New Gregorian Missal
  • JennyH
    Posts: 106
    Has anyone received the new Gregorian Missal by Solesmes? Any thoughts? What about the Solesmes Sing the Mass? Any thoughts? I notice the new ICEL chants have the ictus, including the Snow Our Father written in box notation.
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    The new Gregorian Missal is basically the same as the previous one except that the English translations of prayers are updated with the new ICEL translations. Also, the translations of many of the propers chants are updated with those from the Missal - when the Missal text matches the Latin antiphon.

    The chants appear to have been re-engraved (i.e. the music has been typeset using modern software), but they retain all Solesmes rhythmic markings (including ictus) and are usually (but not always) laid out with the same words and notes per staff as the previous edition. As a result, this is incredibly subtle, and I doubt it would be something many people would even notice.
  • SamuelDorlaque
    Posts: 318
    I plan to use our GMs until they wear out. The Vatican II Hymnal, provides the updated translations for the Mass and the Proper. It is interesting to compare the GM/Graduale
    notational settings, with the new transcriptions at Gregor und Taube, which may well be a working draft for a new Graduale. Again, the Benedictines are hard at work!
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    I imagine at some point, Solesmes will update the melodies of the Graduale based on more recent scholarship - after all, they have a mandate from the Vatican to do so. And then some of us will rejoice at the contribution towards restoring chant, some of us will complain because the current melodies have become beloved, and others will just be confused.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Someone who had a working relationship with Dom Daniel Saulnier told me years ago that Solesmes had submitted a draft of a revised Graduale Romanum, to Rome for approval and that it had been sitting untouched on a Curia official's desk. The Gregor und Taube Graduale Romanum novum was privately published. As far as I know, however, no authorities have attempted to curtail its use.
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    I am making more and more reference to the Graduale Novum in my work. It would just be nice for the Church to officially acknowledge this work - especially since it was specifically called for. I do wonder if half the problem is that there is concern that this renewal in chant might be somehow damaged if there arose a split between people using the new vs the old Graduale. It would be unfortunate, but as I said above, I could sadly see people reacting that way.
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