Serbian Church MusicDigitization Project

ILLUST RAT I ON OF ME T HODOL OG Y

scannedautographs

lithographedsheet musicmanuscripts

classicallyengravedprintedsheet music

digitallyengravedsheet music(PDF, MXML)

convertingimages intodigital scoresusing OCR

music OCR

convertingdigital vectorPDF to editableMXML

PDF to MXML converter

graphicallayout“fine tuning”

vector graphics software

engraving froma scratch;editing OCRresults

music notation software

scannedimagesadjustment

bitmap graphics software

1 INPUT (gathering materials) 2 PROCESSING 3 OUTPUT

digitalvector PDF

sheet musicwith

standardized,high-quality

layout andhistorical,

musical andliturgical

informationand directions

reviewingof music

and liturgicaltextus receptus

informationalcontextualization

(historical,musical,

liturgical)

web publishing,making scores

accessibleto general public,

and searchablein the wide range

of relevant criteria

classical paperpublishing through

liturgically or historicallythemed editions

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Liturgical and stylisticcontextualisation

Placing a score into the appro-priate liturgical and stylisticcontext, it was created andintended for. Achieved by cre-ating liturgical anthologies, aswell as thematic monographies.

BEFORE

AFTER

Layout and typography

Contemporary (yet “classical”enough) design andtypographic consistency(according to the Project’sgeneral guidelines). Textconveniently transcribed intocontemporary orthography.

It’s not just about simply going digital, but aboutmaking of digitization process specificities, team

members’ professional capabilities and expertise, and digitalformat technical possibilities.

full use

Liturgical and scientificapparatus

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information about melody;titles in original orthography;translation of hymnology;short liturgical directions;additional explanations; etc.

Customization

Not only digitization of score inits original form, but alsoexpert adaptations of initialmaterial, for specific needs ofvarious types of ensembles; inthis example: monophonicscore, harmonized and adaptedfor 4-part mixed choir.

Metropolitan Damascene of Zagreb (1892 - 1969):Priidite, poklonimsja(from Vespers)

Др Дамаскин (Грданички), митрополит загребачки

,Београд, 1972.

Српско црквено појањена црквенословенском и српском језику

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

BEFORE

AFTER

Nikola Resanovi :ć (1955)O Gladsome Light (Svjete tihij)(from Vespers)

from :nikolaresanovic.comSerbian Chant - Choral Music - Vespers

Linguistic adaptations of choral settings:from Old Church Slavonic to contemporary/historical

vernacular (Serbian, English, etc) & vice versa,with ease and reliability.

Interconnecting Serbianchurch music specialistsacross the world

Project Mokranjac connectsSerbian church music specialistsand practitioners from thediaspora with the homeland onvarious levels - inter alia, bymeans of including choralsettings and arrangements ofSerbian church music composersfrom the diaspora, into Project’scollections and anthologies -digital, as well as physical ones.

Musical adaptations

Original music is metrically andrhytmically adapted to themetrics of the language thehymn is translated into - theseadaptations are carefully madeand/or reviewed by churchmusic practitioners and experts(musicologists, choir directors,composers, etc), who areespecially motivated topreserve original’s recognizablequalities and importantfeatures in the adapted version.

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

AFTER

BEFORE

Digitization process makes conservation, restoration and popularizationof

, saved in old composers’ manuscripts (autographs) andhandwritten transcripts of choir librarians, . Often

neglected and almost forgotten, this valuable handwritten sheet musicheritage obtains, through the process of its notographical refreshment

and expert musical, historical, liturgical and informationalcontextualization, an

, as well as tobecome fully publicly recognized as one of the cornerstones of Serbian

classical music culture.

old, valuable, but less known choral arrangements of Serbianchant

possible and realistic

opportunity to be returned to its primary,sacred environment and its primary, liturgical use

Aleksandar Gavanski (1901 - 1972):Gospodi pomiluj at the Lity(from Vespers)

from a handwritten/photocopied All-Night Vigil liturgical sheetmusic collection of St. Stephen of Dechani Church Choir, NoviSad, Serbia (transcribed by Tamara Adamov Petijević)

Saving and publishing valuable and/or less knownunpublished handwritten heritage of Serbian Church music(under both of its master forms - choral and monophonic)

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

BEFORE

AFTER

Kornelije Stankovi :ć (1831 - 1865)

Pomiluj mja Bože(Psalm 50, from Matins)

from the unpublished manuscripts of KornelijeStanković, kept in the Archives of SerbianAcademy of Sciences and Arts; Kornelije Stankovićleft 3 published, and 17 handwritten volumes offour-part choral settings of Serbian Orthodoxchurch music - this invaluably importantcollection comprises, in a form of harmonizedfour-part settings, almost complete hymnographicliturgical repertory of Orthodox worship (Ordinaryhymns - unchangeable parts of Vespers, Matins,Liturgy and other services; Proper stichera,troparia, prokeimena, heirmoi and other hymns -eight modes of Octoechos, festal services fromthe Menaia, Triodion and Pentecostarion; chantsfor the special sevices from the Trebnik - Book ofNeeds, etc).

Project Mokranjac is an ideal technical and professional environment for

. The importance of this notion is underlined by the factthat

and relatively unknown, lying, often almost forgottenand rather neglected, in scientific, church and choral archives andlibriaries. This includes not only the practically motivated simple

arrangements set by choral directors, librarians, etc, but also, to asignificant extent,

, as well, Kornelije Stankovi ’smonumental legacy being just the most prominent, but, by no means the

only noteworthy, example of this.

ć

efficient and high-quality digitization, electronic and classicalpublishing of valuable unpublished works of Serbian church

music classicsmore than 90% of Serbian Church music written heritage is

still unpublished

notable classical works (and even masterworks)of some of the greatest and the most important Serbian Churchmusic melographers and composers

Bringing monumental, but unpublished and insufficiently known examplesof Serbian Church music, to the church directors, church choirs,professional musicians, as well as to the wider public

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

BEFORE

AFTER

Musical adaptations and transpositions:from four-part male and three-part female choir, to

mixed four-part choir and vice versa. Flexibleadaptations of great sacred choral works, for small

ensembles, etc.

Valuable material in the new context

Affirmation of valuable and significant oldliturgical music choral settings andcollections, originally arranged for four-partmale choir (which was very common type ofchoral ensemble in the Serbian Church in themidst of the 20th century), through itstransposition and adaptation for thenowadays most popular mixed four-partchoir type.

Prota Mirko R. Pavlovi:

ć(1831 - 1865)

Ninje otpuš šičaje(from Vespers)

excerpt from the book:

All-Night Vigil for male choir; TheBelgrade Priests’ Choir used this collectionfor its vesperal and vigil liturgical singing)

Бденијеза мушки хорсложио прота Мирко Р. Павловић,друго издање, Београд 1971.

(

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

BEFORE

AFTER

Musical adaptations and transpositions:from four-part male and three-part female choir, to

mixed four-part choir and vice versa. Flexibleadaptations of great sacred choral works, for small

ensembles, etc.

Metropolitan Damascene of Zagreb (1892 - 1969):

Vozbrannoj Vojevodje(from the service of First Hour)

from the All-Night Vigil for three-part female choir,published in the book:

,(prepared by Milica AndrejeviБеоград - , 2009.

Музика и речи из ризнице Митрополитазагребачког Дамаскина (Грданичког)

ć MA; editor Danica Petrović PhD)Загреб

Artistic adaptations

Highly specialised and creativeadaptations, which include notonly tonal transposition, butalso new composing andwriting new parts in the styleof original composer (eg.adapting three-partcomposition to a four-partensemble).

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil

BEFORE

AFTER

Works and harmonizations of contemporary composers and directors of church choirs:�

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apropriate in musical character and arranging approach;based on practical liturgical experience and insight of choirs’ liturgical chanting needs;convenient, well balanced in the terms of technical and musical interpretative requirements;powerful means of permanent liturgical repertoire development, which provides the choir with thepossibility of increased and more intense musical participation in the course of the liturgical worship

Aleksandar Bruji :ćBlažen muž(from Vespers)arranged for St. Prince Lazaruschurch choir, Stutgart, Germany

Jelena Anastasija Toni :ćBogatiji obniš šača(from Vespers / Lity)arranged forSt. Alexander Nevsky church choir,Belgrade, Serbia

Tamara Adamov Petijevi :ćBogatiji obniš šača(from Vespers / Lity)arranged forSt. Stephen of Dechani church choir,Novi Sad, Serbia

PROJECT MOKRANJAC:

volume 1:

Anthologyof Serbian Orthodox Choral Music;

(Vespers, Matins, First Hour)All-Night Vigil