Tag Archives: Mary

Candlemas: its Stories & its Songs

02 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in Feasts, Marian Hymnology

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Putti, by Raphaël

Putti (Chérubins), by Raphaël

Marian Antiphons

Today, 2 February 2013, we are entering the Marian year’s second season, the first takes us from Advent to Candlemas (la Chandeleur), once an observed feast commemorating the presentation of the child Jesus at the Temple. The second lasts until Good Friday.

In other words, as of today the Marian song is the Ave Regina Cælorum. From the beginning of Advent until today, it had been the Alma Redemptoris Mater. Several composers have set the words of the Alma Redemptoris Mater to music and the same is true of the Ave Regina Cælorum. 

In the Church of England, today, Candlemas, is the end of the Epiphany season which follows the Christmas season.

The “Nunc dimittis” or Canticle of Simeon

Also sung today is the Nunc dimittis (“Now you dismiss…,” Luke 2:29–32), The Song of Simeon or Canticle of Simeon). Simeon had been promised he would see Jesus and did.  A canticle is a song of praise. In this respect, the Nunc Dimittis resembles the Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary. Mary sang the Magnificat when she heard her cousin Elizabeth was with child. To listen to the Nunc Dimittis and read its story, simply click on one of the links below:

Groundhog Day

Moreover, today is also Groundhog Day. Punxutawney Phil has not seen his shadow which means that we are nearing spring. (See the Washington Post.) So, humans have always situated their feasts when a change occurs in the weather. We go from season to season and the following year, we also go from season to season and this continues year after year.

The Labours of the Months

Remember Jean de France’s Très Riches Heures. (See Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry).  It’s a Book of Hours, but it is also a calendar. The Très Riches Heures has a large illuminated (enluminures) page for each month of the year illustrating the Labours of the Months. With Jean de France, there was another motive. In the background of each page, we see one of his castles.

Greek poet Hesiod, who is believed to have been active between 750 and 650 BCE, wrote Works and Days, a book Wikipedia describes as a farmer’s almanac. In Works and Days, he is teaching his brother Perses about the agricultural arts. (See Works and Days.)

Although we are leaving the first Marian season, I am including both the Alma Redemptoris Mater and the Ave Regina Cælorum.

—ooo—  

During Canonical Hours, the Antiphon (antienne) is a liturgical chant that precedes and follows a Psalm or a Canticle. In a Mass, it is also a chant to which a choir or the congregation respond with a refrain. It is therefore a call and response chant. The following links take one to Notre-Dame de Paris:

Sources and Resources

Hesiod’s Works and Days is an online publication.

—ooo—

Posts on Marian Hymnology & More

composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (3 February 1525 or 2 February 1526 – 2 February 1594)
piece: Alma Redemptoris Mater
performers: Cappella Gregoriana (Tokyo, Japan)
From First Vespers of Christmas until the Presentation
piece: Ave Regina Cælorum
performers: Philippe Jaroussky (French countertenor, b. 13 February 1978)
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Quebec contralto, b. 26 June 1975)
From the Presentation of the Lord through Good Friday
 
Raffael_027© Micheline Walker
2 February 2013
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Posts on Marian Hymnology

07 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in Marian Hymnology

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Raphael

Madonna by Raphaël

 

Marian Hymnology: Antiphons, Canticles…

The following is a collection of various posts on the Virgin Mary.  The music Mary has inspired is varied and a delight to music lovers.  So are paintings of Mary who is called Theotokos in the Eastern Church.

In French, Antiphons are called antiennes and the “t” is pronounced as if it were a “c”.  However, books containing antiennes are called Antiphonaires.  There are no Marian anthems.  An Anthemn is a different musical form.  In fact, anthems resemble Catholic motets.

The four Marian Antiphons are sung during a certain period of the liturgical year.  The Antiphon used at this particularly moment is the Alma Mater Redemptoris. On February 2, it will be the Ave Regina Cælorum. However, Marian liturgy is further divided into eight periods and 32 feast days.

I am not an expert on Mariology, but I have studied and still study liturgy as a musical form.

The Four Antiphons

During Canonical Hours, the Antiphon is a liturgical chant that precedes and follows a Psalm or a Canticle.  In a Mass, it is also a chant to which a choir or the congregation respond with a refrain.   It is therefore a call and response chant.

The Four Canticles

Canticles are hymns sung during the Canonical Hours.  Seven find their origin in the Old Testament and are sung at Lauds. Three, however, are contained in the Gospel according to Luke.

The Four Marian Feasts

Posts on Marian Hymnology

composer: Wolgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791)
piece: “Laudate Dominum,” Vesperae solennes de confessore, KV 339
performers: Anja Harteros, soprano
Chor der Sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden
conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
 

© Micheline Walker
7 January 2013
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From the Magnificat to the Stabat Mater

06 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in Music

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Pietà (detail), William-Adophe Bouguereau, 1876

The Stabat Mater is a hymn expressing the sorrow of Mary as her son, Jesus of Nazareth, is being crucified and then taken down from the Crucifix, the descent.

According to Wikipedia, the Stabat Mater usually refers to a 13th-century Catholic hymn to Mary, the first Stabat Mater, variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III.

The Stabat Mater is associated with the Magnificat, one of several canticles sung at Vespers.  We are therefore moving from antiphons (antiennes) to canticles (cantiques).  Moreover, with the Magnificat, we are travelling back to the earliest days of Marian hymnology.  The Magnificat is an ancient canticle.

From Antiphons to Canticles

Canticles are hymns sung during the Canonical Hours.  Seven find their origin in the Old Testament and are sung at Lauds. Three, however are contained in the Gospel according to Luke.  I will list the three borrowing from Wikipedia.  We have

Virgin with Child, Claude-Louis Vassé (1722) © NDP
Claude-Louis Vassé (Paris: 1717 – 1772)
 

At Notre-Dame de Paris the Magnificat is sung every day before the four Marian antiphons and after the Ave Maria (Hail Mary) and the Angelus.

The Magnificat is Mary’s song of praise upon learning that her cousin Elizabeth, Zachary’s wife, is with child.  She will be the mother of St John the Baptist.  This event is recorded as The Visitation.  As for Mary, she has been visited by the archangel Gabriel and knows she is bearing the Saviour: The Annunciation.

In fact, all three New Testament canticles tell the story of the birth of John the Baptist and that of Jesus.  Zachary is the father of John the Baptist and at the moment of the Presentation of Jesus to the Temple, Simeon recognizes the Saviour in the baby Jesus.  But, combined with the Stabat Mater, the Canticles also tell a story of death and rebirth.  The two are juxtaposed as they express the perpetual cycle of birth and death, a cycle akin to that of the Four Seasons, spring eternal, celebrated by composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741).

Handel’s Messiah: the Cycle

Also expressing the link between the Nativity, starting with the Annunciation, and Easter is Handel‘s Messiah, an oratorio.  It is performed at Christmas and at Easter, the latter feast being, to my knowledge the more important of the two.  I will not discuss the Messiah in this post.  Basically, we are dealing with songs, albeit liturgical songs, the exception being JS Bach’s Magnificat, a substantial work.

In an earlier blog, I wrote about Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (4 January 1710 – 16 March 1736).  Pergolesi composed a beautiful Magnificat and a masterful Stabat Mater, as well as other liturgical pieces. Although he died at the age of 26, he had already written several masterpieces. The above link, his name, takes the reader to my post, but for information on the composer, organist and violinist, I would suggest you click on Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (Wikipedia). It is not insignicant that among his compositions, there should be both a Magnificat, a canticle, and the Stabat Mater.

With respect to the Marian hymns, to view the complete list, antiphons, canticles and other hymns, please click on Hymns to Mary.  The words Marian hymnology constitute an ‘umbrella’ term encompassing all the music dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

For the text of the Stabat Mater, Latin and English, click on Stabat Mater. To read the English text of the Magnificat, click on Magnificat.

You will find below several pieces of Marian sacred music.  There is little for me to add, the language of tones being more expressive than national languages.  So I will leave you to listen and perhaps to marvel at the place given Mary in the arts and in music.  You will hear canticles, psalms, parts of the Mass, etc.  Moreover, I have listed, at the bottom of the page, all my posts on the subject of Marian hymnology in sacred music.

 
 

Pietà,by Michelangelo(1498–1499)

  • © Micheline Walker
  • April 6th, 2012
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“And life sprouts up from root to branch…”

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Art, Music

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Regina Cæli, by Diego Velázquez (1641 – 1644), Museo del Prado

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez  (6 June 1599 – 6 August 1660) was a Spanish painter and the most prominent artist at the court of King Philip IV.

In his description of the Ave Regina Cælorum, the Notre-Dame de Paris author wrote:

isn’t spring the time when days get endlessly longer and life sprouts up from root to branch?

As of  tomorrow, 6 April 2012, the Marian Antiphon will be the Regina Cæli and it will remain the seasonal Antiphon until Vespers of Trinity Sunday.  But although the Antiphon will change, we will still celebrate the refreshing newness of seasons and the eternal return of spring.

The Marian Antiphons

Immediately below, is our list of Marian Antiphons.  It is probably best to keep them under our eyes.

Please click on the titles to hear the music.

However, let us go to Notre-Dame’s Regina Cæli‘s site and read about the Marian antiphony that begins tomorrow.  So I am quoting:

The most recent Antiphony dedicated to Mary (14th century) used to end services. It is sung during the Easter season and makes no mention of the valley of tears, like the Salve Regina, but instead sings of resurrection and heaven, where Mary reigns alongside her Son. This is how many of Notre-Dame de Paris’s sculptures and windows represent her.

May I suggest that even in the stained glass window shown below there is “no mention of the valley of tears.” (Notre-Dame de Paris author).  Tomorrow, 6 April 2012, we will continue to celebrate the refreshing newness each season brings and the return of Spring.

Regina Cæli (Photo credit: Notre-Dame de Paris)

Regína caéli, lætáre, Allelúia!
Quia quem meruísti portáre, Allelúia!
Resurréxit, sicut dixit, Allelúia!
Ora pro nóbis Déum, Allelúia!

Queen of heaven, be joyful, alleluia!
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia!
Has risen, as He said, alleluia!
Queen of heaven, pray to God for us, alleluia!

The Velásquez painting shown at the top of this post represents the Holy Trinity crowning Mary,  She is Regina or Queen of heaven and as I have mentioned in a previous post, I believe her importance in the eyes of Christians is that she seems more accessible than the Trinity.  She is a mother and Christians pray to her because they believe she will convey their prayers to Jesus and to God the Father.  She is a mother, the person to whom we confide our hopes, our fears, our sorrows, our joys.

On the Notre-Dame site you will find an interpretation of the Regina Cæli (just click on the title and scroll down).

I have listed next to the image below previous posts you may wish to refer to.

Backside Gregorian Chant - Regina Caeli, Bened...

Backside Gregorian Chant – Regina Caeli, Benediktiner Abtei St. Maurice & St. Maur, Clervaux (Photo credit: Piano Piano!)

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Raphael & Marian Liturgy at Notre-Dame de Paris

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Art, Marian Hymnology

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Madonna della tenda, by Raphaël

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):

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 12th 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 14th 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

raphael_angel

Giovanni Legrenzi (1626 – 1690): Ave Regina Cælorum, Philippe Jaroussky & Marie-Nicole Lemieux

 

 The Tempi Madonna, by Raphel
The Tempi Madonna by Raphaël, 1508 
© Micheline Walker
4 April 2012
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Fra Angelico & the Annunciation

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Art

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Fra Angelico

Last night, it occurred to me that today I would show you works by Fra Angelico on the theme of the Annunciation , the Christian Feast Day celebrated at about the same time as April Fools’ Day. 

However, surfing the internet, I found a site dedicated to Great Works of art and in particular Fra Angelico’s Annunciations.  So I decided that my best option was to tell about the existence of Michael Glover‘s site.[i]

The Annunciation

Fra Angelico: The Annunciation

In his description of the fresco to the left, Michael Glover writes that the Annunciation, “though central to the Christian story, appears in only one of the Gospels, St Luke’s.”

To the right, we see “The Annunciation Angel.”  I found this second painting on a site named Artful Home (www.artfulhome.com).[ii]  Michael Custode, the author, writes that “as in the ‘Descent,’ [another painting by Fra Angelico] in the “Annunciation, painted in 1438, [Fra Angelico] divides the painting into thirds. The first third is the left garden representing the virginity of Mary. The second third, is the portico the angel Gabriel has just entered and the last one-third, Mary sits and awaits news about her destiny from the angel Gabriel.”

In other words, it is a triptych.

Fra Angelico: biographical information

Fra Angelico (c. 1395 – February 18, 1455) was born Guido di Pietro, in Tuscany.  In his Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, Giorgio Vasari wrote that

 it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety.

Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar called, in Italy, “il Beato Angelico,” the Blessed Angelico.  He was beatified paintings in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

Little is known about the details of his life but, according to Britannica, “he appeared in a document of 1417 as a lay painter” and “between the years 1420 and 1422, he became a Dominican friar and resided in the priory of San Domenico at Fiesole, there taking the name of Fra Giovanni da Fiesole.”[iii]

According, once again, to Vasari, quoted in Britannica, “Fra Angelico was trained by the greatest painter and miniaturist of the Gothic tradition, Lorenzo Monaco.”  It is therefore rather surprising that he became a painter of frescoes, mural paintings.

I would gather from Wikipedia that, listed below, arehis assignments, and his assignments were his life.[iv]

  • From 1408 to 1418, Fra Angelico was at the Dominican friary of Cortona.
  • Between 1418 and 1436, he was at the convent of Fiesole where he produced an Altarpiece for the Convent of Fiesole.  This Altarpiece is now housed at the National Gallery, in London, England.
  • In c. 1436, he was housed in the friary of San Marco, which he decorated.
  • As of 1445, he was at the Vatican where Pope Eugenius IV assigned to him decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
  • In Rome, Pope Nicholas V (or Eugenius IV) offered him the Archbishopric of Florence, which he refused.
  • In 1447, Fra Angelico was in Orvieto executing works for the Cathedral.
  • From 1447 to 1449, he was back at the Vatican, designing the frescoes for the Niccoline Chapel for Nicholas V.
  • From 1449 until 1452, Fra Angelico was back at his old convent of Fiesole, where he was the Prior
  • He died in 1455, while staying at a Dominican Convent in Rome, where he was probably working on the decoration of Pope Nicholas’ Chapel.

It seems that what we need remember about Fra Angelico is that,

  • although he was a classical artist, he did not subscribe to Renaissance humanism, a scrutiny of man, as in man and woman,
  • that he worked for the Church as an artist and was extremely humble,
  • that, although he painted large frescoes, his frescoes reflect his training as a miniaturist : beauty is in the detail,
  • that he had mastered perspective, which gives depth to a painting or drawing,
  • and that he is a revered Christian saint.

I will now close so I can go and look at that Marian antiphon that corresponds to the Annunciation and discuss a little further Marian hymnology.

— The Annunciation

01 ニ短調の作品集　プレリュード

D’Anglebert: Prélude en ré mineur (D Minor), Hank Knox (harpsichord)
(click on the title to hear the music) 

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[i] Michael Glover: Annunciation (1435-45), Fra Angelico, published on July 16, 2010 (please click on Michael Glover or on the following URL: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-annunciation-143845-fra-angelico-2027376.html

[ii] Michael Custode: Artful Home                                                     http://www.arthistory-famousartists-paintings.com/FraAngelico.html

[iii] Mario Salmi, “Fra Angelico.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/24542/Fra-Angelico>.

[iv] “Fra Angelico.” Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Angelico>.