Nothing is known about his real life time, so that Gregorios Stathis assumed that there was a confusion between Petros Bereketis, John Trapezountios' student Petros Peloponnesios and the latter's follower Petros Byzantios.^[1] Petros Bereketis began his musical studies in his home city of Constantinople, but later visited Mount Athos for a considerable length of time to study under the noted teacher of Constantinopolitan musicians, the Moldavian monk Damian of Vatopedi (1650–1720).

The surviving compositional corpus left by Bereketis is extensive, spanning works across all ecclesiastical genres including communion chants (koinonika for both Sundays and weekdays), asmatic doxologies, cherubic hymns, kratemata, pasapnoaria, polyelea, doxastica and katavasies for various feast days. Among the more notable of his compositions is the eight-mode setting of "O Theotokos and Virgin" for two alternating choirs, most commonly chanted in all-night vigils on Mount Athos.

Heirmoi kalophonikoi edit

In particular, his musical settings of the heirmoi (unsurpassed both in quality and in quantity by his contemporaries) gave rise to a style of paraliturgical chant that came to be known as the 'kalophonic heirmological style', named for a certain method of melodic thesis which referred to the Old Heirmologion, but in a soloistic and rather deliberate way characterised as kalophonic ("beautifully sounding") melos.^[2] With respect to Petros' exceptional talent which he mainly developed in the genre of kalophonic heirmos, he is sometimes referred to as the "father of kalophonic heirmoi," although the genre existed since Byzantine times and it had already been revived by Balasios and some other contemporary composers like Germanos.^[3] Petros in fact got acquainted to this genre during his studies with Damian at Vatopedi Monastery, and within the well-known collection of the heirmologion kalophonikon, entirely created by composers during the Ottoman period, and other not so well-known prints and sources not less than about 45 compositions are ascribed to him.

The name "Bereketis" is derived from the Turkish word "bereket" (literally "abundance") with which he was known to reply to his students' eager requests for more kalophonic heirmoi or other mathemata to study. Already Balasios the Priest had made the heirmos kalophonikos to one of the most important genres of Ottoman Greek music.^[4] This genre was paraliturgical and therefore more experimental than the kalophonic way to compose stichera, which was already established by Late Byzantine composers like John Koukouzelis and Manuel Chrysaphes.^[5] The Ottoman collection of heirmoi kalophonikoi became more popular than the Byzantine stichera kalophonika within the living tradition of Orthodox chant, and it was published in the transcription of Gregorios the Protopsaltis by Theodoros Phokaeos.^[6] But there are handwritten heirmologia kalophonika notated in exegetic neume notation whose collection are not in every respect identical.^[7]

The surviving works of Bereketis were transcribed from the old system of Byzantine parasemantic notation largely by Gregorios the Protopsaltis and his colleague Chrysanthos of Madytos near the beginning of the 18th century. The transcriptions by Gregorios had been republished in two volumes by Charalambos Karakatsanis.^[8]

Contributions to the genres of the divine liturgies edit

The eight-mode, two choir structure format employed by Bereketis in his notable setting of "O Theotokos and Virgin" was inspired by a similar composition ("More Honourable than the Cherubim") by Constantine of Aghialos, written several centuries earlier. After Bereketis, this style became more common and was used several times by later composers, including Nikolaos of Smyrna (in two works entitled "We Have Seen the True Light" and "Unfading Rose"), Monk Ioasaph of the monastery of Dionysiou on Mount Athos (very slow apolytikia of the despotic feasts of the Church), John the Protopsaltis, Theodore Phokaeus, Stephanos the Lambadarios, and Chourmouzios the Archivist of the Great Church.

Bereketis also composed two large cycles of the papadic genre (cherubic hymn and Sunday koinonikon) that are formulaically valid, since the formulas were not written out in Middle Byzantine notation, they were rather part of the performance based on conventional melopœia. One cherubikon as well as one version of the Sunday koinonikon can be chanted in any of the eight Byzantine modes without alteration of the actual neumes, varying only the starting pitch.^[9]

This list is incomplete.^[10] Most of the works are included in the collection of the Archive of the Elders on the island of Syme, Ms. 341, but the last part of the collection was destroyed, the Mathematarion of the Menaion is damaged after January (only the first half has survived), and the main collection of heirmologion kalophonikon is missing, except some kalophonic settings of Theotokia which had been arranged in octoechos order. The heirmoi kalophonikoi are mainly known in the printed exegesis by Gregorios the Protopsaltes, while Oktaecha cycles (cherubikon and Sunday koinonikon) are better known according to the transcription made by Chourmouzios, but both teachers at the Music School did an almost complete transcription of Bereketis' compositions. It proves that they were already appreciated at the Patriarchate by the turn to the 19th century. It should be also mentioned that there was an own Romanian reception since the 17th century especially of the heirmologion kalophonikon, which was taught in Jassy by Dionysios Photeinos and also Gregorios the Protopsaltes had to move there.^[11]

Troparic and psalmodic compositions of the octoechos edit

Polyeleos compositions edit

• Δούλοι Κύριον (Ps. 134 "Servants of the Lord"), first mode (echos protos) and plagal fourth mode (echos plagios tetartos)
• Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ κυρίῳ (Ps. 135 "Give thanks"), plagal second mode (echos plagios devteros)

Kalophonic settings of Theotokia edit

• Θεοτόκε μὴ παρίδης μὲ, second mode
• Θεοτόκε, σὺ εἶ ἡ ἄμπελος, plagal second mode
• Οἱ ἐλπίδα καὶ στήριγμα, plagal fourth mode
• Σὲ μεγαλύνομεν τὴν ὄντως Θεοτόκον, grave mode
• Ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις σὲ ὑμνῷ παρθενομήτορ, plagal fourth mode
• Ώ δέσποινα πανάχραντε, Megalynarion, plagal first mode

Heirmologic compositions edit

45 kalophonic heirmoi including their kratemata edit

Echos protos edit

• Ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου κατήλθεν
• Αὕτη ἡ κλητὴ καὶ ἁγία ἡμέρα
• Δεῦτε πόμα πίωμεν καινόν
• Ἐν τῇ βροντώσῃ καμίνῳ
• Ἡ τρίφωτος οὐσία
• Ἴδε ἣν προέφης
• Ποίαν σοι ἐπάξιον
• Συνέχομαι πάντοθεν
• Tὴν σὴν εἰρήνην
• ᾨδὴν ἐπινίκιον
• Ὤ θείας! ὢ φίλης!
• Ὢ τῶν ὑπὲρ νοῦν θαυμάτων tetraphonon (κε)

Echos devteros edit

• Ἐν βυθῷ κατέστρωσε ποτὲ (echos legetos)
• Ἐπίβλεψον, ἐν εὐμενεία

Echos tritos edit

• Θεοτόκε ἡ ἐλπίς, πάντων
• Λατρεύειν ζῶντι Θεῷ
• Πάναγνε ἡ μόνῃ τῷ πλαστουργῷ
• Τὴν πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα μου

Echos tetartos edit

• Ἐσείσθησαν λαοὶ
• Σέ τὸ καθαρότατον
• Tῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ
• Xαῖρε φωτὸς νεφέλῃ
• Xαῖροις ἄνασσα

Echos plagios protos edit

• Ἀντίληψις μου κόρη
• Ὁ ἄγγελος ἐβόα
• Στένω, ἐκ βαθέων τῆς ψυχῆς
• Xαῖρε πύλῃ Kυρίου

Echos plagios devteros edit

• Ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν μου
• Ἐν λύπαις γὰρ
• Θεὸν ἀνθρῶποις
• Ὁ μέγας προέγραψεν
• Tὸ ὄμμα τῆς καρδίας μου

Echos varys edit

• Πᾶσαν τὴν ἐλπίδα μου
• Χαῖρε Νύμφῃ φαεινὴ, Μήτηρ

Echos plagios tetartos edit

• Ἄγγελοι καὶ οὐρανοί
• Ἐν κλίνῃ νῦν ἀσθενῶν
• Έφριξε πάσα ακοή
• Κυρίως Θεοτόκον, σὲ ὁμολογοῦμεν
• Mουσικῶν ὀργάνων
• Οἱ τῆς Χαλδαίας καμίνου
• Πῶς σου τὴν χάριν ὑμνήσαιμι
• Τὸν ἄναρχον Βασιλέα

Sticherarion kalophonikon edit

Menaion edit

• Σὺ Βασιλεῦ, ὁ ὢν, plagal first mode (1 Sept, SAV 8)
• Ἐγκαινίζου ἐγκαινίζου ἡ νέα Ἱερουσαλήμ· first mode (13 Sept, SAV 43)
• Ἡ Ἐλισάβετ συνέλαβε, plagal second mode (14 Sept, Exaltation of the Cross, SAV 611)
• Εὐαγγελιστὰ Ἰωάννη, Ἰσάγγελε Παρθένε, plagal fourth mode (26 Sept, SAV 108)
• Δαυϊτικῶς συνελθόντες οἱ Πιστοὶ, plagal fourth mode (18 Oct, SAV 151)

Triodion edit

• Let my prayer be set forth, plagal fourth mode
• Prokeimenon Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν (Ps. 26:9 "Turn not away Thy face"), plagal fourth mode (echos plagios tetartos)
• Thou hast given an inheritance, plagal fourth mode
• To Thee the champion leader, plagal fourth mode (for two choirs)
• Ἐκ παντοίων κινδύνων τοὺς δούλους, fourth mode

Pentekostarion edit

• Ὡς ζωηφόρος, fourth mode
• Ἀνάστα ὁ Θεὸς Arise o God, plagal first mode
• What God is so great as our God, grave mode

Kontakia edit

• Χαῖρε, νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε ("Rejoice O unwedded Bride") and Alleluia, plagal fourth mode (echos plagios tetartos), Akrostichon during service of the Akathist
• Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ (syntomon) plagal fourth mode, Kontakion of the Akathist
• Την ὡραιότητα (argon) third mode, Troparion of the Akathist

Papadic compositions edit

Cherubikon cycles edit

• First mode (2)
• First mode pentaphonon (ἀπὸ τὸν ζω')
• Second mode
• Third mode
• Fourth mode
• Plagal first mode
• Plagal second mode
• Grave mode (2)
• Plagal fourth mode (2)
• Oktaechon (model "to sing in all eight modes")

Anticherubika edit

• Κατευθυνθήτῳ ἡ προσευχή μου, plagal fourth mode (Lessons during the Presanctified Liturgy)
• Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν, grave mode ("Now the powers of heaven" Presanctified Liturgy)
• Τοῦ δείπνου σου, grave mode (troparion and koinonikon for Holy Thursday)
• Σιγησάτω πᾶσα σὰρξ βροτεία, plagal fourth mode (Holy Saturday)

Koinonika edit

Week cycle

• Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους (Ps. 103:4) For Mondays, Archangels, second mode (echos devteros)
• Εἰς μνημόσυνον (Ps. 111:6b) For Tuesdays, St. John Baptist, Hierarchs, Righteous, third mode (echos tritos)
• Ποτήριον σωτηρίου (Ps. 115:4) For Wednesdays and Theotokos, fourth mode (echos tetartos)
• Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν (Ps. 18:5) For Thursdays and Apostolic Feasts, plagal first mode
• Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς (Ps. 4:7) For Fridays, Exaltation and Adoration of Cross, grave mode (echos varys)
• Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, δίκαιοι (Ps. 32:1) For Saturdays, Martyrs, Prophets, All Saints, plagal fourth mode (echos plagios tetartos)
• Αἰνεῖτε τὸν κύριον (Ps. 148:1) For Sundays, Forefeasts (eight mode cycle)
  • One koinonikon to be sung in all the eight modes^[12]
  • 4 koinonika of the first mode, 2 tetraphona (ἀπὸ τὸν κε), 1 pentaphonon (ἀπὸ τὸν ζω')
  • second mode (temporary use of phthora nenano)
  • third mode
  • fourth mode
  • plagal first mode
  • plagal second mode (temporary use of phthora nenano)
  • 2 koinonika in grave mode (second with temporary use of phthora nenano)
  • 2 koinonika (one argon version with a long teretismos) in plagal fourth mode

Year cycle

Menaion

• Κύριε, ἠγάπησα εὐπρέπειαν, plagal first mode (Ps 25:8, 13 Sept Encænia)
• Ἐσημειώθῃ ἐφ᾽ ἡμὰς, plagal second mode (Ps 4:7b, 14 Sept Exaltation of the Cross)
• Λύτρωσιν ἀπέστειλε Κύριος, plagal fourth mode syntomon (Ps 110:9a, Christmas)
• Ἐπιφάνη ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ, first mode (Titus 2:11, Theophany)
• Ἐξελέξατο κύριος τὴν σιών, plagal fourth mode with teretismos (Ps 131:13, 25 Mar Annunciation)
• Ἐν τῷ φωτὶ [τῆς δόξης], grave mode with nenanismata (Ps 88:16b–17a, 7 Aug Transfiguration)
• Koinonikon oktaechon Θεοτόκε παρθένε ("Mother of God, Virgin") echos protos (through eight modes: α'-δ', πλα'-πλδ', α' each section concludes with a transitional teretismos) (15 Aug Dormition of the Theotokos)

Triodion

• Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε (Ps 33:9 "O taste and see"), fourth mode / echos tetartos (Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday and Friday during Lent)
• Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων, plagal first mode (Ps 8:3a Lazarus Saturday)
• Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος, plagal first mode with long teretismos (Ps 117:26 Palm Sunday)
• Ἐξηγέρθῃ ὡς ὁ ὑπνῶν, fourth mode (Ps 77:65, Holy Saturday)

Pentekostarion

• Σῶμα χριστοῦ μεταλάβετε, first mode with teretismos (troparion, Easter)
• Ἐπαίνει, Ἱερουσαλήμ, fourth mode (Ps 147:1, Antipascha or Thomas Sunday)
• Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα, fourth mode (John 6:56, Mid-Pentecost)
• Ἀνέβη ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, first mode (Ps 46:6, Ascension)
• Τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν, plagal fourth mode (Ps 142:10b, Pentecost)
• Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, δίκαιοι, ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ· fourth mode (Ps 32:1, All Saints)

Manuscripts edit

Exegetic Middle Byzantine notation edit

• Bereketis, Petros (1730). "Archives of Dodecanese, Archeio Demogerontias Symes, Ms. 341". Incomplete collection of "all works by the musician Petros of Constantinople, who was called in Turkish 'Bereketes'" (last pages of the Menaion and of the whole Heirmologion kalophonikon had been destroyed).
• Bereketis Çelebi (1779). "Bucharest, Stavropoleos Monastery, Ms. 49m, ff. 179v–184v; 193r–195r". Some heirmoi kalophonikoi in an Anthology of the Papadike.
• Bereketis, Petros; Balasios Iereos; Georgios of Crete; Ioannis Protopsaltes; Petros Peloponnesios (1800). "University of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library, Ms. Mingana Gr. 6". Heirmologion kalophonikon in exegetic neume notation (some kratemata together with their specific heirmos).
• Gregorios the Protopsaltes. "Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, Τμήμα Μουσικών Σπουδών, Βιβλιοθήκη Τμήματος Μουσικών Σπουδών, Gregorios Protopsaltes Archive, File 1, Subfile 10". Άπαντα Πέτρου Μπερεκέτη (Gregorios' copy of Petros Bereketis' collected works in exegetic notation, first part with pasapnoaria and psalm settings, fragments of Theotoke parthene oktaechon etc., about 1815).

Transcriptions according to the New Method edit

• Bereketis, Petros; Balasios the Priest; Chrysaphes, Manuel; Halacoğlu, Panagiotes; Daniel the Protopsaltes; Chourmouzios the Archivist; Ephesios, Petros; Petros Peloponnesios; Petros Vyzantios (1820). Macarie Hieromonk (ed.). "Bucharest, Stavropoleos Monastery, Ms. 89m". Romanian heirmologion kalophonikon transliterated into Slavonic letters.
• Chourmouzios the Archivist (exegesis and transcription): Athens, National Library of Greece (Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδος), Metochion of the Holy Grave (Μετόχι του Παναγίου Τάφου) ΕΒΕ-ΜΠΤ, manuscripts 704 and 705 (1837).

Print editions edit

• Gregorios the Protopsaltes (1835). Theodoros Phokaeos (ed.). Εἰρμολόγιον καλοφωνικὸν: Μελοποιηθέν παρὰ διαφόρων ποιῃτῶν παλαιῶν τὲ καὶ νέων διδασκάλων μεταφρασθέν δὲ εἰς τὴν νέαν τῆς μουσικῆς μέθοδον καὶ μετὰ πάσης Ἐπιμελείας διορθωθέν παρὰ τοῦ ἐνός τῶν τριῶν Διδασκάλων τῆς ῥηθείσης Μεθόδου Γρηγορίου Πρωτοψάλτου τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας. Νῦν πρώτον ἐκδοθέν εἰς τύπον παρὰ Θεοδώρου Π. Παράσκου Φωκέως. Ἐπιστασία τοῦ αυτοῦ, Ἀναλώμασι δὲ τοῦ τὲ ἰδίου καὶ τῶν Φιλομούσων Συνδρομητῶν. Constantinople: Isaac De Castro.
• Gregorios the Protopsaltes (1996–1998). Karakatsanis, Charalambos (ed.). Ἄπαντα Πέτρου τοῦ Μπερεκέτου, μετενεχθέντα εἰς τὴν Νέαν τῆς Μουσικῆς Μέθοδον, παρὰ Γρηγορίου Λαμπαδαρίου. Βυζαντινή Ποταμιῆς. Vol. 3–4. Athens: Demetres Panagopoulos.

Recordings of traditional paltes^{[clarification needed]} edit

• Bereketes, Petros; Balasios the Priest; Arsenios o Mikros; Damianos of Vatopedi; Halacoğlu, Panagiotes; Trapezountios, John; Daniel the Protopsaltes; Nikolaos of Smyrna; Georgios of Crete; Vlachopoulos, Sotirios; Petros Peloponnesios. "Καλοφωνικοί Ειρμοί – Κατάλογος CD [sung by Thrasyvoulos Stanitsas, Matthaios Tsamkiranis, Leonidas Sphekas, Charilaos Taliadoros and Nikodemos Vallindras]". Μνημεία Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής. Athens: KERE.
• Bereketes, Petros; Chourmouzios the Archivist (2002). Χερουβικό Πέτρου Μπερεκέτη – Κατάλογος CD [sung by Demetrios Nerantzis]. Οκτάηχα Μέλη και Συστήματα. Vol. 7–8. Athens: KERE. ISBN 960-8009-17-0.
• Bereketes, Petros; Chourmouzios the Archivist (2001). ""Θεοτόκε παρθένε" Πέτρου Μπερεκέτη – Κατάλογος CD [sung by Thrasyvoulos Stanitsas & Dionysios Firfiris]". Οκτάηχα Μέλη και Συστήματα. Athens: KERE.

Studies edit

• Chaldaiakis, Achilleas G. (2008). "Tradition and Innovation in the Person of Petros Bereketes". In Gerda Wolfram; Christian Troelsgård (eds.). Tradition and Innovation in Late Byzantine and Postbyzantine Liturgical Chant: Acta of the Congress held at Hernen Castle, the Netherlands, in April 2005. Eastern Christian Studies. Vol. 8. Leuven, Paris, Walpole: Peeters. pp. 191–223. ISBN 9789042920156.
• Chrysanthos of Madytos (1832). Pelopides, Panagiotes G. (ed.). Θεωρητικὸν μέγα τῆς μουσικῆς συνταχθὲν μὲν παρὰ Χρυσάνθου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Διρραχίου τοῦ ἐκ Μαδύτων ἐκδοθὲν δὲ ὑπὸ Παναγιώτου Γ. Πελοπίδου Πελοποννησίου διὰ φιλοτίμου συνδρομῆς τῶν ὁμογενῶν. Triest: Michele Weis. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
• Gerlach, Oliver (2011). "Religious Chant in the late Ottoman Empire – Between Petros Bereketēs and Hamamîzade İsmail Dede Efendi". Studies of the Dark Continent in European Music History: Collected Essays on Traditions of Religious Chant in the Balkans. Rome: Aracne. pp. 81–110. ISBN 9788854838406.
• Gerlach, Oliver (2009). Im Labyrinth des Oktōīchos – Über die Rekonstruktion mittelalterlicher Improvisationspraktiken in liturgischer Musik. Vol. 2. Berlin: Ison. ISBN 9783000323065.
• Hatziyakoumis, Manolis K. "Πέτρος Μπερεκέτης (ακμή περ. 1680–1710/1715)". Research and Publications Centre (KERE).
• Karanos, Grammenos (2012). "The Kalophonic Heirmos (16th–21st Centuries): A Musical Genre's Transformation". Επιστημονική επιθεωρηζή του μεταοτυχιακού προγραμματός "Σπουδές στήν ορθοδοξή Θεολογία" [Hellenic Open University. Scientific Review of Post-Graduate Program 'Studies in Orthodox Theology']. Ελληνικό ανοίκτο πανεπιστημίο Σχολή ανθρωπιστικών σπούδων. Vol. 3. Patras: Hellenic Open University. pp. 181–198.
• Lingas, Alexander (2001). "Bereketes, Petros [Bereketēs, Petros; Byzantios, ho Melōdos, Glykys, Tzelepēs, Kouspazoglou]". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.52228. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
• Stathis, Gregorios Th. (1971). "Ἡ σύγχυση τῶν τριῶν Πέτρων [The confusion of the three Peters] (δηλ. Μπερεκέτη, Πελοποννησίου καὶ Βυζαντίου)". Byzantina: Annual Review of the "Byzantine Research Centre". 3: 213–251. ISSN 1105-0772.
• Wanek, Nina-Maria (2007). Nachbyzantinischer liturgischer Gesang im Wandel: Studien zu den Musikhandschriften des Supplementum graecum der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek [Changes within Post-Byzantine Liturgical Chant: Studies of the Music Manuscripts belonging to the Greek Supplement Collection of the Austrian National Library]. Veröffentlichungen zur Byzanzforschung. Vol. 12. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. ISBN 978-3-7001-3543-2.
• "Peter Bereketis". Apostoliki Diakonia of the Greek Church. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2013-04-25.

• "Peter Bereketis". Istanbul: Ecumenical Patriarchate.
• "Petros Bereketes". The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology.
• Hatziyakoumis, Manolis K. "Δαμιανός Βατοπεδινός (ακμή περ. 1670–1700)". Research and Publications Centre (KERE).

About Gregorios the Protopsaltes:

• "Gregory Protopsaltes the Byzantios", ec-patr.net
• Gregory Protopsaltes the Byzantios, apostoliki-diakonia.gr (in English)

Recordings edit

• Animated score on YouTube, Petros Bereketis: Heirmos kalophonikos Ίδε ην προέφης, echos protos, sung by Daniel Linadrakes Evangelou