Stichera by Ivan the Terrible in honor of the Candlemas of an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

Main article: Music history in Russia

Scientific article: Stichera "On It Is Similar" by the tsar Ivan the Terrible in honor of the Vladimir icon of Blessed Virgin Mary. N.V. Parfentyeva, N.P. Parfentyev. 2015 of PDF

Honoring of an icon by Ivan the Terrible

The tsar Ioann Vasilyevich Grozny resorted to an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God more than once, asking about a zastupleniye. And every time he remembered the help of the Virgin from the godless tsar Temir-Aksak in 1395. At attack in 1541 to Russia of the Crimean tsar Saip-Girey and the Kazan tsar Safa-Girey 11-year-old John IV on a lap with tears prayed before the Vladimir icon for the help against Tatars. And enemy invasion was reflected.

Vladimir icon of Blessed Virgin Mary. Constantinople. 12th century.

Going to the Kazan campaign, the tsar came on June 16, 1552 to the temple of the Assumption of the Mother of God where "tearfully drops to a wonder-working image of the Mother of God, with crying to a debt hour of a prayer of a prostirayushcha". After return with a victory the Tsar in Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin said prayer of thanksgivings: "Priide Gosudar by the Reigning hail Moscow, and Gosudar's meetings a great number of the people... Prechistyya at the Candlemas have a Metropolitan about crosses and with wonder-working images and with the Bogomaterny image, an izha of a progn of godless Temir-Aksak... And the Tsar pious you give to drink in cathedral apostolic church Prechistyya Bogoroditsy chesnago to Eya of the Assumption and drops kindly to a wonder-working image of the Virgin and many prayers are grateful with tears to an izrecha"^[1].

There is an annalistic certificate on participation of the Tsar John IV and Tsarevich Ioann in service to the Candlemas of the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God on June 23, 1571 in Novgorod when the Crimean tsar Devlet-Girey, having unexpectedly reached Moscow, burned it everything, except the Kremlin.

Datings

1547: in connection with the fire in the Moscow Kremlin (N.F. Findzeyn)

N.F. Findzeyn believes that this sticheron by Ivan the Terrible was about 1547 in connection with the fire of the Moscow Kremlin on June 21 this year^[2] are written]. If this version is right, then the author of the sticheron was only 17 years old at this time.

1552: in connection with taking of Kazan (N.S. Seryogin)

In the sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs" festive images are concentrated: each of the listed elements of victorious gratitude. Everything in the sticheron says that it is devoted to a big victory, a triumphal celebration. Extensive descriptions in 1552 contain many moments suggesting an idea that stichera of edition of Ivan the Terrible are made by this holiday in the chronicle of celebration of the Kazan victory.

1572: in connection with a victory in fight at Molodyakh (N.V. Parfentyeva, N.P. Parfentyev)

In anticipation of new large attack of the Crimean khan Devlet-Girey with the joint Tatar army to Moscow which lost defensive strengthenings during attack and the fire of 1571, the sovereign with family and the yard in May, 1572 left for Veliky Novgorod. There also the Vladimir icon of the Virgin which was placed in churches of the Great martyr Nikita in Nikitin Street where the Monarchic yard was located was transported. From here on June 23, 1572 the celebration of the Candlemas Vladimir wonder-working was also made. The solemn carrying out of an icon from the temple took place in presence of the tsar and tsarevitch Ivan. During the procession from church of the Sign of the Virgin also her prestolny and especially honored in Novgorod image was taken out. Then "you give to drink to all from ykona" to the temple of Sacred Sofia. The monarchic singing clerks who were as a part of the yard during the processions with icons, in churches and St. Sophia Cathedral sang canons, "many verses" and "deiparous verses". Upon completion of festive service also solemnly delivered "Prechistuyu Vladimerskuyu on the place" in Nikita's church.

Devlet-Girey's troops which intruded in a month after this event underwent crushing defeat from the Russian army (fight at Molodyakh). At the end of August the tsar returned to the capital, and the Vladimir icon took the place in Assumption Cathedral.

As we see, in the summer of 1572 Ivan the Terrible endured extremely unlucky days. At this particular time it began to make the Will (1572 — 1578) addressed to sons Ivan and Fyodor. To the children he bequeathed to live so that with them always "God of the world" prayers "defenders a hristiyanskiya" Virgin and "favor fair eya an image of an icon of Vladimerskiya — the power of Ruskiya a zastupleniye" was.

Characterizing a wonder-working image as power of Ruskiya a zastupleniye, the tsar Ivan once again emphasized the state value of a shrine. It helped to save Russia again. And there was it in days of commission in her honor of the holiday which is going back to similar events. It is quite possible that in the same days the tsar also decided to add festive service for June 23 new, the stichera performed by his singing clerks (sang "many verses").

Let's note that in the 1570th also 115 miniatures to "The story for the Candlemas of the Vladimir icon" in the Front annalistic code preparing under the supervision of the tsar are created. In the same time there are icons "A Candlemas of the Vladimir icon of the Virgin", the composition of the earliest of which reminds a miniature to the specified story.

Three stichera of 1 voice

The earliest sources of service belong to the beginning of the 16th century. Originally it was limited only to a troparion and the kontakion, but in less than 1511 19 chants to the Vladimir icon contain. The Notirovanny service appears in stikhiraryakh from the middle of the 16th century.

Stichera of creation of the Tsar Ioann Grozny are known in lists of the 80th years of the 16th century. N.S. Seryogina investigating them writes:

"Stichera "creations" by Ivan the Terrible in service to the Vladimir icon four: group of stichera of 1 voice on also glory of the 6th voice "Vostrubite a pipe of songs" is similar "About a marvelous miracle" ("About great mercy", "Your marvelous mercy", "Yours glorify a zastupleniye") [...]

From comparison of three stichera on it is similar "About a marvelous miracle" to Ivan the Terrible's edition with self-similar "About a marvelous miracle" from service for the Dormition of the Theotokos the following follows:

a) the structure of the verse — quantity of lines, the main ratios and types of kadans of lines — remained invariable and goes back not only to a samopodobn modern to Ivan the Terrible of edition of the 16th century, but even to edition of the 12th century;

b) at the same time the extent of lines caused by the new text changed — for example, instead of initial "About marvelous chyu-to" (6 syllables) warms up "About great mercy" (10 syllables) that was reflected in a tune: the method of a singsong is chosen not recitative (stopitsa), but melodic (along with the capitals also dvukhstupenny signs are used). Comparison of a singsong of stichera of Ivan the Terrible with stichera on it is similar "About a marvelous miracle" from services to the Metropolitan Alexy, on the Protection of the Holy Virgin and for the Dormition of the Theotokos allows to see in stichera to the Vladimir icon big freedom in development of a melodic stereotype. However it is only a singsong on it is similar — each of three tunes rodstven each other and to the general initial stereotype. [...]

N.P. Parfentyev's translation.

The singsong of stichera of edition of Ivan the Terrible is published according to the known Troitsk list. However the big surprise is concealed here: the published list does not represent standard edition of a singsong of stichera "creations" of Ivan the Terrible, and is some special, significantly differing from widespread in other lists. The Troitsk list belongs to a hand of the known golovshchik and rospevshchik of a demestvennik of Longin and represents a riddle as as a notation and on edition of singsongs stikhirarya does not match in many sections standard editions of traveling and znamenny singsongs. The interpretation of stichera given in the known publication of [archimandrite] Leonid according to this list raises doubts in authenticity to this musical text.

The fourth sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs"

The question of authorship of the fourth sticheron of edition of Ivan the Terrible is much more put as it is the self-public sticheron. The history of the sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs" goes back to the most ancient lists of stichera of the end of the 11-12th century where the sticheron "Vjstroubim V to a Pesniya Troubo" is addressed to Nikolay Mirlikiysky for December 6. [...] Except service to Nicholas The Wonderworker, in the 16th century this sticheron is used in many holidays — to Demetrius of Thessaloniki, Three Prelates Great, to Stefan Surozhsky, Alexander Svirsky. At the end of the 16th century it joins in service to Vasily Blazhenny, Lazar Serbsky, three Prelates Moscow — to Metropolitans Pyotr, Alexy and Jonah. Except this sticheron — glory of the 5th voice "Vostrubim" — from 16th century in the same singing cycles is entered by a pipe of songs a theotokion "Vostrubim a pipe of songs" the 5th voice, the tune having in general others and the text but matching the sticheron intsipity the test and a tune. Usually in manuscripts they follow in pairs one by one. Both chants — glory "Vostrubim a pipe of songs, vozygray a prazdenik" and a theotokion "Vostrubim a pipe of songs, preklonsh bo sya from above" — were written out on hvalitekh.

The text of the new sticheron to the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God "Vostrubite a pipe of songs" (change Vostrubim on Vostrubita is significant) represents connection of elements of four chants. First, it is structural elements of glory Vostrubim and a theotokion with the same intsipity. The new text is more free on structure and also according to contents — in it it is told about a prayer a celebration in honor of a victory of "all Russia". Having incorporated elements of chants of two genres, the sticheron on scale exceeds initial following of these two chants. It changed a voice, a form and was given new functional purpose in service — it sounds not on hvalitekh, and on My God vozzva, at especially solemn moment on kissing of the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God. Function of the sticheron in service changed — it incorporated lines of the sticheron on kissing with characteristic exclamations: "Rejoice", the sung extensive fitny jubilus. And, at last, the new sticheron incorporated enthusiastic initial exclamations of three stichera preceding it on is similar "About a marvelous miracle", having repeated them three times.

As we see, in the sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs" festive images are concentrated: each of the listed elements of victorious gratitude. Everything in the sticheron says that it is devoted to a big victory, a triumphal celebration. Extensive descriptions in 1552 contain many moments suggesting an idea that stichera of edition of Ivan the Terrible are made by this holiday in the chronicle of celebration of the Kazan victory. [...]

On a tune the new sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs" makes difficult connection of melodic formulas. It the rospet not in the 5th voice as the text Vostrubim warmed up, and in the 6th — according to the sticheron on kissing "Priidita Rustiya cathedrals", the Vladimir icon entering a cycle of chants in the beginnings of the 16th century and the sticheron made on a sample "Come to the Dormition of the Theotokos a vsekrasny Assumption". [...] Owing to the fact that the text represents difficult and very loose connection of several types of forms in a tune the possibility of following to some one prototype is lost and it is composed again. [...] In the sticheron "Vostrubite Pipe of Songs" we see an example of "creation" — creation of the sticheron not on a sample existing, and connection and remelting of several standard forms forming high symbolical and at the same time historical content in the new sticheron. [...] On hallmark in this sticheron the hand of the great master is felt".

Notes