Among the many genres of church liturgical hymnography, there are also hymns such as troparia. What is it, and how do they differ, say, from psalms? Where did this form of pious chant come from in Orthodoxy ? Is it always rhymed, or are there troparia written in rhythmic prose? To whom or what are they dedicated to? Are they an independent musical and poetic work or is it just an accompaniment to reading the Holy Texts? You will learn the answers to these questions if you read this article.
Origin
Like many other things in the Orthodox liturgy, troparia came to us from Byzantium. The name of this church hymn goes back to the Greek word tropeon, which means monument. It is not difficult to guess the meaning of the term "troparia". That this is a liturgical memory of the ascetic feats of this or that saint, says etymology. But that was only the beginning. Now troparia can be dedicated both to the holiday (in them its essence is revealed), and even to this worship. In the era of early Christianity, the troparia was composed solely to honor the memory of the holy martyrs and companions. Prose in them narrated about their life, calling, perfect miracles. From the 4th - 5th centuries, troparia saints began to be written in rhyme. Even later, a melody obeying the voices began to be attached to the text.
Art
Unlike the psalms, which are also performed by singers in Orthodoxy, the troparians do not have an established text once and for all. That is why this genre is more flexible, fits well with music. The text taken from the Psalter could not be changed, while the troparians had their own authors and even composers (they were called "singers"). The most famous of them was Theodore the Peasant, who created a whole cycle of ministry for the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin. Throughout Russia, troparia was very popular. That this is the result of the artistic creativity of the people is evidenced by its expressive language, rich in comparisons, many allegorical expressions, metaphors, rhythmic repetitions. Unlike the psalm, troparia must have a clear narrative beginning. Also, a certain evolution has undergone and the melody of this chant. She moved away from ancient prosody and began to build on stanzas uniform in number of syllables.
Another meaning of the term
There are researchers who are inclined to another version of the etymology of the word "troparia". That this word comes from the Greek "idiotly" - "to address." That is, the calling of this liturgical chant is to remind believers of the true meaning of the priest’s sermon and service in general. Thus, this poetic form briefly formulates the main "theme of the day." But if several events are celebrated at once, for example, Sunday and the day of the saint, during the same liturgical service, several troparia are read. Then they alternate with the stanzas of the psalm, which makes up the third antiphon. Depending on what or to whom the troparia "appeals", they may be called that way (Virgin Mary, Holy Cross Exaltation). If they are composed in the likeness of irmos (according to its melodic and rhythmic model), they can be short chants that make up the canon.
Types of troparia
With the development of liturgics and hymnography, several varieties of this chant arose. Firstly, there is a division on the subject. There are fasting and holiday troparia. Most often, "absurd" chants are read, pointing to the saint, a holiday or appearance to the people, to the glorification of the icon. It can be said that this is a musical illustration of the sermon and the whole service. Sunday troparia could be composed of several chants, interspersed with reading the Bible and performing psalms. There is also a separation of functions. So, there is troparia-stishira, echoing the text of the psalm. Kathisma is an insert between the main songs. Ipakoi "responds" to the poem after a small entrance. Kondak is the troparion of the third and sixth songs of the canon. And finally, it has become a household name catavasia. This is an irmos, which sounds at the end of the chant and is performed together by converging choirs.
Famous troparia
There are works of liturgical hymnography that have become so famous that they have been translated into other languages. This includes the troparion "Quiet Light", created for Vespers. Its appearance dates back to the III century, since already Basil the Great mentions it as an ancient tradition of the Church. Troparia is so beautiful that it was adopted by the Latin liturgy (lux tu gloriae). Also known is the chant in honor of Christ's resurrection. At Easter, this troparium is read first, and after it the kondak “Ashe descended into the grave ...” As you can see, this work may sound like a finished phrase, or it can be in addition to other blocks of church hymns. For example, the troparion to the Virgin is the ninth song of the canon, but also the glorification of the Most Holy Virgin in general.