A Comparison of Byzantine and Armenian Church Music in Terms of Musical Parameters

In this study, we compare Byzantine and Armenian church music, focusing on musical parameters such as notation systems, modal structure, rhythmic concepts, and liturgical practice. Both traditions, which took shape within the shared cultural heritage of Anatolia, share fundamental common characteristics such as the eight-mode (Octoechos/oot tzayn) system, a monophonic vocal-based structure, and a text-based rhythmic approach; however, they have developed distinct characteristics under the influence of historical, political, and cultural dynamics. Conducted using comparative historical research methods, this study involved a literature review based on primary and secondary sources. The findings reveal the following: while the Byzantine tradition followed an evolution from Ecphonetic to Neume to modern notation, the Armenian tradition developed the Khaz–Hampartsum notation system; the distinction between authentic and plagal modes exists in both traditions, yet the correspondences established with the Turkish makam system at the theoretical and microtonal (cent) levels are approximate; and regarding rhythmic structure, both traditions share a text-driven, free-flowing organization in which liturgical prosody takes precedence over fixed meter, with such variation as exists operating at the level of ornamentation and performance practice rather than underlying rhythmic principle. During the Ottoman period, both traditions experienced deep interaction with Turkish makam theory; the Chrysanthos reform in Byzantium and the Hampartsum notation in Armenian music is concrete evidence of this interaction.