Gounod's Vatican City Anthem- who knew?
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Published on May 16, 2014
    The “Inno e Marcia Pontificale” is the first official anthem of the Vatican after a work known as the “Gran Marcia Trionfale” [Great Triumphal March] by Vittorino Hallmayr, the bandmaster of an Austrian regiment located in Rome, was used on an unofficial basis. The “Inno e Marcia Pontificale” is performed in the presence of: the Pope; one of his special legates; or on occasion of presentation of Credential Letters by a papal nuncio. The music by noted composer Charles-François Gounod was written in 1857 for the jubille anniversary of pope Pius IX. Originally, the anthem had Italian lyrics, Latin lyrics were created later (and slightly modified in 1993) as a way for Catholics around the world to sing it in a common language, and the Italian lyrics are no longer used. The Latin lyrics were by a Catholic priest, who took inspiration from scripture passages about St. Peter (the first Pope in Catholic tradition). According to the Vatican, the “Inno e Marcia Pontificale” is not to be understood as a national anthem, but rather as a hymn that speaks to Roman Catholics worldwide; in practice, however, it serves as the anthem for the Vatican State.

    https://youtu.be/1FDB6JZXfZQ
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    A few corrections. Gounod wrote the music (in three parts, purely for instruments) in 1869, (not 1857 which was the date of Hallmayr's original papal anthem), for the golden jubilee of Pope Pius IX's ordination (as a priest). It was declared the papal anthem) in 1949, with Italian lyrics by Antonio Allegra, an organist at St. Peter's Basilica. Ultimately, Latin lyrics were written in 1991 by Raffaello Lavagna for a 4-voice choral arrangement by Aberico Vitalini.

    See also: This page from the Vatican website.

        CHORUS

    O felix Roma – o Roma nobilis:
    Sedes es Petri, qui Romae effudit sanguinem,
    Petri cui claves datae sunt regni caelorum.
    Pontifex, Tu successor es Petri;
    Pontifex, Tu magister es tuos confirmans fratres;
    Pontifex, Tu qui Servus servorum Dei,
    hominumque piscator, pastor es gregis,
    ligans caelum et terram.
    Petre, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,
    rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;
    Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,
    vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.

        VOX ACUTA, VOX ALTERA AB ACUTA (Soprano & Alto)

    Tu Pontifex, firma es petra, et super petram
    hanc aedificata est Ecclesia Dei.

        VOX MEDIA, VOX GRAVIS (Tenor & Bass)

    Petre, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,
    rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;
    Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,
    vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.

        CHORUS

    O felix Roma – O Roma nobilis.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Chuck, what chords strike you about this Gounod-penned work? I'm too lazy to search for whether it passed S.Pius X muster.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    I can't find a public domain band arrangement of this; any ideas? Next year, I'm doing "Marches around the world" with my community band, and one of my Schola peeps double-dog-dared me to program it.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Ooh ooh ooh- program it adjacent to the "Liberty Bell March!" It's.....

    https://youtu.be/49c-_YOkmMU
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    "Liberty Bell" is our traditional opener.
    Thanked by 1melofluent
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