Формирането на българската източноправославна музикална традиция в контекста на приноса на Петър Сарафов
Petar Sarafov and the Development of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Musical Tradition

Summary/Abstract: The topic of the report is focused on the illumination and popularisation of the collections of Orthodox hymns, which are kept in some of the Sofia libraries. These old printed collections contain church music written in neume notation, which in turn represents a complex musical system. The collections of Eastern chants contain musical masterpieces that remain in countries of use, since very little is known about their preservation. These collections of Eastern Orthodox hymns represent a rich source for studying the history, culture and religious practice of Eastern Orthodox communities. Eastern Orthodox hymnals are not just musical collections – they are cultural and spiritual chronicles that tell the story of entire societies over the centuries. Currently, scholars from various fields such as musicology, religious studies and ethnomusicology continue to study these collections in order to understand their historical context, structure and symbolism. This interdisciplinary study allows us to shed light on various aspects of these collections that cannot be revealed through a single scientific perspective alone. The time period, 1847–1941, encompasses an extraordinary wealth of church music and liturgical traditions. This time is associated with major changes and renewals both in traditional Eastern Orthodox music and with the interaction between different styles and schools. Petar Sarafov’s work “Guide for the Practical and Theoretical Study of Eastern Church Music” is the first comprehensive attempt to systematise Byzantine music in Bulgarian at the end of the 19th century, in the context of the aspiration for autocephaly and cultural emancipation. This guide is unique in its kind and plays an important role in the history of music education and church practice in Bulgaria. Petar Sarafov’s guide is a fundamental work that has a double contribution: theoretical and practical, and it is precisely this combination that makes it so significant and sustainable over time. Digital technologies are also increasingly being used: scanning manuscripts, music reconstruction software, a database of melodic formulas, etc. This opens the doors for wider access and a modern revival of these priceless chants.

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