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Corpus Christi Watershed

Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Peter Wagner 1903 Kyriale In Gregorian Notation

Jeff Ostrowski · March 2, 2014

758 Wagner OCTOR FRANZ KARL PRASSL has sent us a wonderful gift: the 1904 Kyriale of Dr. Peter Wagner. But first, a bit of history, so I can “build this up.” I’ve had the honor to speak about the “mora vocis” of the Editio Vatican in a series of video lectures here. I donated a rare book called Our Position to the CMAA, and this was subsequently printed in Sacred Music. The author of the book, Fr. Raphael Molitor, was a monk at the Abbey of Beuron and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the creation of the Vatican Edition. Watershed’s Lalande Online Library was the first to make available online both Graduals by Peter Wagner’s teacher, Fr. Hermesdorff. My copy of Dr. Peter Wagner’s 1904 Kyriale has been part of the Lalande Library for years, but that version is modern notation, not Gregorian.

      * *  1903 Kyriale — Dr. Peter Wagner (PDF) in Gregorian Notation

The Preface contains much important information, but perhaps most significant is image (upper right). Remember that Dom Molitor had written of Peter Wagner’s “good little book” as follows:

In other places, owing to the varying width of the space between the note-groups, it remains doubtful whether the editor really desired a mora or not. He seems to have felt this uncertainty himself when he wrote on p. VIII: De his omnibus rebus utile erit, transcriptionem in notas musicas modernas hujus libelli consulere. But what singer will buy a Kyriale when he finds he must purchase a second book as a key to the first? Even a choirmaster would scarcely do so. Finally, Professor Wagner’s Kyriale is not so rich in melodies as that of the Solesmes fathers.

I suppose 100 years later, the choirmaster could say, “I can download the modern notation edition freely at the Lalande Library.”

Here is the excerpt from Peter Wagner translated:

Hic non solum ultima nota ante finem partis cantus, sed etiam duae aliae * assignatae prolongandae sunt; ita divisio melodiae clarissima apparet et linea melodica minime dissecatur.

De his omnibus rebus utile erit, transcriptionem in notas musicas hodiernas huius libelli consulere.

Here not only the last note before the end of this part of the chant is to be lengthened, but the two other assigned *(starred) are to be lengthened so that the division of the melody becomes very clear and the melody line is in no way interrupted.

It will be helpful in all these matters to consult what this booklet says about transcribing music into modern notation.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Graduale Romanum Roman Gradual Propers Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The banality and vulgarity of the [ICEL] translations which have ousted the sonorous Latin and little Greek are of a supermarket quality which is quite unacceptable.”

— Sir Alec Guinness (1985)

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  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

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