Cette vidéo artistique qui allie le son et l'image, le chant grégorien et les photos artistiques, a été vue plus de 100 000 fois sur Youtube. On ne pourra pas dire que le chant grégorien n'intéresse pas nos contemporains…
Le chant Libera me de la cérémonie de l'absoute.
Pour voir la vidéo en haute définition, appuyez sur le bouton HD.
Volume 12 of the Liturgical Year in Gregorian chant collection is now available. It contains the Vespers and Sunday Complines.
Better yet, it features 25 hymns of Vespers, specific to the various liturgical seasons. These hymns were written at different periods. Their richness derives from the stylistic variety of the musical and text composition.
Hence some pleasant listenings on a year long journey through the various scenes of the mysteries of Christ.
After more than a year of work and a complete reshuffling, this book is again available.
With significant additions in several of its chapters – especially the one regarding cantiques – this book is a reference in terms of liturgical chant.
Its new design makes it a pleasant and straigthforward book to read and use.
The Holy See published on May 31. a letter from the Pope, written on occasion of the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music founded by Saint Pius X. Directed to Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Great Chancelier of the Institute, it was read by that same Cardinal on May 26. for the opening session of the International Congress of Sacred Music, held in Rome from May 26. to June 1.
In this letter, Benedict XVI indicates that Saint Pius X initiative, following the Motu Proprio Tra Le Sollecitudini of November 22. 1903, had fixed the program for a profound reform of liturgical music in the tradition of the Church and outside any influence of profane styles.
It is a commonplace to say that Gregorian chant experienced a decline between the twelfth and nineteenth century, and was "resurrected" through the work of Solesmes, a school which now supposedly presents Gregorian chant as it would have been or should be.
The Solesmes school itself has changed considerably during the twentieth century - which is to his credit - under the influences of both Dom Mocquereau's theory and Dom Cardine semiotics.
Yet, there is room for a certain number of questions:
Is there one single reference for the interpretation of gregorian chant?
And supposing we were able to define the performance style that prevailed at the time of the creation of the Gregorian (sixth-tenth centuries), would such a style still be valid in the twenty-first century?
Besides, who says that during such a long period of time and in such a large geographical space, a unique style would have been adopted?
Does each period of time not consider liturgical chant against its own criteria?
Don't we speak of evolution or decline in relation with those criteria and the mindset of the times?
As You may see, the question of interpretive styles in Gregorian Chant is far from resolved and we have no claim to draw definitive conclusions. The text below is taken from the work of Jacques Viret: "The Gregorian chant and Gregorian tradition" (pages 58-59, L'Age d'Homme edition) it gives the status quaestionis, the state of the question. This already enables to broaden the debate and avoid focusing on systems or theories which may be too exclusive.
Hallelujahs or allelujas date back to the late fourth century. The following centuries saw their developpment, coinciding with a period of Byzantine influence in Rome.
Originally, the Hallelujah is an hebraic acclamation. Among Jews, it was used with a score of psalms called Alleluja psalms (104 to 106, 110 to 118, 134 to 135, 145 to 150). This acclamation was initially linked with the consideration of the wonders of the Lord, which makes it a cry of joy.
The Holy See published on May 31. a letter from the Pope, written on occasion of the centenary of the 