note before the Oriscus?
  • BGP
    Posts: 215
    dose anyone drop the note preceding the Oriscus by a half step? it is explained on page 94 of the Textbook of Gregorian Chant by Sunol. I'm asking because I was listening to a recording of the Introit Gaudeamus (for all saints) where this is done. I'm wondering what this practice is based on and whether to use it?
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Solesmes does not currently endorse this practice.
  • RobertRobert
    Posts: 343
    In Le Nombre Musical Gregorien, part 2, chapter 10 Mocquereau explains this practice in a footnote. Rough translation:

    "There are occasions where dropping the note preceding the oriscus makes for a more graceful melody. A few years ago at Solesmes we allowed ourselves a little experiment: in the introit Gaudeamus, rather than singing the phrase "diem festum" as noted in the Liber Gradualis, we executed it according to [an altered notation] . . . This method of interpreting the clivis-oriscus was found to be so pleasing that we kept it in spite of the written notation."

    He then appears to suggest that for capable singers, it would be even better to drop the note by a quarter step (i.e. a microtone) rather than a half step!
  • BGP
    Posts: 215
    Thanks
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