Kassia of Constantinople (c. 805-c. 867) was one of the only known women to have composed music during the Medieval period whose work survives to present day, and can be understood and performed by modern musicians.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Today’s Musician was one of the only known women to have composed music during the Medieval period. She was one of the first medieval composers whose work survives to present day and can be understood and performed by modern musicians. A brilliant composer, poet, and hymnographer, her work is still performed regularly in the Orthodox Church, which includes 23 of her hymns in its liturgy. Please welcome Kassia of Constantinople.
Kassia was born around the year 805 in Constantinople to a wealthy family of some influence. We know little about her early life. What we do know is that she was considered an exceptionally beautiful and brilliant young woman.
Kassia was first recorded by Byzantine historians as taking part in what was known as the “bride show.” This was an event at which Byzantine emperors and royalty would choose a wife from amongst the most eligible women in the empire, giving the winning participant a golden apple as a token of victory. The bride show that Kassia attended was thrown for the young soon-to-be-emperor Theophilus, who was immediately captivated by Kassia. When Theophilus approached Kassia, he stated that “Through a woman [came forth] the baser [things],” to which Kassia quickly replied "And through a woman [came forth] the better [things].” Theophilus was so taken aback by Kassia’s biting rebuke that he rejected her in favor of another woman, Theodora.
After losing her chance to become Empress of Byzantium, Kassia founded an abbey in 843 right outside of Constantinople andserved as its first abbess. Many historians have suggested that Kassia’s move into monastic life was a response to her rejection from Theophilus, but some modern scholars have revisited that assumption and now believe that it was likely a reflection of the intense religious fervor of the day combined with Kassia’s desire to have access to the books and centers of learning that were part and parcel of Byzantine religious life.
Over the subsequent two decades living at the Monastery, Kassia spent significant time writing spiritual poetry and hymnal music to accompany her poems. Though it’s unclear where she learned musical composition, she wrote nearly 250 hymns over her lifetime. Fifty of those hymns still survive, 23 of which continue to be included, even today, in the liturgy of the Orthodox Church. She also wrote nearly 800 epigrams, many of which are examples of gnomic verse.
Kassia’s most famous hymn, known as the Hymn of Kassia, is traditionally chanted on Holy Wednesday in Orthodox Churches around the world. It’s considered one of the hardest Byzantine chants to perform because it requires an incredibly wide vocal range.
Legend has it that the Emperor Theophilus, years later wishing to see Kassia one more time, went to the monastery but was met by her empty cell (she was actually hiding in the closet). When he saw the Hymn of Kassia on her table halfway finished, Theophilus added one line of his own, which Kassia chose to keep in his honor and remains in the hymn today.
While Theophilus may have maintained an affection for Kassia, that didn’t stop him from persecuting her. Theophilus was a fierce iconoclast, which meant that he completely rejected the use or veneration of religious icons or iconography in the Byzantine church. Kassia, on the other hand, was a defender of the use of icons. For her perceived insolence, Kassia was whipped with a lash. Still, she refused to change her mind, saying “I hate silence, when it is time to speak.”
Towards the end of her life, Kassia left the Abbey and traveled to Italy for a brief period, before eventually settling on the island of Kasos in Greece. She died there sometime between 867 and 890.
Following her death, Kassia was canonized by the Orthodox Church as Saint Kassiani, also known as Kassiani the Hymnographer.
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