The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

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Svimon (Jiki) Jangulashvili
also ornamented with luxuriant improvisatorial movements. <strong>The</strong> voices in the hymns of this type move in
keeping with the stylistic aesthetics of the West and East Georgian decoration, quite often being in a complex
polyphonic interdependence. Polyphonic musical texture is formed within quite a large interval area by means
of the melodic development of voices – transformation of the voice melodies of the plain original and modeharmonic
diversity. Quite often this is accompanied by bringing out in the texture separate rhythmic figures of
micromelody variants on the complementary principle. Such a decoration is characteristic of a great number
of the decorated hymns, with a comparatively humbler voice movement in the Karbelashvilis’ chants in
comparison with West Georgian ones.
2) <strong>The</strong> second type of the “decoration-jubilation”, characteristic of only Gelati and Shemokmedi schools,
together with the phenomena mentioned above means crossing of the voices along a great distance. At this
time separate segments of the “cantus” are transformed and superseded by a new structure built downward
from the former “archetypical” height and it is these syntactic units which were shifted down, that the middle
voice cross with (ex. 6; 7).
In this kind of decoration the traditional melody is always transformed (“deviates from the basic tone”,
- Kereselidze, Q – 674: 184). In such cases the polyphonic degree of voice combination is greatly increased.
<strong>The</strong> behaviour of the voices also changes. <strong>The</strong>y seem to overcome the “established” register, timbre and
dynamic borders, forget the “canonic” contour of this or that hymn or traditional formula, creating the texture
of a typified configuration of a complex melodic-harmonic and polyphonic structure. In such cases the threedimensional
character of the texture becomes especially active, the first voice, that has “descended” into the
middle register, moves back, into the depth of the artistic space, turning into the background for the prominent
middle voice which has “shifted” to the higher register. In separate cases it is added by joining in the bass part
and even crossing with the “background” of the leading singer, who is in the “middle voice register” (ex. 7; 8).
7. Specific features of the realization of model-invariant in the decoration
In its own way the archetypical model is “gradational”, not concrete and real but an ideal essence, idea,
modus. In the hymns some of its (especially concrete rhythmic or mode) stable invariant idea, as a matter of
fact, is hardly ever (or almost never) manifested similarly. Even in the simplest variants the invariant model is
realized freely in a creative manner within the limits of the language, mentality and tradition.
In the process of decoration any aspect and segment of the model, every element of the language may
become the object of improvisatorial changes. <strong>The</strong> alterations are less noticeable in the initial intonations of the
stanzas, where the specific feature of the polyphonic re-interpretation is manifested – in the absence of notation
the extreme border of “re-intonation” (I. Zemtsovski) is all the characteristic intonational-contour traits of the
traditional “cantus”, so that it should not be “lost”. Besides, in the process of evolution in a number of (often
the last) stanzas the polyphonic transformation of the three-part model achieves such a degree that it is almost
impossible to recognize its archetypical foundation.
Is should be noted that a number of the so-far humbly manifested characteristic features of the object of
the polyphonic-variant transformation, in the process of decoration are demonstrated more boldly on a larger
scale. <strong>The</strong> model-object itself contains the impulses and potential for the multifarious transformation of the
melodic lines, texture, harmony and form.
In the process of decoration in the multipart model:
1) Modest singing on several sounds (gamghereba) develops into advanced melodic phrases;
2) <strong>The</strong> melodic invariant contours are changing;