Dumitru D. Stancu’s Cântările Sfintei Liturghii: a performance edition and historical context

Abstract

Dumitru D. Stancu (1915-2005) was a multi-faceted musician who contributed to many artistic fields of Romanian culture: music education, performance and promotion of folk art, ethnomusicology, composition of choral and instrumental works, and poetry. As a faithful member of the Orthodox Church, his roots in the liturgical psaltic singing and piety in the religious mysteries influenced his late composition: Cântările Sfintei Liturghii (The Songs of the Divine Liturgy). While creating this work, Stancu followed the established text of St. John Chrysostom’s Liturgy and he employed Byzantine musical idioms such as the ison, psaltic tunes, and modality. He purposefully combined these elements with Romanian folk musical idioms such as modality, melodic and rhythmic figures, spoken text, and unconventional use of expressive markings. The dissertation highlights these elements with examples from the Romanian folk tunes Stancu collected and compiled in five volumes called Pe deal la Teleormănel. Analysis of folk idioms used in the Liturgy reveal direct connections with examples from folk tunes—balade, doine, and colinde. The work includes a performance edition of the score of the Liturgy and a critical report supported by instructions for performance practice in a concert or liturgical setting.