Jesu Dulcis Memoria origins
  • Scott_WScott_W
    Posts: 468
    We sang this at Mass out of The Parish Book of Chant and it is becoming one of my favorites. I've read some brief notes about the history and disputed(?) authorship of the text, but what are the origins of the melody?
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    We sang this yesterday out of the hymnal. I'd be interested in the origins of the melody as well.
  • PeterJ
    Posts: 90
    Ditto.

    Simple, elegant, beautiful. And the melody works well for many hymns in long metre.

    As an aside, I think traditional hymn tunes like this are a great way to get people "into" chant more generally.
    Thanked by 2ronkrisman Kathy
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I've been favoring this lately as well, mainly after I finish the offertory chant. I haven't yet attempted trying the offertorale verses...I've always liked it though.

    It's also quite useful for the office when you can't teach a new hymn tune.
    Thanked by 1ronkrisman
  • Hilary CesareHilary Cesare
    Posts: 75
    Something I found about it in Google Books (I LOVE Google Books.):

    http://books.google.com/books?id=138eAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA22&dq="jesu+dulcis+memoria"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eUnSUdawNpPe8ATswYHgBg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q="jesu dulcis memoria"&f=false
    Thanked by 3ronkrisman CHGiffen Wendi
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    Great find, catholicrose! Thank you.
  • Hilary CesareHilary Cesare
    Posts: 75
    Your welcome! My name is actually Hilary Cesare - does anyone know how to change your username? I don't think it will let me...Maybe I can just sign all my posts. : )
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Send me a message through my profile page and I can modify it as desired.
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    What about the tune?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    A quick look for this melody on the Global Chant database:

    http://www.globalchant.org/melody-search.php?melody=10503040512021

    This suggests that it is only used for the Vespers and the Lauds Hymn, of course the Matins Hymn would also have been set to this melody (but the Nocturnale index is missing from this database.

    Also it is only found in the Antiphonale Monasticum, and in the Liber / Antiphonal.

    As far as I can tell the earliest books I have found it in is the Antiphonale (Roman), 1912

    It is found with a different melody in the older Antiphonals, such as the Liber Responsoralis 1895, and Manuale Missae et Officiorum 1903. This melody with minor changes can be found here;

    http://www.globalchant.org/view-source.php?src=Lu&page=419

    A search of the Cantus Database of manuscripts does not give this hymn...

    http://cantusdatabase.org/feast/410916/nominis-jesu

    Other usages,
    Ambrosian Vesperale (online) uses a different Hymn.
    Dominican:
    Antiphonarium (pg. 358) and Processionarium (pg. 306) give two melodies, the first on page 306 is the one we usually use, I have not found it used elsewhere...

    image

    The second is a variation of this melody:

    http://www.globalchant.org/view-source.php?src=Lu&page=852

    Franciscan: In the Romao-seraphicum it is set to three melodies;

    The first is the one found in the L.U.
    http://www.globalchant.org/view-source.php?src=Lu&page=452

    The second is,
    http://www.globalchant.org/view-source.php?src=Lu&page=419

    The Third is a melody in mode 4 not found on the Global chant database.

    To find out why Solesmes, changed the melody over between 1903 and 1912, I think we would need to ask them... Did they find an earlier source, or just write a new melody?

    For such an old hymn it is strange that the usual databases do not have the text, and they do not have the 1912 melody. Two of the other melodies listed / linked above are much more commonly found, the second Dominican is I think found in the oldest Domincan manuscripts.

    Apart from a thesis written about Dominican Hymns and their melodies, I have found very little about the melodies. Of course the texts of the hymns are discussed in a great many books.
    Jesudulcis.pdf
    69K
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen PeterJ Kathy
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    tomjaw, thank you for your great research.

    How fortunate for all of us that JESU DULCIS MEMORIA either survived from some yet undiscovered source or was written in 1912! In comparison, JESU DECUS ANGELICUM is a lackluster tune.

    When studying a tune one looks at the structure (for "JDA" it is ABCA), the ending notes at the various cadences, imitation and sequences and the lack of the same, etc. The fact that three cadential notes of JESU DECUS ANGELICUM are "Re" is the first indication for me that this is not one of the better chant tunes.

    I find the punctum clivis punctum cadences less than satisfying. Since the first punctum in each cadence is over an accented syllable of the text, for me this pattern would be better for the final three syllables of each phrase: clivis punctum punctum. Such would also set up a pleasing sequence in the third musical phrase: mel (clivis) mi- (punctum) rí- (clivis) fi- (punctum) cum (punctum)

    Notice that the second musical phrase of JESU DECUS ANGELICUM is identical to that of ERHALT UNS, HERR. In the latter, the second phrase is an almost magical contrast (8 quarter notes) to the first phrase containing 3 slurred groupings of eighth note and 5 quarter notes. In the former tune ("JDA"), the second musical phrase strikes me not as a surprising contrast to other features of the tune; rather it seems not to belong in the tune.
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    I find the punctum clivis punctum cadences less than satisfying. Since the first punctum in each cadence is over an accented syllable of the text, for me this pattern would be better for the final three syllables of each phrase: clivis punctum punctum. Such would also set up a pleasing sequence in the third musical phrase: mel (clivis) mi- (punctum) rí- (clivis) fi- (punctum) cum (punctum)


    If one sings through the Liber Hymnarius, one finds this kind of tension of unaccented syllables being assigned to several notes and accented syllables being assigned to puncta. To my ear, it is part of the beauty of chant - in Latin, or for that matter, English. I often get frustrated when English translations of Office hymns are paired with the Latin melodies and the melodies are altered slightly, even when the English generally maintains the same accent patern as the Latin.

    Just leave it alone and try to find the beauty. If after a few years you still feel the same way, then maybe start tinkering.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    We have to have extra notes on unaccented syllables, otherwise the fussbudgets wouldn't be able to pratter on and on about how drastically different Latin-language word accents are from English.
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    We have to have extra notes on unaccented syllables, otherwise the fussbudgets wouldn't be able to pratter on and on about how drastically different Latin-language word accents are from English.


    I suppose you're right... And what of the psalmtones? There'd be no reason for people to adjust them as better suited for English, copyright them, and sell them.
    Thanked by 2Adam Wood CHGiffen
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    SkipR, you are reading me wrong. I was only trying to analyze the tune with an editor's critical eye. I would never change the notation myself. In fact, I would never use the tune myself. Why would I when I have the gem that JESU DULCIS MEMORIA is!
    Thanked by 4Adam Wood Andrew_Malton SkirpR CHGiffen
  • SkirpRSkirpR
    Posts: 854
    SkipR, you are reading me wrong. I was only trying to analyze the tune with an editor's critical eye. I would never change the notation myself. In fact, I would never use the tune myself. Why would I when I have the gem that JESU DULCIS MEMORIA is!


    Fair enough. Some as observant as you are not nearly as restrained.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    Fussbudgets? Again???

    While I have found the tune to JDM to be ideal as a first thing to theach chant classes, who really take to it, I have found, as well, that, over time, it suffers the same fate as singing HYFRYDOL every two weeks: it is a really good tune, priceless in its simplicity, which is rather spoiled from over use. ( , , , ,)

    A tune I never get tired of is CHRISTE REDEMPTOR, which is paired with another cento (Jesus, thou Joy of loving hearts) from JDM at no. 485 in the 1940. JDM itself sounds lovely with this tune.

    (There are numerous centos, by the way, the entiire hymn/poem being in the neighbourhood of 150 stanzas, most likely by an anonymous English monk and likely not by Bernard of Clairvaux.)
    Thanked by 1Gavin
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Another thing to think about when choosing melodies, is how are they being sung...

    A pair of cantors / small choir / mixed choir / or congregation.

    Jesu Dulcis... melody as found in the LU could be sung well by any of the above... some of the other melodies I have posted will sound great with cantors / small choir, but NOT by a large congregation.
Add a Comment