Eucharistic Hymns by Michael Haller on IMSLP
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    In a volume of Michael Haller's Eucharistic hymns entitled Laudes Eucharistica, Op. 16,(1878) I've found a number of very lovely SATB pieces which are not difficult and might be of interest to someone. There don't seem to be any recordings available, but the scores are attached. They are Romantic in style, of which era I'm not a huge fan, but I find Haller's work exceptionally fresh, simple and charming nonetheless.

    Is anyone familiar with these?

    O quam suavis est

    O Salutaris Hostia

    O Sacrum Convivium
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Here's a question: I don't understand what the two vertical dots mean in the second measure below taken from the second page of Haller's O quam suavis est. (The time signature is alla breve.) Any advice on that?

    image
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    It's borrowed from earlier mensuralist practice: it means the same as a dotted half or a half tied to a quarter. I admit it is confusing - which is probably why this practice has been, for the most part, abandoned.
    Thanked by 1barreltone
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Thanks, Salieri! Does that mean that the "di-" is tied with a quarter note?
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    JulieColl I have never seen this before either.
    Per Salieri's description the 1/2 note on "di" would be held for 1-1/2 beats taking it into the next bar as if it were tied to a quarter note.
    This would complete measure two, right now its missing the first downbeat.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Thank you so much, donr! It's all coming clear now; the missing downbeat catches your attention. I really like this piece.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    In earlier times, this was an often seen practice (especially in handwritten and, consequently, numerous engraved scores), of putting the dot on the downbeat of the following measure. It is more often seen with Mensurstrich barring (bars between the staves but not on the staves). Also, rarer, but sometimes seen, an undotted note such as a breve or semibreve will be seen which has half of its note value at the end of one measure and the other half in the following measure; in these modern times, such a note would be represented by two notes tied together across the bar.
    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,768
    Brahms also prefers dots across the barline to tied notes.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • I stumbled across this while looking for something else. Useful for Corpus Christi, but certainly you've all decided on what you're doing by now ;)