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Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

A Most Astounding “Graduale” From 1909 … On Modern Staves!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 25, 2015

OLLECTING, TRANSPORTING, AND COPYING the 30,000+ pages of antique books found in the LALANDE ONLINE LIBRARY taught me so much. One book that really caught my attention was the Weinmann 1909 Graduale, which uses medieval noteheads on five modern staves. Sadly, it never really “caught on” because it uses the Vaticana system of rhythm. But until yesterday I had forgotten something important.

Each week, I replace the scores on GOUPIL with improved scores that provide two (2) translations. Recent examples include 01; 02; 03. But Fr. Weinmann beat me by 100 years; do you see how he provided a German translation?

371 Weinmann Graduale

It’s not always easy to give a verbatim translation. 1

I CAN ONLY ASSUME that Fr. Karl Weinmann was attempting to bring Catholics closer to Jesus Christ by helping them understand what they sing. Now it’s our turn, and that’s why I have been trying to replace the Goupil scores. Hopefully by February they will all be finished.

But there’s a difference between our current situation and that of Fr. Weinmann.

Catholic schools have long since abandoned serious musical works, so good Church musicians today usually come from secular universities, where masterworks are still taught and appreciated. I’ll never forget the way the secular professors mocked the Catholic Church in the graduate school I attended, saying things like: “They had it all. They had the greatest composers of all time—Palestrina, Marenzio, Lassus, Vierne, Franck, Fauré, and a thousand others—yet they abandoned them…and for what? Composers like Marty Haugen!”

University professors don’t sit around wondering whether they should teach the music of Tomás Luis de Victoria or David Haas. They don’t break into a sweat trying to decide whether to expose their students to Dan Schutte or the Graduale Romanum. They may be atheists (some of them) but they realize what great music is. Nor is it a question of which is “simpler,” because Gregorian chant can be extremely simple yet sublime. Once a college student gets hooked on the real stuff—even a simple piece like Jesu Dulcis Memoria—there’s no turning back. Once they have fallen in love, they will follow their passion no matter what.

Because I have sung sacred music exclusively at Church for a decade, it seems weird that my college choirs sang so much sacred music at secular venues—Machaut, Byrd, Monteverdi, Morales, Verdelot, Uttendal, Bach, Duruflé, Langlais, Widor, and so forth—but we sure did.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The lengths of the Latin words create restrictions—but I try my hardest, and the alternate translation I mentioned above helps clear away any difficulties. Sometimes the words themselves are puzzling. The word “immittet,” for example, is usually translated “encamped,” but that’s not really what it means. Perhaps someone who knows German can explain how Weinmann translated “immittet.”

 

UPDATE :

From someone who knows German, regarding the footnote:

The translator is using the German verb “lagern” here which does mean “to encamp” It is used reflexively here and means essentially “to encamp himself ” or something like set himself as a protector or set himself in a camp as a protector. It emphasizes, thus, that the angel is active, that he is the one taking this strong action on our behalf, or , as the text says, on behalf of those that fear him.

So, from beginning to end:

The angel of the Lord places himself in a camp, round about those who fear him, and saves them: taste and see how sweet the Lord is. ( Yes, it really does say, “sweet”. As in the sweetness of honey or fruit.)

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Karl Weinmann 1873-1929 Last Updated: October 11, 2022

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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

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Amid all these old liturgical books, I find that I am happy and at ease; I feel at home.

— Dom André Mocquereau (1884)

Recent Posts

  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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