Plainchant vs. vainchant
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,798
    My usual reaction to a book title like The Crisis of Music (Rob Wegman, Routledge 2005) is to keep walking, but the subtitle made me stop: ...in early modern Europe, 1470-1530. Here's the opening paragraph:

    On December 21, 1486, johannes Behem, parish priest of St. Nicholas in Görlitz, flew into a fuming rage. All those who had come to church that Monday morning expecting him to celebrate Mass as usual could hear his words echoing from afar: "You must not call them hofereyen! [vainglories] They are not hofereyen!" Standing by the choir stalls with the city elders and shaking his fist, he went on scolding them, oblivious to the parishioners who came filing in. Yet the elders remained silent, and when Behem had finally vented his rage he stormed off, leaving behind him a bewildered congregation. It had been an unsettling scene.


    Startling that the congregants are for Gregorian chant and the clergy had their carols taken away! Behem went to his Bishop and ultimately to Rome, raising the issue of progressive solemnity among other arguments. That polyphony's place had been settled before Trent will not be news, but this is a very entertaining read nonetheless.
    Thanked by 2R J Stove Chris_McAvoy
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Do you ever get the feeling that prior to about 1875 or so everybody was basically screaming, spitting, and brawling all the time?
    Thanked by 2Heath IanW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,979
    Do you ever get the feeling that prior to about 1875 or so everybody was basically screaming, spitting, and brawling all the time?


    And when did it change into peace, love, and universal harmony? ;-)
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    It hasn't.
  • Scott_WScott_W
    Posts: 468
    Do you ever get the feeling that prior to about 1875 or so everybody was basically screaming, spitting, and brawling all the time?


    Yep. However, I think we've been conditioned to lie to ourselves rather than make waves with the truth.
    Thanked by 1Chris_McAvoy
  • Andris Amolins
    Posts: 154
    I looked into the book through Amazon's "look inside" feature. Amazing. If only we had such incidents nowadays. Imagine, city magistrates enforcing Gregorian chant in the churches, and even paying for it.
    Thanked by 1Chris_McAvoy
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