The Sound of Hagia Sophia 500 years ago

[FenderTL5]

The Sound of Hagia Sophia 500 years ago.
NPR audio, about 5 minutes in length. An art historian and a digital music expert team up to recreate the sound.

"They could recreate what that music would sound like. If only they could get in the Hagia Sophia and pop a balloon."

 

[ArmyMatt]

saw this floating around on FB.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Thank you for sharing.

That brings tears to my eyes - just to listen to it and to imagine hearing and experiencing that.

I so wish we could have it back.

 

[FenderTL5]

Thank you for sharing.

That brings tears to my eyes - just to listen to it and to imagine hearing and experiencing that.

I so wish we could have it back.

I work in audio professionally (editing, radio and as an install technician), I felt something well up during/after the balloon pop inside Hagia Sophia.

I was reminded of the story attributed to Prince/Saint Vladimir of Kiev and the famous quote,
"..the Greeks (including the Emperor himself) led us to the edifices where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty.’"

 

[Archivist]

Just listened. Wow! Just wow!

 

[dzheremi]

"Now imagine - it's the early 13th century. You're sitting inside the Hagia Sophia..."

Okay...

Seriously though, it sounds like that album by Acapella Romana should be in everyone's collection. Very beautiful, and a very interesting method used to recreate the acoustics. Perhaps the same thing ought to be done in other stolen churches, like the (now) Umayyad mosque in Damascus, the mosque of Al Nuri in Homs, the Attarine Mosque in Alexandria (formerly the Church of St. Athanasius the Apostolic, est. 370 AD), etc.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I work in audio professionally (editing, radio and as an install technician), I felt something well up during/after the balloon pop inside Hagia Sophia.

I was reminded of the story attributed to Prince/Saint Vladimir of Kiev and the famous quote,
"..the Greeks (including the Emperor himself) led us to the edifices where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty.’"

I was thinking of that quote too.

I'm glad to hear of the technology for recreating it. I want to get that recording. And I hope others will make use of it also.

 

[FenderTL5]

"Now imagine - it's the early 13th century. You're sitting inside the Hagia Sophia..."

Okay...

Seriously though, it sounds like that album by Acapella Romana should be in everyone's collection. Very beautiful, and a very interesting method used to recreate the acoustics. Perhaps the same thing ought to be done in other stolen churches, like the (now) Umayyad mosque in Damascus, the mosque of Al Nuri in Homs, the Attarine Mosque in Alexandria (formerly the Church of St. Athanasius the Apostolic, est. 370 AD), etc.

standing... standing inside Hagia Sophia

 

[dzheremi]

Hahaha. Well, that's how the guy on NPR imagines it, anyway!

 

[~Anastasia~]

standing... standing inside Hagia Sophia

Good catch.

And a little humorous that the NPR reporter thinks that way.

 

[archer75]

standing... standing inside Hagia Sophia

Maybe it's one of seats for the elderly and infirm?

 

[icxn]

There's also this, recorded some 10+ years ago:

 

[FenderTL5]

There's also this, recorded some 10+ years ago:

very cool

 

[GaveMeJoy]

The Sound of Hagia Sophia 500 years ago.
NPR audio, about 5 minutes in length. An art historian and a digital music expert team up to recreate the sound.

"They could recreate what that music would sound like. If only they could get in the Hagia Sophia and pop a balloon."

I’ve been in The Hagia Sophia and it was breathtaking

 

[Phronema]

If anyone's interested Cappella Romana sells an entire album that was the fruit of that project.

It's called "Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia", and just came out last November. I personally bought it because I'll likely never make it to Oregon to see them live, and I wanted to support them. That said, it's also on Spotify, and was on Youtube, but I'm not seeing there anymore. It's outstanding in my opinion, and well worth the $8 you'd spend to buy the album digitally.

https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Sophi...keywords=cappella+roman&qid=1582739490&sr=8-2

Also a couple more that are similar for anyone who's interested. I love stuff like this.

Edit : The last one is slightly distorted, and her content is usually better than that. Not sure what happened with that one.

Spoiler: Longer version of the NPR recording

Spoiler: Father Nikodimos Kabarnos

Spoiler: Nektaria Karantzi

 

[Moses Medina]

If anyone's interested Cappella Romana sells an entire album that was the fruit of that project.

It's called "Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia", and just came out last November. I personally bought it because I'll likely never make it to Oregon to see them live, and I wanted to support them. That said, it's also on Spotify, and was on Youtube, but I'm not seeing there anymore. It's outstanding in my opinion, and well worth the $8 you'd spend to buy the album digitally.

https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Sophi...keywords=cappella+roman&qid=1582739490&sr=8-2

Also a couple more that are similar for anyone who's interested. I love stuff like this.

Edit : The last one is slightly distorted, and her content is usually better than that. Not sure what happened with that one.

Spoiler: Longer version of the NPR recording

Spoiler: Father Nikodimos Kabarnos

Spoiler: Nektaria Karantzi

Sweet! Thank you for providing the link.

 

[ArmyMatt]

If anyone's interested Cappella Romana sells an entire album that was the fruit of that project.

It's called "Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia", and just came out last November. I personally bought it because I'll likely never make it to Oregon to see them live, and I wanted to support them. That said, it's also on Spotify, and was on Youtube, but I'm not seeing there anymore. It's outstanding in my opinion, and well worth the $8 you'd spend to buy the album digitally.

https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Sophi...keywords=cappella+roman&qid=1582739490&sr=8-2

Also a couple more that are similar for anyone who's interested. I love stuff like this.

Edit : The last one is slightly distorted, and her content is usually better than that. Not sure what happened with that one.

Spoiler: Longer version of the NPR recording

Spoiler: Father Nikodimos Kabarnos

Spoiler: Nektaria Karantzi

thanks!