Трифонията
Triphonia

Summary/Abstract: Triphonia is an integral part of Byzantine musical system with a crucial importance for Byzantine music. This article argues that triphonia (τριφωνία) brings about a breach of tetraphonic mode through a reduction of the modal ambitus. Triphonia disintegrates tetraphonia which is to say that the concept implies an event in the course of modal transformation (Phthorai; φθοραὶ). Triphonia is explored on structural level. Stemming from tetraphonia, it generates the meaning of a secondary structural entity of three phonai (φωναὶ) and a fourth one that repeats the function of the initial one on a new pitch level Because of its dependence on tetraphonia, triphonia is traditionally considered as a system within a system. Pointing to functional changes as a result of moving from tetraphonia to triphonia, the article interprets medieval terms, including paraкyrios, paraрlagios and paramesos. In addition, new terms are suggested. Named mono- and heptaphonia, these terms refer to the two triphonic forms: palinodic triphonia and evolved triphonia. They bring a possibility for rethinking the function of some martyriai (internal and initial) as an evidence for the transition from tetraphonia towards triphonia.

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