New three part mass setting started
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 178
    As my last mass settings have been for two and four voices, I thought it is time again to try another three part setting, especially as my 40 years old setting is a bit worn out. So far, only the Kyrie is finished, which I have attached.

    The Christe might be a bit over the top with its descending quarter-chains (God’s Son coming to Earth), the many sharps (= crosses) accompanied by a brief passus duriusculus, and the painful tritone parallel at the end, but on the other hand this makes every listener notice the text interpretation.

    It is in my favorite international language, but it should be straightforward to make an alternative version with the Greek text "Kyrie/Christe eleison" for those who only sing Latin masses. OTOH, those who only sing in Latin/Greek presumably do not like this kind of "contemporary slop", so it is presumably not worth the trouble.

    If someone nevertheless would like to have a Greek version, please let me know.
    Thanked by 1m_r_taylor
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,107
    Herr Dalitz,

    Wir singen meistens auf Latein, ganz oft Ihre Sätze, und haben solches „Slop“ ganz lieb.

    Herzlichen Dank!
    Thanked by 3Xopheros Jeffrey Quick CHGiffen
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 178
    As I have received a request for a Greek version via DM, please find it attached. Note that the melody had to be changed to fit the different stresses. Moreover, I have also slightly extended the passus duriusculus in the Christe.
    kyrie-je-tri-vocxoj-lt.pdf
    64K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,107
    Thank you so much! Grateful too for the extension of the passus duriusculus -- one of my favorite devices.
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 178
    Meanwhile, I have added a Sanctus and an Agnus Dei. We have not yet made a recording and will postpone it until the Gloria is finished; then we will record it with organ for Radio Vatican. The Agnus Dei might also work in a Latin arrangement; if you plan to sing it and for some reason can only do so in Latin, please send me a direct message.

    As the Sanctus strictly requires the congregation and the choir to join according to the GIRM, I have found a different solution than in a previous mass setting: The congregation starts with the "Sanctus" and, after each of the two choir verses ("Pleni" and "Benedictus"), it sings the "Hosanna" as a refrain. I have prepared a chant sheet for the congregation, in which I have avoided the high e'', which most congregation members presumably cannot sing and leave this tone representing "excelsis" and "Deus" to the choir.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 178
    Eventually, the whole mass setting is finished and we have made and uploaded a complete recording with organ accompaniment.

    The opening dialogue in the Kyrie between the "Lord" invocation and the prayer "have mercy" reoccurs as a leitmotif in other movements, too, albeit in different voice combinations (B+SA in the Kyrie, A+SB in the Gloria, and S+AB in the Agnus Dei). As usual, the most elaborate setting is the Gloria with modulations Am -> C -> Gm -> A. After the highest note of the piece is reached at "the Most High Jesus Christ" and the organ makes the sign of a cross, the Gloria ends very conventionally with a brief fugue (direct link to the end).
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,458
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