Liber Hymnarius: new, second edition
  • The Abbey of Solesmes has just published a second edition of the Liber Hymnarius for the Liturgia Horarum of the OF. This new edition has no rhythmic signs, as all the other recent chants books, and has a new preface. All new feasts and memorials for saints canonized since 1983 have been included.

    See the new edition at: https://www.abbayedesolesmes.fr/affichagelivres/liber-hymnarius
  • VilyanorVilyanor
    Posts: 388
    Curious to see what's in the new preface. Anyone planning to pick up a copy?
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    Have just ordered a copy! But I expect I won't see it for several weeks. My Latin also isn't good enough to make much sense of the preface.
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    My new Liber Hymnarius (2019) just arrived. Is there anything people would like to know?
  • Any other substantive changes from the first edition that you notice, aside from the two mentioned in the very first post?
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    @drforjc Here are a few I've spotted:

    There are still some rhythmic signs - minimal use of puncta morae in some hymns, similarly to what has been done in the Antiphonale Romanum II.

    A few changes have been made to the Psalmus invitatorius 94 section.
    • Tonus IV* ad libitum removed from section (may have been moved elsewhere)
    • Tonus IV** added to section (came from Christmas)
    • Tonus VI ad libitum renamed to Tonus VI*
    • Tonus VI* renamed to Tonus VI**
    • Tonus VI** renamed to Tonus VI***
    • Tonus VII ad libitum renamed to Tonus VII*
    • Tonus E ad libitum renamed to Tonus E*

    Regarding the new Tonus IV**, it is still in place for Tempus Nativitatis usque ad Sollemnitatem Epiphaniae, but with flats added to two of the three Bs per strophe.

    The index of hymns now includes information on the origin of almost every hymn - century, author or attribution, including those written by Lentini.
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    Note to admin: please delete if this contravenes copyright or anything.

    @Vilyanor Looking at the preface, I see the following changes, deletions or additions:

    Subsection: Invitatoria
    After the paragraph starting "Antiphona ad invitatorium iuxta..." has been added:
    Si antiphona ad invitatorium terminatur a verbis Venite adoremus, haec verba tantum repetere licet post unamquamque stropham, dummodo sibi consonent partes melodiae. Sed post Gloria Patri, semper repeti debet antiphona integra.

    The paragraph "Toni vero, vel pro antiphona..." has been deleted

    There are no changes under subsections "Hymni", "Responsoria" or "Proprium monasticum".

    The section heading "De aliquibus regulis in cantu servandis" has been renamed to De aliquibus principibus musicalibus huius editionis.

    The subheadings have been deleted from this section. The subsection previously entitled "I. De neumis" remains mostly intact, with the following changes.
    • The list item beginning "numeris 9 et 11" has been changed to:
      - numeris 9 et 11, neumae initio debiles, quarum prima notula praetenuis est;
    • The list item beginning "numero 16, transcriptio" has been changed to:
      - numero 16, transcriptio usu recepta trigoni, cuius trinae notulae ex seipsis tenues sunt.
    • The paragraph "Insuper, figurae plures" now reads as:
      Insuper, figurae plures, quae in primitivis notationibus vim habere in ordine melodiae (v.g. virga simplex vel oriscus extremus...) visae sunt causas non amplius habent cur exprimantur. Pro illis enim satis loquitur situs in lineolis hodiernae notationis.

    Subsections "II. Quomodo neumae legantur: and "III. Quantum valeant notulae diversae" have been deleted in full.

    The text resumes with the subsection previously entitled "De repercussione et coniunctione vocalium", starting at the paragraph "E notatione...". The second half of this paragraph, from "unde unaquaeque..." has been deleted.

    The section continues up to and including the diagram of barlines. The example that followed has been deleted, and the preface concludes with the following two paragraphs:

    Excellentia liturgica cantilenae gregorianae ex perfecta adaequatione melodiae cum textum sacrum defluit. Propterera qui cantando dictioni latinae sedulam dat operam, ipso facto iam potitur requisitis plurimus ad cantilenam gregorianam recte exsequendam.

    Haec latina dictio versificatis hymnis praebet specificam proprietam. In quibusdam ex iis syllabarum quantitas latinarum, iuxta consuetudinem, longa aut brevis, ad rhythmi integritatem requiritur. In casibus sapphicorum hymnorum, cum melodia non clare significat syballam longam esse, prope notam separatam additur punctum, quod huic defectu satisfacit.
  • FSSPmusic
    Posts: 208
    Somehow I missed this scathing review from a couple of years ago:
    https://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2020/12/07/the-new-liber-hymnarius-from-solesmes-a-critical-review/

    A few excerpts:
    Behind the minimizing and euphemistic statement that the “rhythmic signs” were removed is concealed the surprising and shocking observation that anything that in any way could recall the interpretation of chant in light of the oldest manuscripts has been obliterated.
    The lifegiving power of the melodies in their differentiated rhythmic form and theological proclamation has been castrated by the removal of the various types of dots and episemas.
    One can only deeply regret what happened with this edition. Distinguished Solesmes chant scholars such as Pothier, Mocquereau, Claire, and Cardine were always at the cutting edge of scholarly advances in questions of restitution and interpretation. Today, regression and retrospective dominate. That pains the heart. One wonders what is behind this and how we could have arrived at this point.
    Thanked by 2igneus DCM