Scorewriter application with features aimed at Byzantine music processing

Abstract

Byzantine music represents a vast and complex musical tradition which precedes contemporary Western music. Nowadays, it is used mostly within Eastern Christian churches. Few computer software applications deal with Byzantine music and the imperfect command of Byzantine music theory among singers often requires parallel classical notation staves. A software application written in C++ has been written, which enables the user to write simple musical scores using standard notation, as well as Byzantine music compositions using a subset of the specific Byzantine notation. The application can be used to produce transcriptions of Byzantine-notation compositions into their classical notation counterparts. Extensive data structures and algorithms for containing and manipulating the data, as well as interacting with the computer user, have been developed. Additionally, the application offers some serialization capabilities, as well as preliminary support for pitch tracking. By offering the functionality described above, the application is an example of modern technology being used to preserve cultural heritage.