Views from the Choir Loft

Solesmes is not infallible…

Jeff Ostrowski · November 16, 2015 ·

HE LEVEL OF PERFECTION attained by the liturgical books of Solesmes Abbey has inspired Catholics for well over a century. Abbot Pothier was not content to restore the authentic Gregorian rhythm and melodies. He collaborated with a Belgian printer to create a very special neumatic notation which has been copied to this day.

However, the monks of Solesmes are not infallible.

Look at the accent on the word ÁDJUVA in this 1926 book by Solesmes:

Perhaps they were thinking of “adjútor et protéctor factus est mihi.” Or perhaps they were thinking of “Adjútor meus, tibi psallam.” In most other Solesmes books, however, it’s correct:

For the record, some have suggested Solesmes had very little to do with this 1926 book (Chants Abrégés) which is said to have been created in Canada. However, there is contradictory information on that point.

Here’s an error in Solesmes “Mass & Vespers” (1957):

113 Mass Vespers ERROR

It’s nice to know that even the best & brightest make errors.

(Speaking of errors, according to Fr. George Rutler, I ought to have said “brightest and best” because that phrase comes from an Epiphany hymn.)

In 1957, Solesmes forgot they were supposed to be writing in English, not French:

90298 solesmes GRADUEL

About Jeff Ostrowski

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.

Could Pope St. Pius X Sing?

“On 12 March 1908, the complete publication of the Roman Gradual was issued by the Vatican Press. On that very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. A witness of the audience says that Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement pro aliquibus locis—it was the Introit of the new Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.” (Catholic Choirmaster, February 1915)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Julius Bas Accompaniment

A very prolific harmonizer of Gregorian chant in the early 20th century was Mr. Julius Bas. He often uses a very strange technique, wherein he employs rests to eliminate the Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices. Consider what he did with “Lumen ad revelationem” here:

* JPEG • Lumen ad revelationem

It seems quite lazy, and I’ve never seen anyone else use such a technique, although Dr. Peter Wagner often switched to parallel octaves when he ran out of ideas… (Yuck!)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Hitting wrong notes

Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, used to say: “The organist can play 1,000 correct notes and one wrong note—and the only thing people will care about is the wrong note.” Last Sunday I hit some wrong notes, and felt bad. Then I remembered a story about Rudolf Serkin and started to chuckle. Charles Rosen (or was it Leon Fleisher?) told the story of Serkin playing a Beethoven Sonata in front of a large audience. The theme is all in octaves; but Serkin hit some wrong notes, and played parallel 7ths instead. This so unnerved him that every time the theme returned, he played the entire thing in parallel 7ths! We must remember that even the greatest hit wrong notes. Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Horowitz, Wilhelm Backhaus, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter, Egon Petri—they all hit wrong notes, which we can hear on recordings. (Josef Hofmann was an exception, but he was super-human so he doesn’t count!)

—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)’