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Views from the Choir Loft

Gregorian Chant • “Its True & Authentic Rhythm”

Jeff Ostrowski · April 1, 2022

HE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for this year’s Sacred Music Symposium has not yet been released. It’s still being “adjusted” based upon the participants’ desires. This year, I’m considering giving a talk about the rhythm of plainsong. If I decide to give such a talk, the following questions will be addressed: (1) Can we know with certainty that our current plainsong performances correspond—generally speaking—to the way plainsong has always been sung? (2) Is it verifiably true that singing from adiastematic notation is “better” than diastematic notation? (3) What can we know with certainty about adiastematic rhythm? (4) Does following the official rhythm of the Church lead to the most beautiful performance of plainsong? (5) When it comes to plainsong rhythm, should we seek advice from those who have never stood in front of a choir in real life? (6) With regard to plainsong, should we seek advice from “scholars” whose recordings don’t sound beautiful?

Embracing The Official Rhythm: For more than two decades, I have been studying ancient manuscripts. Over the last two years I have examined the ancient MSS with greater attention than ever before (on account of a project I was involved with). As a result, I have decided to abandon the rhythmic markings of Dom Mocquereau—which often distort the melody—even though I have sung from these markings since the 1990s. My decision is based partially upon study of the ancient MSS, but it’s also based upon directing choirs for a long time. I have decided to embrace the official rhythm of plainsong: viz. “pure” Editio Vaticana. Technically, this is the only system allowed by the Church documents. Any doubt about this was swept away by the “Martinelli Letter” (02/18/1910). Abbat Pothier’s “De Caetero” letter (1906) also makes this clear. (It will be remembered that Abbat Pothier was chosen by Pope Pius X to create the Editio Vaticana.) Five decades later, a document by Pope Pius XII, De musica sacra et sacra liturgia (1958), in paragraph §59b stubbornly upheld the earlier decrees with regard to editions which modify 1 the official rhythm of the Editio Vaticana. We are starting each week with the Introit, and here’s how the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores look:

*  PDF Download • INTROIT (Passion Sunday)
—Introit with “pure” Vaticana rhythm (official edition).

Here’s how the very somber “Passion Sunday” Introit sounds when sung according to the official rhythm:

Melismatic Mora Vocis: In the Introit for this coming Sunday (Passion Sunday), there’s only one melismatic mora vocis (“MMV”) singers must be aware of. In the score I placed a little arrow above it. The official edition, printed by the Vatican Press, doesn’t provide any help; the singers must watch carefully for a “white note” or “blank space equal to a notehead”—and that’s where the MMV goes:

Numerous Editions: The Editio Vaticana was reproduced by many publishers exactly identical to the Vatican Press version. I’m talking about editions published by Pustet, Mechlin, Schwann, Weinmann, and so forth. But in 1954, the editors of the Schwann (Abbat Bomm, K.G. Fellerer, and Msgr. Overath) thought the singers needed a little help. Therefore, they placed a little line underneath, to help the singer. The blue arrow shows the “melismatic mora” and the red arrow shows an editorial mark by the Schwann editors reminding you to elongate the note:

Schwann’s modern notation version also indicates the MMV:

Flor Peeter’s Edition: The edition by Flor Peeters, which follows the “pure” Editio Vaticana, indicates the MMV as we would expect:

Max Springer’s Edition: The edition by Max Springer of Beuron Abbey, produced circa 1910, observes the MMV just as one would expect:

Saint Leo Edition: Father Franz Xaver Mathias (an Alsatian priest and organist) founded the SAINT LEO INSTITUTE FOR SACRED MUSIC in 1913. His edition follows the “pure” Editio Vaticana and indicates the MMV as we would expect. However, Father Mathias indicates some additional elongations, which I don’t understand—and I marked these with blue arrows. It’s possible he couldn’t get the 1883 edition out of his head (on this, see below).

The organ accompaniment by Father Mathias matches, just as one would expect:

Dom Mocquereau’s Edition: The 1903 Liber Usualis was the crowning achievement of Dom Mocquereau, who desperately wanted it to be adopted by Pope Pius X. However, because of Dom Mocquereau’s “intransigence,” the pope chose Abbat Pothier’s edition instead. For this, Mocquereau never forgave Pothier. In any event, the edition by Dom Mocquereau has an elogation there:

14th Century: A manuscript from approximately 1385AD does not indicate an MMV—but that doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise:

Precursor To The Vatican Edition: The 1883 edition by Pothier does not correspond to the 1908 Editio Vaticana. That means Abbat Pothier must have changed his mind in 1908:

For the record, it seems that Abbat Pothier changed his mind about a lot of things in 1908, as this chart shows:

*  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART
—1876 (Hermesdorff); 1883 (Pothier); 1903 (Mocquereau); 1908 (Vaticana).

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   On 14 August 1905, the Vatican under Pope Pius X declared: “The Sacred Congregation of Rites declares and decrees that this same edition [Abbot Pothier’s Editio Vaticana] be considered by all as typical, in such wise that henceforth the Gregorian melodies contained in future editions of these books be perfectly conformed, without any addition, subtraction, or change whatsoever [nihil prorsus addito, dempto vel mutato] to the aforesaid typical edition, even in the case of extracts made from these books.”

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Abbat Urbanus Johann Bomm, Dom Josef Pothier, Dom Mocquereau, Editio Vaticana, Karl Gustav Fellerer, melismatic morae vocis, Monsignor Johannes Overath Last Updated: April 4, 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 Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Hymn by Cardinal Newman
    During the season of Septuagesima, we will be using this hymn by Cardinal Newman, which employs both Latin and English. (Readers probably know that Cardinal Newman was one of the world's experts when it comes to Lingua Latina.) The final verse contains a beautiful soprano descant. Father Louis Bouyer—famous theologian, close friend of Pope Paul VI, and architect of post-conciliar reforms—wrote thus vis-à-vis the elimination of Septuagesima: “I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed (with no good reason) Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In particular, today we must remember that our liturgy—celebrated according to the books promulgated by Saints Paul VI and John Paul II—must be preserved from any element from the ancient forms.”

— Bishops of Costa Rica —Hat tip to ‘Catholic Arena’

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