Prosaire Aix-la-Chapelle - free download - 13th c sequence source
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Here is a little Christmas present for anyone who wants access to some of the most impotant sequence melodies in the vein of the St Victor Abbey.

    My friend Matthew has scanned most of, if not all of the "Prosaire Aix-la-Chapelle" from the Royal Chapel of Charlemagne in Aachane, I believe.

    This is among the top ten best sources for the most important most interesting sequences used throughout europe before the reformation.
    Some of the neumes are a bit challenging to read, but they are managable for those more experienced.

    The link will expire in a week, enjoy while it lasts.

    https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1311397160/24bf2c1b057d6a94aa2ec2eb2b8546fd
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,382
    Cannot this item (and others which commonly appear on this forum) be accessed more easily and pleasantly than by typing out these interminable, boring and off-putting formulas?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,189
    URLs can be copied and pasted.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,382
    I do well to send e-mail and find what I'm interested in!
    What is an URL? - copy it? - paste it?

    I've noticed that some people here give little blue links which provide an immediate and direct contact.
    Others give you http???///s58ABD82390&+??upQ@$%dkrm4999d,v//GOV.hfpl73754...h0rm54:
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,189
    A URL is the string of characters starting with "http" -- it's the address of a web page. "URL" stands for "Uniform Resource Locator".

    It certainly would be handy if people would learn how to make a clickable link in their forum posts, instead of just pasting in a URL.

    (For those who want to know how, there is a "sticky" thread at the top of the forum thread list about HTML shortcuts, which contains instructions.)

    But even if people don't do that, you can use your mouse to highlight a URL from a post here, and copy and paste that into a new browser window, to view the web page. I assume you're already familiar with how to copy and paste strings of text on your PC.
  • expeditus1
    Posts: 483
    Chris, this is a delight of a stocking stuffer! Thanks for sharing. Love the chant on page 95 (Gaude mater Ecclesia), but since I don't know French, is there someone who could explain what the directives immediately preceding it (page 94) and following it (bottom of p. 95), are saying? The chant ends with "Quicquid fuit tormentorum ir-..." - What is supposed to happen after that?

    Know of any translation source for these chants? (Me? Lazy.)
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,175
    Here's the link in a clickable form.
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Prosaire Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen Chapel) (13th c Sequentiary).pdf

    I do not know of an english translation source for this specific collection. The best method I know of is to type in the name of the sequence in google.book.com, find the latin text , copy and paste in into a text file, make certain all words are correctly spelled and than put it into translate.google.com. This takes some effort but I do it every week, and this gives me enough of a literal understanding for my satisfaction usually.

    The sequences that were used specifically in england are available in good translations in the english translations of sarum missal books. I will estimate that about 1/3 of the sequences in this book were used throughout england as well.

    For the most part I find these sequences reflect the german speaking repertoire of prose the most. With a mixture of northern french repertoire too, being that Aachen was the capitol of the Holy Roman Empire and also not far from the border of Gaul/France.

    At first I found it a challenge to read the neumes in the book, but I kept trying and I've figured it out quite well now, I might make a few mistakes, but I achieve a 95% accuracy of the original melody and it sounds good, so i am satisfied. The main confusion for me is in the reading of where there are two or three neumes, per syllable instead of one, it can be harder to tell in some instances. Others may correct any mistakes I made in the future. The more I look at whats in this book, the more impressed i am with it. It has a great variety of melodies and like most german sources includes quite a number of the earlier prose written by notker.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    here is one example of the contents, typeset in english and latin.

    Martyris egregii ; Sequence for St Vincent of Sarragossa - 22 January.
  • aldrich
    Posts: 230
    Here is a typeset version of "Laus erumpat ex affectu," the Sequence in honour of Saint Michael the Archangel.

    EDIT: Below is the "finalised" version of the .pdf file (9 Feb 2012).
    Laus erumpat ex affectu.pdf
    1M
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Aldrich thank you for your work and interest in this! how marvelous to find another person with the dedication to do this. And you have now helped show an important feature of medieval hymnody by your work on that particular sequence. What you illustrate is the fact that many sequences, like office hymns, may have more than one melody use for them. The melody can vary especially by region and country.

    I hadn't realized that "Laus erumpat" had a different melody until I looked at your work!

    As you can see I myself had not looked at all the sequence melodies in this facsimile.

    So here is the other melody for the sequence, which i had also typeset last september, from a different mansuscript.

    It has "there more generic" melody. I think I like the one from the Prosaire of Aachen better!
    19-28 - LAUS erumpat ex affect (NN) (FRENCH MELODY) (Sequence for St. Michael, Archangel) (12th c).pdf
    305K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Protasius
    Posts: 468
    Aldrich, the latin name Aix-la-Chapelle or Aachen is Aquisgranum, therefore it should be Prosarium Aquisgranensis instead of Antiquarensis.
  • aldrich
    Posts: 230
    Here's the Sequence in honour of Saint Charlemagne, "In Caroli Magni laude."
    In Caroli Magni laude.pdf
    801K
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Aldrich, I'm teaching my students about the Franks and Charlemagne just now, and since they all either serve or attend the EF every week, this is a serendipitous posting! Thanks!
    Thanked by 1aldrich
  • Chris_McAvoyChris_McAvoy
    Posts: 389
    Very interesting, the same melody being reused. Now whenever someone tries to say St. Constantine the Great is not really a valid saint. I can tell them that Charlemagne is not any different in his own Sainthood.

    (Among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Christians. The Byzantine liturgical calendar, observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite, lists both Constantine and his mother Helena as saints. Although he is not included in the Latin Church's list of saints, which does recognise several other Constantines as saints, he is revered under the title "The Great" for his contributions to Christianity.)

    (Charlemagne himself was accorded sainthood inside the Holy Roman Empire after the twelfth century. His canonisation by Antipope Paschal III, to gain the favour of Frederick Barbarossa in 1165, was never recognised by the Holy See, which annulled all of Paschal's ordinances at the Third Lateran Council in 1179. His name does not appear among the 28 saints named Charles who are listed in the Roman Martyrology.[84] However, his beatification has been acknowledged as cultus confirmed and is celebrated on 28 January.[citation needed] In the Divine Comedy the spirit of Charlemagne appears to Dante in the Heaven of Mars, among the other "warriors of the faith.")
    Thanked by 1aldrich
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