Views from the Choir Loft

1923 Gastoué Treatise on Gregorian Accompaniment

Corpus Christi Watershed · March 19, 2013

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* * 1923 Amédée Gastoué Treatise on Gregorian Accompaniment (PDF)

• Traité d’Harmonisation du Chant Grégorien sur un plan nouveau • Author: Amédée Gastoué, Commandeur de St-Grégoire-le-Grand, Consulteur de la Commission Pontificale Grégorienne, Professeur de Chant liturgique à la Schola Cantorum et à l’Institut Catholique de Paris • 1923? : : Copyright 1910 : : Letter of Recommendation 1923 • 125+ pages • Publication: JANIN FRÈRES, Éditeurs • Lyon, 10, Rue Président-Carnot • Déposé selon les traités internationaux. • Propriété pour tous pays. • Tous droits d’exécution, de traduction, de reproduction et d’arrangements réservés. • Copyright by Janin Frères, 1910. • Gastoué has a 1923 letter from the Vatican commending his work, and claims to draw on the help of people like “Al. Guilmant, MM. V. d’Indy, Th. Dubois, Eug. Gigout, de La Tombelle, Maurice Emmanuel, etc.” •

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

“Tonus Solemnior” • How old is it?

In the 1962 Missal, a section called “præfationes in tono solemniore” contains ornate melodies for the Preface. An article posted on the blog of the Church Music Association of America claims the tone comes from “the late 19th century” and said its elimination “is one of the very few good things which the post-Conciliar reform did for Gregorian chant.” The author said: “The Roman solemn preface tone is already beautiful enough, there was no need to give a more Romantic feel.”

Some have asked us whether the tonus solemnior comes from “the late 19th century.” It does not. Their author was wrong by at least 400 years. I have seen this tone in MSS from the 1400s—and it may go back even further. Here is an example from 1494AD. And here’s another from the 1400s. The FSSP priests use these tones on high feasts, and the effect is unforgettable.

—Jeff Ostrowski

6 January 2022 • Quick!

A short version of the INTROIT for the feast of the Epiphany has been added to the Saint René Goupil Gregorian Chant Website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Confusing Feasts of Christmas

Whether one considers the Missale Vetustum or the post-conciliar calendar—or even the 1908 calendar—the feasts which follow Christmas are very confusing. Last year I created this comparison chart. I hope you find it helpful. As far as I can tell, my chart is the first effort to carefully detail the changes made to post-Christmas feasts (unless we also count the rather basic one by Lauren Pristas).

—Jeff Ostrowski

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’