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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

Ruth Slenczynska & “Traditionis Custodes”

Jeff Ostrowski · February 8, 2022

ACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS; and they’re hard to conceal. The truth will out. For decades, Josef Hofmann was considered the pianist without peer. Every serious artist admitted this. Abe Chasins (himself a phenomenal pianist) reminds us that even Rachmaninov threw up his hands in despair. If Josef played a composition, Rachmaninov would never again play that same piece, exclaiming: “What’s the point? That’s the music; there it is, in total perfection. There’s nothing that can be added to such a performance. And who else can do it but Josef? Nobody!”

Envious Of His Skills: But after Hofmann’s death, two things conspired against his reputation. First, lesser artists were consumed with jealousy over Hofmann’s perfection—Claudio Arrau is a good example—and publicly slandered his art. Secondly, pianism entered into a bad period, one in which individuality and cold conceptions were frowned upon by stodgy, bloodless, robotic pedants who lacked the sophistication to appreciate excellent interpretations. But in recent years, serious pianists have been discovering the art of Josef Hofmann and studying his recordings open-mouthed. In the following video, Ruth Slenczynska (a student of Cortot, Rachmaninov, and Schnabel) speaks about Hofmann:

Puzzling Church Decrees: I’ve been shocked by some of the pronouncements coming from church leaders lately. For example, the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship—Bishop Arthur Roche—recently sent out puzzling instructions which encourage “Ordinary Form” Catholics to ostracize and belittle those who prefer the Missale Vetustum. The Vatican is also currently using the faithful’s donations to pay someone to assemble a secret “enemies list.” That is to say, Bishop Roche has declared that bishops must seek from him (!) a “necessary authorisation” if any priests ordained after 16 July 2021 wish to celebrate the Missale Vetustum. Bishop Roche’s decree directly contradicts the Motu Proprio of Pope Francis (“Traditionis Custodes”) which says bishops have the “exclusive competence to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal.” Furthermore, the document by Pope Francis does not speak of any “necessary authorisation” from Rome; rather, it says priests wishing to use the 1962 Missal “should submit a formal request to the diocesan Bishop who shall consult the Apostolic See before granting this authorization.” Bishop Roche erroneously seems to believe the document was named Traditionis Custos instead of its actual title: “Traditionis Custodes.”

Is This A Dream? Who could believe such a thing? In the history of the Church, the Vatican has never—to my knowledge—sent out instructions telling one group of Catholics to ostracize and belittle another group of Catholics. But cooler heads will prevail … eventually. Josef Hofmann is regaining the renown that (once upon a time) nobody doubted. In a similar way, I believe future Catholics will look back on our times and scratch their heads. They will ask: “Did the head of the CDW really use the faithful’s donations to assemble an enemies’ list of newly-ordained priests?” If we’re still alive, we’ll certainly have some stories to share with our grandchildren!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Bishop Arthur Roche, Congregation for Divine Worship, Josef Hofmann Pianist Extraordinaire, Missale Vetustum, Ruth Slenczynska, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Traditionis Custodes Motu Proprio Last Updated: April 30, 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

    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
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

At the Catholic gathering (Katholikentag) held at Breslau in August, the Papal Nuncio celebrated Mass for 80,000 participants, facing the people (the “Missa versus populum”).

— “Orate Fratres” Magazine (23 Jan. 1927)

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