Pr. Conf. dr. Stelian Ionașcu,
Facultatea de Teologie Justinian Patriarhul din București
Universitatea din București
Abstract
The Prayer of the Heart, by Paul Constantinescu The practice of the Prayer of the heart has offered constant inspiration to Eastern theology. In the academic realm, Systematic Theology and Practical Theology are the disciplines most concerned with this topic. Ascertaining the extent to which liturgical music – monophonic or polyphonic – is able to express this hesychast practice with their own means, is a great challenge. Music in itself, pure music, is „the word” beyond words, since it talks to its listeners without resorting to words. It thus seem to have the most appropriate means to express the inexpressible. However, music and words are merged in liturgical chant, and form one voice. The most eloquent musical offering, brought on the altar of hesychast prayer in the realm of Romanian music creation is Paul Constantinescu’s Rugăciunea inimii/Prayer of the Heart, for male choir. Written during the glorious times of the spiritual movement Rugul aprins/The Burning Bush centred around Antim Monastery of Bucharest (1946), this choral work if a musical offering to God, made known and imparted to the world through His uncreated energies
