Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and Spirit in Byzantium
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.59 (656 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0271077255 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-04-26 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Using sources ranging from modern acoustic science to sixth-century poetry, Pentcheva establishes a fluid, multisensory, kinetic interpretive model that will transform our understanding of Byzantine sacred space.”—Deborah Howard, coauthor of Sound and Space in Renaissance Venice. “This erudite, highly original book explores the ways in which the sixth-century church of Hagia Sophia engaged all the senses in a rich and dynamic exchange of air, sound, fragrance, movement, and light between heaven and earth to create an all-enveloping spiritual experience for the worshipper
Bissera V. Pentcheva is Professor of Art History at Stanford University and the author of Icons and Power: The Mother of God in Byzantium and The Sensual Icon: Space, Ritual, and the Senses in Byzantium, both also published by Penn State University Press.
BIssera Pentcheva’s vibrant analysis examines how these sung rites combined with the church’s architectural space to make Hagia Sophia a performative place of worship representative of Byzantine religious culture in all its sensory richness.Coupling digital acoustic models and video with a close examination of liturgical texts and melodic structures, Pentcheva applies art-historical, philosophical, archeoacoustical, and anthropological methodologies to provide insight into the complementary ways liturgy and location worked to animate worshippers in Byzantium. Scholars of art and architectural history, religious studies, music and acoustics, and the medieval period will especially appreciate Pentcheva’s field-advancing work.. Experiencing the resonant acoustics of the church of Hagia Sophia allowed the Byzantine participants in its liturgical rituals to be fill