Z problematyki badań nad tonalnością polskich śpiewów religijnych z żywej tradycji

Abstract

It is only recently that folk religious songs have become the object of systesatic scientific study. So far the investigations carried out have proved that the source of inspiration for Polish folk religious songs is both the Gregorian chant and the nusical folk tradition with its roots somewhere deep in pre-gregorian times. In the religious songs which are still alive in various parts of Poland we also find the influence of some local musical traditions. The song material gathered in the whole country is so various and so rich that it offers a lot of new research possibilities. One of the most interesting and least investigated problems is the tonal structure of the songs. The present article discusses a variety of problems, especially the methodological ones, related to the study of their tonality. When considering the songs tonal structure we must look at it from several points of view: of these, the genetic aspect seems to be the most important. Quite different tonal structures we found in the songs which derive from Gregorian melodies and those which originate in folk traditions. So the genetic point of view helps us to interpret the tonal structure of the songs. The tonality can also be considered as a criterion for dating of these musical works. This is not, however, a sufficient criterion nor is it absolutely fool-proof. At most, we can establish a relative chronology with its help. This is not the place to discuss its usefulness. One of the most characteristic properties of the folk religious songs is their variability which may affect all the songs elements, including the tonality. The vastness and the variety of the collected material does not allow us to study the phenomenon in detail. It seems, however, that the problem of the tonal variants will prove to be one of the most interesting ones in the course of further study of the folk religious songs of Poland.