Albanian Folk Song and Byzantine Chant

Investigation of the origin and age of Albanian polyvocal music through a comparative analysis of Albanian folk songs from the Albanian lands and from the Albanian Diaspora with chants of the Byzantine church. The primary purpose of this project is to research the age an specific characteristics of Albanian polyvocal music with regard to its possible relationship to Byzantine chant. This undertaking is feasible at the present time, first of all, on the basis of available materials and the current understanding of Albanian polyvocal songs, as well as on the basis of the current state of research into Byzantine music and its rich sources. An important part of the project will be research into the relationship between folk music and Byzantine chant in the Albanian Diaspora, specifically that of the Arbreshen in south Italy and Sicily, as well as that of the Arvaniten in southern Greece. In order to illustrate this music, and especially to determine its present state, field research is necessary. The material that will be collected from this project will form the foundation of an archive of Albanian folk music with sound and video recordings, as well as photographs, at the Institut für Volksmusikforschung in Vienna. In order to be able to research the relationship between Albanian folk songs and Byzantine chant, other historical sources must be used. This project is significant, therefore, not only for European ethnomusicology, but for the history of music in general (especially the development of polyvocal music!). Finally, this project will include the complete documentation of field recordings and archival material, a bibliography of printed works, and a summary of the result of all of the above-mentioned research.

The main goal of this project was the investigation of the age and significant features of Albanian polyphony with regard to its possible relations to the music of the Greek Byz-antine Church. The comparative analyses show strong connections regarding the role of the drone and the improvisation mode of the soloists. Studies of the relationship be-tween folk music and Byzantine music of the Albanian diaspora in Southern Italy and Southern Greece were very helpful. On the other hand comparisons to Italian polyphonic songs showed the special value of Albanian polyphony for comparative studies about the phenomenon of polyphony in the Mediterranean and on the Balkans. Furthermore, examples of the interaction of features of Byzantine music and music from the Middle East in a third music culture, in this case in the Albanian folk music, were illustrated. The field research in the diaspora also helped gaining an overview of the present situa-tion of traditional music there. This was of a special importance particularly for the Ar-vanites, resident in Greece. Their culture has hardly been aware for a long time due to the lack of information about it. The natives in many villages were astonished that strangers were interested in their traditions. This wave of the enthusiasm led of the na-tives to the decision to begin collecting material themselves. The thus created archives, with audio and video recordings and the corresponding Ger-man translations as well as musical transcriptions, are freely accessible to everyone at the Institute or Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.