1915. 769 p.
2. Zvereva S. G. Russkie khory i mastera peniya kontsa XV – serediny XVII v.: k probleme organizatsii pevcheskogo dela v srednevekovoy Rossii: dis. … kand. iskusstvovedeniya [Russian Choirs and Singing Masters from the Late 15th Century to the Mid-17th Century: Concerning the Problem of Organization of Singing Case in Medieval Russia: Dissertation for the Degree of Candidate of Arts]. Moscow, 1988. 270 p.
3. A Canon and the Life of the Reverend Father Dionysius Zobninovsky, Archimandrite of the St.Sergius Lavra. (In Russian). Moscow, 1855. 120 p.
4. Nikolayeva E. V. Istoriya muzykal’nogo obrazovaniya: Drevnyaya Rus’: konets X – seredina XVII stoletiya: Uchebnoe posobie dlya studentov vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy [The History of Musical Education: Early Russia: From the Late 10th Century to the Mid-17th Century: Tutorial Manual for Students of Higher Educational Institutions]. Moscow: VLADOS, 2003. 208 p.
5. Nikolaev Boris, archpriest. Znamennyy raspev i kryukovaya notatsiya kak osnova russkogo pravoslavnogo tserkovnogo peniya [The Znamenny Chant and Kryukovy Notation as the Foundation of the Singing of the Russian Orthodox Church]. Moscow: Nauchnaya kniga, 1995. 300 p.