Is it the Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich, Band II (Volume II) that you have? It's publication date was 1909 (and Anton Webern died in 1945), so there is no problem in transcribing from it land publishing the results to CPDL.

OMI (Old Manuscripts & Incunabula) has facsimile scans of the original partbooks (look down the page for Isaac), $220 for all three volumes, $95 for Vol. 1, $75 each for Vols. 2 & 3.

The problem with Book III seems to be that the only full score transcription that seems to be available is that transcribed/edited by Louise Cuyler (1908-1998) for her 1947 PhD dissertation and subsequently published by U Mich press in 1950. This calls into question the copyright status of her publication.

It's also not clear just how much "editing" was done by Anton Webern in his edition of Book II.

In both cases, however, there is no problem in preparing full score editions from the (scanned) original part books.

Ok. Well, I have just transcribed the Gradual + Alleluia, as well as the Communio. They should be on CPDL momentarily, for anyone who might want to use them for this Easter.

I've considered transcribing the Introit, but do any of you know whether or not it could be used as the introit at Mass? I'm sort of assuming not.
The correct words are present in at least 1 voice at a time, while the other voices are singing different text (more easily heard) up until the verse, at which point everyone sings the correct text.

Introit:
RESURREXI, et adhuc tecum sum, allelúia:
posuísti super me manum tuam, allelúia:
mirábilis facta est sciéntia tua, allelúia, allelúia.
2. Dómine, probásti me, et cognovísti me:
tu cognovísti sessiónem meam et resurrectiónem meam.

Accompanying Text:
Christus surrexit.
Mala nostra texit
et quos hic dilexit
hos ad coelos vexit

Though it's lovely, I'm not sure it's worth the work because there's never time for the Gregorian introit + a motet based on the introit.

It seems more like something for an Easter-tide concert than for a Mass?

Right. I've transcribed a few of these, and we've done the polyphonic introits. Usually they only contain the "proper" text, though, and not other stuff.

For anyone who would prefer to work from the original partbooks, they are online as well, via the Bavarian State Library:

- vol. 1
- vol. 2
- vol. 3

Generally speaking, the Introit may indeed be polyphonic. It would be another question whether it is the best idea to have a polyphonic introit, but personally I highly encourage you, if you continue to have the time and resources, to continue transcribing these works. This collection has a particular privileged place in the history of sacred music, not only because it is such a vast collection of polyphonic propers by a single composer, but also on account of its many sequences. It can only be good to have them more widely accessible.

@JonLaird, etc., I've often considered transcribing some of his sequences. Goodness knows there are so many. Would people actually use them, though?

There can't be anything wrong with singing them somewhere in the Mass, but I feel that they would/could simply get left at the wayside if people are having to choose something to cut for the sake of perfecting "actual" parts of the Mass that they are preparing.

----For example: Here is Isaac's part of the All Saints Sequence:----

2. Principatus potestatus, virtutes.
Principalities, Powers, Virtues

4. Ordines noveni spirituum beaturum.
Ye nine choirs of blessed spirits

6. Nos fragiles homines firmate praecibus.
Make us frail mortals as stable, by your prayers.

8. Nunc et in aevum vestris simus digni solemniis interesse sacris.
We may be worthy to take part, both now and forever, in your sacred solemnities

10. Et angelis socios fecit esse polo.
And associated with the Angels in heaven

12. Et viduarum sanctarum omniumque placenium populo supremo Domino.
Assembly of holy widows, and of all who have been pleasing to the sovereign Lord

13a2. Nunc et perenniter.
Now and forever

----He is leaving out the following:----
1. Omnes sancti Seraphim, Cerumbim, Throni quoque Dominationesque,
All ye holy Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones also and Dominations,

3. Archangeli, Angeli, vos decet laus et honores.
Archangels, Angels, to you beseemeth praise and honour.

5. Quos in Dei laudibus firmavit caritas,
Whom charity has stablished in God's praises

7. Ut spiritales pravitates vestro juvamine vincentes fortiter,
So that by your assistance, resolutely overcoming the spirits of wickedness,

9. Vos quos Dei gratia vincere terrea,
Ye whom the grace of God enabled to conquer the things of earth,

11. Vos patriarchae, prophetae, apostoli, confessores, martyres, monachi, virgines, Ye patriarches, prophets, apostles, confessors, martyrs, monks, virgins,

13a1. Nos adjutorium nunc et perenniter foveat, protegat, ut vestrum May your assistance now and ever cherish and protect us,

14. In die poscimus gaudiorum vestrorum. Amen.
As we pray on this day of your joys. Amen.

Thanks, @Salieri. I have a feeling I'll probably do the last option you posted, as that's the only practical solution I had come up with that didn't actually change anything from the pages in front of me.

I can't find anything referencing a hymn tune or even mode of chant that this may have been set to. If I spoke German, perhaps I'd have some sort of luck, since it was apparently a tradition to sing it on All Saints in Germany.
Of course, that might help me read all the extra information in the Choralis Constantinus books to see if it is more descriptive of what's going on. I can pick out words, but can't just read it.

I would just include the chant as notated.

If the choices are 1) recto tono, and 2) psalm tone, I would prefer psalm tone, FWIW

A contemporary printed source for Sequences is the Passau Gradual (facs. in Das Erbe Deutsche Musik) which is missing only a couple of the chants used by Isaac (these can be found by digging online). But Dr. Mahrt has argued that organ was the norm for alternatim. A few settings by the Constance organist Hans Buchner are usable with the CC. I'd certainly want the sequence melodies included in an edition.

tomjaw

This is indeed the version of the sequence "Omnes Sancti..." on which Isaac's polyphonic setting is based (one can see the melody, usually with some ornamentation, in the parts). It is also the melody that is used in the Johannes Roullet setting available at CPDL (which sets the odd numbered verses, in contradistinction with the even verses setting by Isaac).

Ok. So, here goes. This is my attempt at setting Isaac's Omnes Sancti sequence for All Saints. Feel free to let me know what should be done differently with future sequence transcriptions, and thank you all for your help.

http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Sequence:_Omnes_Sancti_Seraphim_(Heinrich_Isaac)


http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/b/bb/Omnes_Sancti_Seraphim.pdf

http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/3/32/Omnes_Sancti_Seraphim.mp3.mp3

There's definitely no question about his genius in composition, as even before I put the text in and was just listening for transcription mistakes I was moved nearly to tears at various parts of this sequence. (sometimes tears just happen, though, because I'm in my 3rd Trimester =P)

After looking at that tract, @tomjaw, I can see exactly why someone would love to have it. It looks to be quite the (lovely) beast.
23 Pentecost makes a lot of sense to be one of my next projects since it can be used quite a lot. -- Do y'all already have the Amen Dico Vobis?

Please do make a recording of your All Saints sequence, when the time comes. If we don't get to do it I would love to get to hear someone else!

23-Last Pentecost are on CPDL.
We'll see if I can get to that 1 Lent Sequence in the near future.

Is there a known index somewhere for the Cantus Varii in usu apud Nostrates?

@CCooze
Yes, thank you so much for these, we have sung the Comm. Amen dico... for a few years, and for the last couple of years the All. De profundis... It will be great to have some nice easy to read editions to sing with.

Is there a known index somewhere for the Cantus Varii in usu apud Nostrates?

Yes, at the end of that part of the book, anyway I will attach the alphabetical index here (see below) This book has one of the best selections of former Sequences. I presume that you have managed to download the book from google, I had to use TOR to get mine.

8 different "Gaudeamus omnes..."

I presume that these will include the propers for All Saints, BVM Mount Carmel and Assumption, St. Thomas of Canterbury, St Mary Magdalen, St. Benedict etc. The text of this Introit was used with minor variations for quite a few Feasts!

Also if you are looking for a particular chant you are welcome to PM me I have quite a collection.

I'm going to attempt to have all of the Lenten Communion works on CPDL by the end of this week (today I put up Hoc Corpus).

I am looking to get the entirety of his propers for Laetare- and Palm Sunday on here in the near future so that people who are interested in them can have ample time to learn the Tracts by those Sundays. But I came across another anomaly that I remember seeing before - that the introits for (at least) Passion and Palm Sundays end in the middle of the last phrase of the verse, without enough space to just rework the wording at the end, and also without a decent segue into the last 2-3 words to simply be the Gregorian.

Suggestions appreciated (hopefully not that I should just completely reset the text starting after the verse incipit, which seems to be the only option I can think of that wouldn't make things awkward to the congregant/listener)!

Yes, many thanks for this.

I have passed on your question to our director of Music...

I brought along your settings of the last Sunday after Pentecost to our choir practice. He was soon busy playing the Introit and then sat down with a pencil to set the Gloria Patri, he suggests that the setting of the G.P. for the Asperges at the beginning of the book is a clue as to how to set the G.P. for all the Introits.

Another question when we have sung the Alleluia we have intoned it as normal and then the full choir sing the Isaac as written, was it deliberate that you did not set the Intonation of the Alleluia?

N.B. When I get time I will post his setting of the G.P. to this thread.

was it deliberate that you did not set the Intonation of the Alleluia?

Yes.
The way I look at it (which may be different than anyone/everyone else, I suppose) is this:

The rubrics usually state that if the Alleluia is intoned by just a certain number of cantors, they would sing to the asterisk, at which point all would repeat from the beginning, and then complete the Alleluia with the jubilus.
If it is to be the whole group that sings the Alleluia, they just sing through it as written, ignoring the asterisk.

So, when I see Isaac's music, it seems to me that it is a version of the latter. You get 1 full-text Alleluia before beginning the verse, and then after the verse you repeat the beginning "Alleluia" - just as you would in the chant.

I suppose you could sing the Gregorian Alleluia first, but at that point (in my mind) you're adding an Alleluia, which seems liturgically incorrect (again; to me).

---

...to set the Gloria Patri

I've thought about that being an option, too - just moving it to a correlating key.

Personally, I like that the way he writes his music works very well for you to go into a Gregorian/psalm-tone Gloria Patri, which then fits right back into the original incipit. I think it's lovely, and clever, and so I have no problem just chanting the G.P., which is readily recognizable to both congregants and the priest (all of whom may be interested in how long it is until the Gloria =P).

So, what I've decided is that for future introits, I'll give the incipit tone and the EUOUAE for the Gloria Patri (as in the Dicit Dominus). Whether or not to use it will be up to individual choirs.
(Hopefully I'll find time to go back and do the same for previously-uploaded versions, but when we reformatted our hard drive I lost all of my Finale files and I will have to input them all over again - which is unfortunate, because I did see the issue in the verse's incipit in Respice, Domine.)

Alright, I don't know if I'll get around to the other tracts/alleluias, but Isaac's Communion antiphons for Ash Wednesday and the 6 Sundays of Lent, plus all the Easter Propers are now on CPDL.

It'd be wonderful to hear recordings of any/all of these, if someone has the time to hit record whenever they are sung.

This is really excellent work, thank you so much.

We are looking at using the 3rd Sunday of Lent and the Passion Sunday Communion, hopefully we will have recordings.

Our Director has not got around to looking at the Introits.

As for post Pentecost I presume that the Issac Propers will follow the older arrangement rather than that found in the G.R. 1961.