This presentation will explore several aspects of St Romanos's
techniques in using poetry and music to rouse the congregation to
repentance and full metanoia, and question whether this is only on the
personal level or whether it reflects the need for reconciliation among
members of his society and in his church. The major works to be analyzed
on this subject will be the kontakia On Judas, On Peter, and On the Harlot,
which are clearly meant to arouse compunction. By his combination of
text and music (rhythm), Romanos seems to demonstrate his understanding
of the affekt of the tones as taught by the Greek philosophers,
including Boethius, who preceded him, and the much later writers on
music who followed him, i.e., Thomas Mace, Claudio Monteverdi. There
will be some comparison to Ephrem's combinations of rhythm and tones in
developing like responses. It will address the question of whether
Romanos was consciously observing what was later codified in Law 137:
are his works meant to effect spiritual formation in the listeners (the
laity) at the liturgy - because formation is otherwise lacking from the
liturgy, and is his work reflective only of the penitential needs - his
and his congregation's. Are there common "healing" rhythms and tones
found in his works? Does he use particular tones and rhythms to elicit
specific spiritual responses? A broad number of both spuria and genuina will be examined concerning these questions.
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