What of manly chant?
This link at Rorate Caeli reminded me of a question I had after reading that great interview with maestro Domenico Bartolucci, the last true maestro of the Sistine Chapel (as he himself says in the interview), a post once held by Pierluigi da Palestrina. This was at www.chiesa on the July 21st, but if you haven't read it, it's a must read. This was my question: at one point in the interview, we come to this exchange:Q: Do you think that the assembly of the faithful should participate in singing the Gregorian chant during liturgical celebrations?
A: We must make distinctions in the performance of Gregorian chant. Part of the repertoire, for example the Introits or the Offertories, requires an extremely refined level of artistry and can be interpreted properly only by real artists. Then there is a part of the repertoire that is sung by the people: I think of the Mass "of the Angels," the processional music, the hymns. It was once very moving to hear the assembly sing the Te Deum, the Magnificat, the litanies, music that the people had assimilated and made their own – but today very little is left even of this. And furthermore, Gregorian chant has been distorted by the rhythmic and aesthetic theories of the Benedictines of Solesmes. Gregorian chant was born in violent times, and it should be manly and strong, and not like the sweet and comforting adaptations of our own day.
That's a memorable line: "Gregorian chant was born in violent times, and it should be manly and strong, and not like the sweet and comforting adaptations of our own day." I wonder whether most of us have ever heard any of this "manly" Gregorian chant.
For of what is Bartolucci speaking when he says that "Gregorian chant has been distorted by the rhythmic and aesthetic theories of the Benedictines of Solesmes"? I had thought that they, and at their head, Dom Propser Gueranger, were the saviors of Gregorian chant, and helped restore it to its purity for use in the Church. Or does Bartolucci speak of a period at Solesmes, after Gueranger, when the prestige and position they had gained at the time of Pius X's favor allowed them to corrupt the chant being sent to the rest of the Church?
I am wholly ignorant of this business and so I'm wondering if someone can shed some light on these words of Bartolucci about Solesmes.
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by Iosephus @ 8/05/2006 09:35:00 AM
7 comments
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, ora pro nobis
St. Joseph, ora pro nobis
St. Ambrose of Milan, ora pro nobis
St. Dominic, ora pro nobis
St. Francis (and St. Clare), orate pro nobis
St. Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis
St. Alphonsus Ligouri, ora pro nobis
St. John Chrysostom, ora pro nobis
7 Comments:
Update on the Carmelite Monks:
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/apologia/vpost?id=1294113
Brendan, thanks for drawing our attention to this.
Iosephus,
I would imagine he is speaking of the post-Gueranger.
You would have to ask the man himself, but there are very few that argue that Gueranger fouled chant, especially since it was the work of these same Benedictines that St. Pius X and his predecessors praised and encouraged. That saintly pontiff was well-versed (no pun intended) in matters musical.
I love the reference to chant being manly, because it is. It is contemplative prayer when sung well, and contemplation is not all sweet happy and feminine.
Solesmes theoryies, particular in the interpretation of rhythmic doublets and triplets is, IMHO a significant help not in feminizing the chant, but in helping the movement of the music, so it is Legato and not choppy.
That said, Solesmes theories are just that: Theories. Though as a Schola director I teach their methods, I don't agree they got it 100 percent right. They have a good system, but it is not the only system. To turn those theories into dogmatic rules, or to assert Solesmes is the way Chant sounded in the 9th century is absurd. But then why would we want that.
Ian, thank you.
I would imagine that he is speaking of post-Gueranger as well . . . but still, to what is he referring? Have the Solesmes theories changed over time? Are they still doing interpretive work?
I wonder whether maestro Bartolucci is aware of the many churches throughout the English speaking world which have fine scholae, such as I imagine yours is, Ian, whose congregations are privileged to hear the chant of the Church each week.
I, too, was puzzled by that comment of Bartolucci. It was the first time I ever heard anyone attack Solesmes in such an open and direct fashion. Refreshing, yes, but still somewhat of a shocker.
I suppose a man who is 90 years old and who won't have much brought against him doesn't have to worry about reprisal.
At any rate though, if someone has more thoughts on the subject, I'd be glad to learn more. The article did mention something about the Caecelian method earlier on so perhaps Bartolucci was referring to that.
Peace!
-KJS
I still don't get it in regards to the Carmelite monks.
They don't seem to be planning hermitages in accord with the ancient rule of st. albert for carmelite monks.
"Next, each one of you is to have a separate cell, situated as the lie of the land you propose to occupy may dictate, and allotted by disposition of the prior with the agreement of the other brothers, or the more mature among them."
Yet they're also not friars as under the venerable reform of the order following their being forced to leave the Holy Land.
I guess the reason I'm confused is that they claim to be embodying a tradition yet their way of life seems novel for Carmelites.
(and then there's the issue of how they have the right to celebrate the carmelite liturgy)
I hate to be such a skeptic because what they are doing seems so worthy.
I don't think that there is any reason to be skeptical, SJH. Have you ever read any of the prior's letters, either online or in print? They are definitely planning separate hermitages; the last thing I read was that they were looking at property up in the mountains for these places. They have grand plans, indeed - I'm just thinking of these little hermitages and the Gothic cathedral they want to be out there in the middle of nowhere. But no one knows about them and they have no money, I imagine. But it sounds like the local folks out there, like the Knights of Columbus, like them and are taking care of them. And they've received enough vocations nows that they're trying to fundraise for a new friary.
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