Feasts and Liturgy

29 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by michelinewalker in Feasts, Liturgy, Middle Ages

Tags

Antiphons, Mariology, monophony, Palestrina, polyphony, Raphael

Madonna della Sedia by Raphaël

Feasts and Liturgy

I just posted a page listing most of my posts on “Feasts & Liturgy.” It is not a complete list and some posts should be edited. At times, music is removed from YouTube, which makes an update necessary. However, unless posts are listed, they are difficult to access. One needs a list, and it is under construction.

Polyphony

This list reflects knowledge and interest I acquired as a student of the history of music, or musicology. The Greeks developed polyphony or music in “parts,” but polyphony developed during the Middle Ages. At the moment, the main ‘parts’ are Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass (SATB). But, as polyphony developed certain composers divided music into a larger number of parts.

If the development of polyphonic music were to be given a location, one of its best lieux would be the Franco-Flemish lands, the cultural hub of Europe before the Renaissance, which began as of the Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, on 29 May 1453. Although the Franco-Flemish lands produced fine composers of polyphonic music, it also developed in various European countries such as France, Italian city-states, Spain…

Liturgical and Secular Music

Polyphony developed in medieval Europe, but, as we have seen, it is an invention of the Greek and is called Western Music. Music composed elsewhere had one part and it is called monophonic. The birthplace of polyphony is, for the most part, the Church. Such music is called liturgical (or sacred music) and it encompasses Motets, Masses, Hymns and many other form. The Church needed music, hence the preeminence of liturgical music in the very Christian Middle Ages and its association with the history of music.

Yet, polyphony also has secular roots, the Madrigal, in particular, songs in the mother (madre) tongue.

Monophony

Monophonic music features one part: the melody. Gregorian chant is monophonic and it has its own notation. Troubadours (southern France, trouvères (northern France) and the Minnesang (Germany) composed monophonic secular songs.

Conclusion

I look forward to completing this list and writing more on Feasts, providing some details.

The seasonal antiphon is the Alma Mater Redemptoris. There are four Marian antiphons. The Alma Mater Redemptoris will be sung until 2 February or Candlemas. The best known Alma Mater Redemptoris was composed by Palestrina (c. 1525 – February 1594).

Love to everyone ♥

Palestrina: Alma Redemptoris Mater (Julian Podger, Monteverdi Choir) – YouTube (Julian Podger, Monteverdi Choir)

Madonna Sistine Chapel by Raphaël (detail)

Raphael & Marian Liturgy at Notre-Dame de Paris

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, Marian Hymnology

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Alma Redemptoris Mater, Annunciation, Canonical Hours, Fra Angelico, Marian, Mariology, Mary, Salve Regina

Madonna della tenda by Raphaël, c. 1512

Raphaël, born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (April 6 or March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In my last post, I showed you frescoes on the theme of the Annunciation, executed by Fra Angelico, an artist and a saint. But today, our featured artist is Raphaël. As you know Marian art constitutes one of the richest areas of the Fine Arts.

However, Mariology is also an important source of sacred music. Just think how often the Ave Maria has been sung. I was brought up a Catholic child, but somehow I was not able to appreciate fully the importance of the Virgin in the arts and in sacred music until I started taking courses on the history of art and musicology. It was a wonderful rediscovery.

Given that I have written blogs on Mariology, Christmas and the Canonical Hours, my readers have already been introduced to the subject matter we are visiting today. For those of you who are new to my site, here are the links you may require:

Fra Angelico & the Annunciation, my last post, contains a list of the four Marian Antiphons or Antiphonies (antiennes, in French):

Alma Redemptoris Mater (Advent through February 2)
Ave Regina Cælorum (Presentation of the Lord through Good Friday)
Regina Cœli (Easter season)
Salve Regina (from first Vespers of Trinity Sunday until None of the Saturday before Advent)

There are many other prayers to Mary, but the antiphonies, responsorial hymns, are at the centre of Marian Sacred Music, and the one attached to the Annunciation is the Ave Regina Cælorum. As of Good Friday, two days from now, the Marian antiphon will be the Regina Cœli.

It is therefore nearly too late to speak about the Ave Regina Cælorum. However, because there is so little time, I will quote Notre-Dame de Paris:

This Antiphony dedicated to Mary was used in Assumption services starting in the 12^th century. This salute to the Queen of the Heavens, this radiant admiration uses every possible term for praise: Ave, Salve, Gaude, Vale.

On the Notre-Dame de Paris site, one can also read the following:

Since the 14^th century, it has been the Spring Antiphony, maybe because it praises Mary as the earthly root, Salve radix, of this light that opens onto the world – isn’t spring the time when days get endlessly longer and life sprouts up from root to branch? At Notre-Dame de Paris, tradition has it that before the great mass, the Ave Regina is sung in front of the statue of the Queen of the Heavens, which is why this antiphony is sung every Sunday at the end of the Lauds service.

On the same site, it is also possible to hear the Ave Regina Cælorum (Notre-Dame de Paris), but I am including the Ave Regina Cælorum on YouTube.

Orlando de Lassus (c. 1532 – 1594): Ave Regina Cælorum

performers: Pro Cantione Antiqua
conductor: Bruno Turner

photo: Mario De Biasi