Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium Kyrie
  • nelemme
    Posts: 9
    I would be grateful for anyone's knowledge as to whether Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium Kyrie needs repetitions or alternations with a chanted Mass (e.g. Mass IV) in order to make in ninefold for use in the EF of the Mass.
    I also have a question as to why the Soprano's are singing Kyrie in the B-section of when the rest of the voices are singing Christe.

    Thank you for you time and God Bless.
    -nicholas
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    To the best of my knowledge the rubric concerning the nine-fold Kyrie applies only to chant settings; l have never seen it applied to a polyphonic setting. There is no need to alter or repeat any section of the polyphony.

    I take it you are looking at the version on CPDL edited by John Henry Fowler? The "Kyrie" in in the soprano part is a misprint: they should sing "Christe" along with the rest of the choir.
    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    You must be using the John Henry Fowler edition (transposed up a m3), which is in error: the Sopranos are supposed to sing Christe eleison in the second section, not Kyrie eleison. See the attached PDF for the correct version (original key).
    Victoria-O_Magnum_Mysterium-1-Kyrie.pdf
    130K
    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    We sang this exact Kyrie as written (no repeats) for a Solemn Pontifical Mass just over a week ago.

    In attendance were 60 FSSP priests, an archbishop who knows his rubrics, and no one objected. Fwiw
    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • rob
    Posts: 148
    A recording here, around 07:49: http://fssp.com/press/2013/11/twenty-fifth-anniversary-events-of-the-fssp/

    I'd never noticed the Christe eleison issue until now, although I had also raised the issue of repetition early on in the rehearsal.
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Aaaack! Rob, clearly the choir mistress was awash with adrenaline. The tempo of the Kyrie is much too fast in that recording!!
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Mary Ann, did you sing the rest of the O Magnum Mysterium Mass? It must have been beautiful. What other polyphonic masses have you sung?
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Aaaack! Rob, clearly the choir mistress was awash with adrenaline. The tempo of the Kyrie is much too fast in that recording!!


    There's nothing like the first few moments of a big liturgy - the only place in the world where 'Grave' comes out as minim = 132.

    I'm listening to the recording as I type, MACW. You did a fantastic job!
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Ooo . . . I didn't realize there was a video! Thanks for this. I'm watching it, too.
    It sounds just splendid, Mary Ann! What a grand celebration.
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