HE PROJECT IS COMPLETE! Choirmasters find themselves in need of a brief yet powerful KYRIE ELEISON for their volunteer choirs—and there’s no better choice than Father Guerrero’s De Beata Virgine II (1582AD). It’s a gorgeous composition—but that’s not all. For instance, consider its third section (below). A choir director can explain how the thema comes directly from the plainsong, then describe how Guerrero’s counter-melody is “like a mirror-image” of the thema, and is picked up by the various voices. The choirmaster can also show how each voice has “balance”—in the sense that voices beginning with long values will be reversed later on (and vice-versa).
For all three movements: click here.
Here’s the third (and final) movement:
* PDF Download • SECTION 3 of 3
—Father Guerrero’s “Missa De Beata Virgine II”
—Edition: Roma 1582AD.
Rehearsal videos for each individual voice await you at #59773.
More Interesting Things: Choirmasters who teach this piece can point out the “connection points.” What are connection points? One would be the Soprano, which gives the Alto its note in measure 1, then “connects” again in measure 4. The same thing (between the same voices) happens in measure 7 and measure 11. Another connection point would measure 11 and measure 14 between Tenor and Bass. And there are tons more! In measures 8-9 there is a tiny little “baby stretto” between Alto and Tenor; and the same thing happens between Bass and Alto in measures 11-12. In measure 5 and measure 12, the Alto voices gives their note to the Soprano voices (an octave higher). These are just a few examples you can share with your choir.
What Is A Trope? During the Middle Ages, most of the Mass prayers were troped. As Father Friel reminds us, Sequences were tropes. The Kyrie was troped. The Gloria was troped. The Agnus Dei was troped. Even the readings were troped. The Kyrie which Father Guerrero uses (see above) is called “Kyrie Cum Jubilo.” In the Editio Vaticana, it’s called KYRIE IX. If you don’t know what a Trope is, please scroll to the bottom of this article:
* Article • “Reform of the Reform” • Eight Lies We Were Told
No More Tropes: On 20 July 1562, during the 22nd Session of the Council of Trent, a commission of seven prelates was appointed to examine the question of liturgical abuses. Among the Postulata nonnullorum patrum circa varios abusus in missis subinductos—(“Petitions by certain Fathers about various abuses introduced into Mass”)—one finds the following: “Let those additions Mariam gubernans, Mariam coronans be removed from the hymn Glória in excélsis; they seem an unbefitting insertion” (source). On 7 January 1575, Father Guerrero’s chapter in Sevilla decreed that henceforth the Roman rite, as reformed by the Council of Trent, is to be used exclusively. This decree rendered obsolete such “troped” Masses as Guerrero’s De beata Virgine (1566) as well as polytextual Masses, such as his Beata Mater (1566). [But those who have attended the Sacred Music Symposium know that the texts can be altered so these Masses can still be used.]
