Nedeľné tropáre v byzantsko-slovanskej tradícii na Slovensku
Sunday Troparia in the Byzantine-Slavic Tradition in Slovakia

Summary/Abstract: Sunday Troparia are integral part of the Byzantine liturgical formulary as preserved today in the Churches of Constantinopolitan tradition. In Slovakia, two Churches are bearers of this tradition: the Byzantine-Catholic Church (commonly known as the Greek-Catholic Church), and the Orthodox Church. Research has shown the monastery of Počajev as being the cradle of the music of Troparia used in both Churches in Slovakia. The music, however, has not been preserved in its original form – many changes occurred via oral transmission of chants, but also as a result of inability of singers to sing properly (limits of memory, or changing the voice-range, or personal inability to sing due to lack of education, etc.). This paper shows brief survey of research tracking back the original features of chant itself. The result, although hypothetical, points to possible original form usable in the current practice in Slovakia. Liturgical text preserved in the liturgical manuscripts and books in use in Slovakia shows two textual redactions: pre-Nikonian, and Nikonian. Although the differences are often minute, sometimes they may influence the musical flow, as they occasionally add or remove few syllables. Here the present paper suggests unifying the practice on Nikonian redaction, but the possibility to retain local variants is also a matter to think of.

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