Henry Fogel reviews Nektaria Karantzi’s album ‘Byzantine’
By Henry Fogel
Magazine: Fanfare
"I did not know what to expect from this CD. The thought of almost one hour of Byzantine hymns chanted by a lone a cappella voice seemed like it could be a daunting experience. I assumed I would have to break my listening session up to avoid monotony. As it turned out, I should not have worried. The combination of the music itself and the remarkable chanting of Nektaria Karantzi kept my attention fully.
Karantzi has complete control over her voice. The music is very melismatic, and it requires cleanly executed and rhythmically accurate changes of pitch on the same syllable. Karantzi accomplishes this so smoothly that one is not aware of any effort on her part. She also displays a wide range of vocal colors and dynamic shadings, all subtly employed so that they are integral to the musical line rather than seeming like effects applied externally.
The complexity of the traditions of the Eastern church are intertwined with the ancient history of Byzantium. The program note gives us an idea of how many musical lineages are involved here. “The album includes ancient hymns, from the early Christian period, such as “Gladsome Light” and “Christ is Risen,” hymns dedicated to the Theotokos—a repertoire to which Karantzi has centered her research in recent years—hymns of Great Lent and Holy Week, such as the well-known “They stripped me of my garments” and “Today, He hangs on the Cross,” as well as apolytikia for two significant recent saints of the Orthodox Christian world, Saint Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis, and Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, of whom Nektaria was a “spiritual child.”
The booklet includes English translations of each hymn, sung in Greek, and following the translation is important for full appreciation of the range of subtleties expressed by the music. These hymns originated from the second to the seventh centuries and have been handed down through time by teachers of the psaltic art. There are hymns of praise and of reflection, hymns that retell biblical stories (“Moses at the time of temperance” being one example), and expressions of agony (“Today He hangs on the Cross”).
There is a haunting beauty to this disc, one that becomes more evident the more carefully one listens. In “Evlogeteria,” (“Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your statutes”) Karantzi employs a tenderly sweet tone for the concluding lines, “The time for sorry has come to an end. Do not weep; announce the resurrection to the Apostles.” In “Moses at the time of temperance,” the plea “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us” is searing in its intensity. Then, in the following “We praise You,” her tone is again lightened, and the singing is graceful and peaceful.
Karantzi has a very impressive biography. She pursued music, but she also has a doctorate in law, her studies having included ecclesiastical and penal law and criminology. She is president of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens and is active with a number of Greek musical organizations.
The recorded sound has an appropriate ambiance around the voice, and the accompanying notes are very helpful. This is a very beautiful, appealingly unusual disc".
Henry Fogel