Those of you interested in how chant was sung during the last two centuries will be interested to learn that The St. Jean de Lalande Library of Rare Books just added more than sixty new books, all available for free and instant download. Watershed currently has well over 100 books up there already.
There are so many treasures, it is hard to speak about just a few.
For example, the entire 1883 Liber Gradualis of Pothier, the entire Reims/Cambrai Graduale (the true predecessor to the Solesmes books), and the Peter Wagner Kyriale (in modern notation, as well as Wagner's hideous organ accompaniments to the Editio Vaticana) are some of the gems you can download there for free.
For those of you who liked my chant article which appeared here, you will especially enjoy the 1939 book by Joseph Gogniat (located in the CHANT TREATISE section), with Preface by Card. Pacelli. [By the way, if you really want to confuse yourself, read my article, then Gogniat's book, then this letter from the Vatican, and then tell me this is not an important subject!].
For those of you who were discussing Chant on modern staves, you might be interested to read:
(1) The fascinating Preface at the beginning of the book called "1904 Solesmes Kyriale (A.Soles1904eng)," located in the chant in modern notation section.
(2) PDF page #10 of the Joseph Gogniat Book
For those who want Gregorian notation but on modern staves, check out "1909 Weinmann Graduale (on modern staves)" in the GRADUALE TOME.
There is plenty more, especially for those fascinated with chant Organ Accompaniments. Look at the 1900 Michael Horn Kyriale and tell me you're not fascinated. Or look at the treatises by Lepage, Brun, Francis Potier, Parisot, Niedermeyer, or any of the others and tell me you're not spellbound.
Enjoy!
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!! WE ADD NEW BOOKS CONSTANTLY, but this project will only survive if there is interest!
Corpus Christi Watershed has made all these books possible, and Watershed will soon be announcing super exciting news regarding the Colloquium.
I am waiting for the first, rainy afternoon this summer when I can "waste time" browsing the huge amount of material Jeff has collected. It's like being in a quality used book store--the kind of place that I could spend hours browsing. This is fantastic.
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