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L'intégrale
Tout savoir sur l'intégrale de chant grégorien.Garantie
La qualité de nos produits nous permet de vous octroyer une garantie de 60 jours, pendant lesquels vous pouvez nous les renvoyer, au cas improbable où vous seriez déçu par la qualité. Les produits doivent être retournés dans leur emballage d'origine et vous serez remboursé de l'intégralité du montant.| The Gregorien Rythm |
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Why should a rhythm be defined for a music such as the Gregorian chant, which is said to be « free-rhythmed » ? Rhythm is the delicate side of all types of music, and with no rhythm, no Gregorian music would be possible. The present article supplies basic information about rhythm before offering training exercises. a. Definition Rhythm gathers several notes into a single melodic phrase. Thanks to rhythm, the notes are not individuals without any other connexion than their following each other, but parts of a whole, depending on one another and forming an organized unit, the melodic phrase. Rhythm is defined as an impulse arranged with its fall, in Gregorian chant : the arsis – impulse – is arranged with the thesis – fall - (the impulse is not only followed by the fall, it is arranged with the fall). In the supple walk of the young man, one notices the rhythm , namely : the impulse (foot up) which tends to the fall (foot down), while it is difficult, if not impossible, to see rhythm in the uncertain, hesitating walk of the old man, as foot up and foot down are hard to see apart. The note in thesis or fall is indicated by the ictus or vertical episema : the ictus is mainly the point where the preceding impulse falls and settles,and it is not, at first, a starting point. Consequences : Impulse and fall are inseparable, one requires the other : “indeed, the lifting, the lack of balance requires a settling down; a regain of one’s balance. When, as you are walking, you want to stop a little, I guess you will not remain with one foot in the air ! On the other hand, putting your foot down is only possible after you lifted it. If you remain with both feet on the ground, you cannot put one down a few inches further without lifting it first. And this is this sequence of the lifting , then of the settling down of the foot that makes the step” (Dom Gajard, “Notions sur la rhythmique grégorienne, p.24). If one fully understands the notion of rhythm, one has also realized that it is “the relationship between two elements, one of which is in impulsing, and the other in settling, in order to melt them into the unity of a single movement. Or, more accurately, the rhythm is the unit of movement obtained by the relationships being created between the two elements, one in impulsing, and one in settling down.” The definition of rhythm as impulsing settling indicates it is solely a question of movement. It does not belong to the melodic order, nor to the intensive order, nor to the quantitative order. This is a capital matter. It does not belong to the melodic order , which is made of high and low notes. The arsis and the thesis may equally do with high notes followed by low notes, or notes in unison. It does not belong to the intensive order, which is made of strong and weak sounds. Indeed, intensity is more fitting to the impulsing, which implies energy, and softness to the settling down, which implies rest, but the rhythm remains independent from the intensity. It does not belong to the quantitative order, which is made of short and long sounds. The lengthening of the thesis is not necessary to allow the perception of the rhythm, impulsing and settling down. The thesis may be as short as the arsis. The rhythm is nothing, essentially, but impulsing and settling down, and here is why, apart from the physical qualities of the melody, the intensity, the duration, it first addresses the understanding, and is perceived by it. “I shall go further and claim that, since the perception of the rhythm is not of a merely physical and material order, but of an intellectual one, it is not necessary that there should be, in each case, any difference in sound, that is to say intensive, quantitative or melodic, as long as there is something else to determine it : for example, the gesture of the musical director may suffice for the perception of the rhythm.> (Dom Gajard, “Notions sur la rythmique grégorienne, p.19). b. Rhythmic synthesis The basic rhythm. When walking, it is the step. In Gregorian music, it is a synthesis of two or three measures. This makes one say that the Gregorian rhythm is a two- or three-measure free rhythm : one single measure when impulsing one measure (single or double) when settling down. Sequencing of the basic rhythms on the ictus The basic rhythms follow one another and fit together much like a walker’s steps or a ball rebounding. The sequencing is done on, and thanks to, the rhythmic ictus. The ictus plays a double part : the ictis, first the settling down of the previous impulse is also the new start and principle of the following impulse. This explains why, while when the basic rhythm is considered alone, the ictus is only the settling down point,as it only ends the preceding rhythm, in the sequencing of of the basic rhythms, it is also the starting point and principle of the following impulse. On says that the impulse is first thetical (from thesis) and then arsic (from arsis). The successive rhythms follow and fit together on it. This is the reason why, far from being a separating and dividing element, it is a point of articulation of all rhythms, and the kingpin of the rhythmic synthesis. From the above considerations on rhythm, one will note thart the desire to sing well is vain as long as one is unable to count rhythm, that is to place the ictuses at the right places. But where should they be placed ? c. Place of the ictuses This is the determining aspect of the rhythmics : how to place the ictus. An indispensable know-how for any self-respecting choir singer. The facts : A single note (with or without episema or quilisma) always has a value of one measure. The ictus is placed every two or three simple measures. It affects : Rule 1 : the note marked by the vertical episema Rule 2 : the first simple measure of a long note (dotted note, pressus, distropha, tristropha, the note preceding the quilisma) Rule 3 : the first note of a neume and the culminating virga of a group (unless prohibited by the above rules). Herebelow is an example of counting in Gregorian rhythm  The ictus affects also the isolated punctum preceding, on a lower degree, a group of at least three notes, when this punctum coincides with the attack of a syllable, which is called a disintegrated neume. The compound rhythm One always considers the sequencing of the basic rhythms on the ictuses, but in addition and above all, ictuses are scheduled throughout the movement, in their relationship with the preceding or following ictuses. In such a comparison, the ictuses appear either as impulsing ictuses, or as settling down ictuses, and this is this main part that will make them arsic or thetic and have them classified as such in the movement of the phrase. In other words, the compound rhythm is the consideration of the ictuses against the general movement of a phrase member that is classified as arsis (energetic impulsing) or thesis ( weak impulsing, settling down), whether its ictus is mostly arsic or thetic. Before explaining any further about rhythm, let us have a few practical examples. |
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