Класификация и музикално-катехизична същност на Рождественския цикъл от църковно-песенния репертоар на банатските българи
Classification and Music-Catechism Essence of the Christmas Cycle in the Church-Song Repertoire of the Banat Bulgarians

Summary/Abstract: The Banat Bulgarians, professing the Catholic faith, have a rich liturgical church-song repertoire, in which the greatest share belongs to the songs, intended for the Christmas cycle -the advent, the Christmas octave and the holiday “The Three Wise Men”. The article examines problems concerning the originality of these songs as well as their connection with the strophic church song of Western Europe. The author classifies the advent songs in 3 groups -songs close in meaning to the Latin Rorate, others reflecting evangelical piety and songs emphasizing Christ’s redeeming mission. The Christmas songs are also divided into 3 groups - lullabies, shepherd­ Bethlehem and theo-centric in meaning. The song melodies possess elementary mode-intonation characteristics. The gradual movement predominates, influences of the Bulgarian musical folklore are obvious. The songs develop in a major-minor system, in identical melodies, with a different text there is a rhythmic modification. The intonation similarity occurs frequently. There are songs with irregular time, but most of them are regular. Some of the songs have two rhythmic variants - regular and irregular. The original Christmas songs are based on 6 basic melodies. West European influence is strong in the whole repertoire.

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