University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Literature and Styles in Music I
Gregorian Chant
and its Uses in the Roman Liturgy
I Two types of services: Office and Mass
A. 8 Offices (or "Canonical Hours")
- Matins (before daybreak
- Lauds (sunrise)
- Prime (6:00 AM)
- Terce (9:00)
- Sext (noon)
- Nones (3:00)
- Vespers (sunset)
- Compline (after Vespers)
- Music of the Offices collected in Antiphonale
- Text collected in Breviary
B. The Mass (Ordinary and Proper)
- Parts of the Ordinary: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus Benedictus, Agnus Dei
- Parts of the Proper: Epistle, Gradual, Alleluia, Tract, Gospel, Credo, Offertory, Communion
Music of the Mass collected in the Graduale
Text of Mass collected in the Missale
Most frequently used chants from both Antiphonale and
Graduale collected in Liber Usualis
Formal and Stylistic Characteristics
of Gregorian Chant
I Type of texts used
A. Biblical vs. non-Biblical texts
B Prose texts vs. poetic texts
II Number of notes per syllable of text
A. Syllabic
B. Neumatic
C. Melismatic
III Formal Aspects:
A. Psalm Tone Form
B. Strophic Form
C. Free Form
IV Types/Genres
A. Hymns
B. Reciting Tones and Psalm Tones
- usually divided into 3 sections: initium, mediato, terminato
C. Antiphons
- most numerous; usually joined with psalm tones
- older examples syllabic or neumatic
D. Introit & Communion Chants
- usually brief & moderately ornate
E. Tracts
- long texts & usually melismatic
- examples in 8th mode (Hypomixolydian) employ texts referring to hope and assurance
- examples in 2nd mode (Hypodorian) employ texts referring to penitence and sadness
- many tracts tend to resemble each other since, like many of the oldest chants, they were probably originally improvised according to melodic formulas
F. Graduals
- melodies more florid than Tracts
- occur in several modes but "major key" modes most common
- as in Tracts, certain melodic formulas tend to recur in different examples
G. Alleluias
- unique form:
- Refrain (on "Alleluia") sung by soloist and repeated by chorus which continues with "Jubilus"
- chorus then repeats refrain (with Jubilus)
- soloist sings verse, chorus joining on last phrase
- chorus sings entire alleluia with jubilus
A (soloist) - A (chorus)- B (solo verse) - A (chorus)
- each section often organized in smaller A A B pattern
- motives from refrain (A) sometimes repeated in verse (B)
- echoing of motives and "musical rhyme" common within sections
- Dependence on strictly musical principles and obvious stress on devices lending formal unity
suggest that most alleluias belong to a more recent layer of chant than do tracts and graduals
Last Update 6/21/06
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