Revue des Traditions Musicales

Abstract

Quelle destinée extraordinaire que celle de Φῶς ἱλαρόν (Fôs Ilarón, “Lumière Joyeuse”) ! Le texte en aurait été composé vers la fin du II^e s. à Jérusalem, et aurait accompagné la création d'une célébration religieuse (Lucernaire) à l'origine de l'office de Vêpres ; la mélodie la plus ancienne conservée dans le corpus byzantin date du II^e s., un très grand nombre de paroisses, tous patriarcats confondus, se sont approprié le texte original ou traduit, et en perpétuent l'usage liturgique. Mais au II^e s. l'hymne vénérable a généré un corpus planétaire, grâce à l'expansion de la production audio (K7, CD, mp3), et grâce aux serveurs télénumériques comme YouTube. Unique et multiple en ses métamorphoses, elle n'en finit pas de susciter l'inspiration des compositeurs et la ferveur des assemblées, à l'église comme au concert, sur les chaînes hi-fi comme sur la Toile. Pourquoi, et comment, une telle longévité ?

What fate as extraordinary as that of Φῶς ἱλαρόν (Fôs Ilarón, “Gladsome Light”)! Its lyrics are supposed to have been written toward the end of the 2^nd c. in Jerusalem, and would have accompanied the creation of a religious celebration (Lucernary) that later became the Office of Vespers; the earliest melody preserved in the Byzantine corpus is dated to the 18^th c.; a very wide number of parishes, across all patriarchates, have adopted the original text or its translations and continue to perpetuate its liturgical use. But in the 21^st c. this venerable hymn has moved beyond the churches and generated a truly worldwide corpus, thanks to the expansion of audio technologies (K7, CD, mp3) and to web platforms such as YouTube. At once unique and varied in its many guises, Φῶς ἱλαρόν never ceases to inspire composers and to arouse the fervor of audiences, in churches as well as in concert halls, on hi-fi systems and on the web alike. Why, and by what means, such longevity?

Notice
Revue des Traditions Musicales was originally published in print by Antonine University Press. It is now being republished by Luminous Insights Publishing House as part of the journal’s transfer.

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