The Variability of a Cadential Melodic Formula - an Element of Evolution in the Transylvanian Carol
The Variability of a Cadential Melodic Formula - an Element of Evolution in the Transylvanian Carol

Summary/Abstract: In Romanian carols (colinde), an important genre of traditional Romanian folklore, there exists a range of melodic formulas whose degree of stability or instability contributes to the variation within the repertoire. This variation is influenced by several factors, such as the intensity of the caroling custom at the local level or the diversity of the repertoire performed.The present article analyzes the variability of a consistent melodic formula - a variability that may arise from the ornamentation of the formula, alterations in rhythmic structure, or modifications of the cadence through the introduction of the subtonic. After establishing the formula as a model or prototype, its variants are classified according to their divergences from the prototype and the number of occurrences within the repertoire. Melodic formulas that are both variable and widely represented in the carol repertoire may be regarded as accepted by the community, thus constituting one of the mechanisms of evolution in the Transylvanian carol. Depending on the relationship between the method of variation and the frequency of its occurrence in the repertoire, we may conclude that certain variation techniques serve as catalysts for evolutionary processes, while others yield non-representative variants with limited dissemination, often confined to a particular community or specific interpretive group.

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