Caecilia V57n12 1930
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Volume 57 D ecember, 1930 No. 12 Q.1urr.ent Q.1nmm.euts . (Editor's ~ote : New~ for this sectio.n is welcome from subscribers and choirmasters in various d ioceses. Notice of anmversaries, special ceremonies and other interesting activities solicited.) PARIS, FRANCE. celebrated his golden jubilee this year, on October Monsignor Perruchot, Vicar General and choir 7th. The McDonnell Memorial High School in master of the Cathedral of Monaco whose com Chippewa Falls, W isconsin, was erected by him, positions are known in many countri~s, died Octo and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh received ber 22nd, at the age of 78 years. its charter under his guidance. A definite observ ance of the liturgy has always accompanied Father ROME, ITALY. Phe!an's work, 25 years ago we find chronicled, The manuscripts of all the works of Don the fact that the boys of his Sodality sang the Lorenzo Perosi are to become the property of the Gregorian Masses and Vespers and that a men's Vatican through a provision of the will of the chor_us flourished on solemn and majestic liturgical composer's brother, the late Cardinal Carlo Perosi. music. All this in a parish of 3,000 Irish and French people, under his direction, in addition to T he works of John Singenberger are among his regular parochial duties. those fo und m common use at the American Col lege, in t he choir work of student seminarians. N E W YORK, N . Y. T he Augustinian Fathers of the Parish of Our L ady of Consolation in preparation for the 15th A recent article in the N. Y . Times by the Rev. Centenary of St. A ugustine of Hippo, have given Fr. J oseph Rostagno, choir director of St. Pa tricks special emphasis to m usic. A mass of St. Augus Cathedral, stated that there is a modern trend in tine has been especially composed by Signor C the music of the Roman Catholic Church that one Dobici. Caesare D obici was born in V iterbo in person cannot serve as both organist a~d choir 1873, studied in R om e under :Maestro Metuzzi t hen master, and that the average choirmaster is one director of the Sistine Choir. Dobici became di w ho turns -h is mind towards reli gion but once a rector of the Choral Chapel and School at V iterbo week. and later joined Ernesto Boezi to fo rm the Su ~ These statements have aroused much comment perior S chool of Music in R om e w here he teaches am ong church musicians of all denominations. today . Critics acclaim the new m ass as a sym phony of exaltation worthy to be placed with the Father Rostagno r ecently came to the Cathedral best. It will be heard for the first time, however, from Rom e an d was commissioned by Cardinal during the Augustinian celebration. H ayes to take char ge of the choir. His impres sions of American church music are therefore most FERNDALE, CONNECTICUT. interesting. Father Eugene Phelan, Provincial of the Ameri can Province of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost, (P lease Turn to Page 192) 190 The Caecilia The New Victor Recording of Gregorian Chants Sung by the Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, Solesmes, F ranee UNDE R THE DIRECTION OF DOM JOSEPH GAJARD, 0. S. B. A REVIEW and a SUGGESTION By William Arthur Reilly (A. B., Boston College, Member of Boston School Committee, Associate Editor of Caecilia.) /••, ec>.~:u~ ,,,~ T is difficult to find words to Pothier and Dom 1\Iocquereau in the resto bl\ o;;.._,7"1 QJ ~""<·::••''.,. Ac)_r i ~ · R i express adequately the per- ration of Gregorian Chant. But in another ,d I ~ k ~ection and bea~ty evident way it is deserving of attention and praise. 'o/ ~ R~? m the Gregorian Chants It gives as clear, brief and comprehensive f ~ ! f sung by the monks of a description of the art of Gregorian singing ..,~,...,,~~~~f-' Solesmes in their mon- as we have ever seen. It forms an excellent ~J¥I.1'¥ , astery chapel and recorded introduction to an intelligent appreciation by the Victor Company re of the records. Tt touches upon Modality, cently. Perhaps the most worthy praise, Rhythm and the most important principles because it would include everything, would underlying the Solesmes tradition or meth be to say that they measure up completely od, in a way that is very understandable, in every detail: tone, smooothness, clear even by the ordinary non-musician. Later ness of diction, etc., to all the eulogies that the author goes into discussions where only we have been accustomed to hear for vears, a musician can fo llow him. In the last part of the unearthly beauty of Gregorian ·in its of the brochure Dom Gajard proceeds to a Solesmes setting . Truly, taken all together detailed description of each individual rec these records furnish the clearest, simplest, ord. It is of course around these descrip most direct, pleasing, entertaining, captivat tions that any popular interest will center. ing and fascinating course of study in This section of the presentation we be Gregorian singing that could be imagined, lieve leaves something to be desired. In and will probably supplant all others. view of the magnitude and success of the Our expectations were high, but they contribution as a whole, it may seem petty have been met perfectly. The monks of or presumptuous for us to offer any criti Solesmes, their director, Dom Joseph cism at all. Nor would we be so ungracious Gajard, 0. S. B., and the Victor Company as to do so, unless we felt that it were both deserve the congratulations and thanks of constructive and helpful. the musical and devotional world for these We wish that the ReYerend author had splendid exemplifications of art and prayer. not made his comments upon each record so If there is anything unsatisfactory about very scanty. The booklet being a semi-com the records it is merely that some which we mercial thing, the writer may have been lim anticipated most, and which we think would ited as to space. A second reason which may have been a more acceptable and useful explain this deficiency, might be that Eu selection both to specialists and to the pub ropeans generally do not feel the need of ex lic, are not included in the list: notably the planations of Latin as much as we Ameri Pange Lingua, the Dies Irae, the Lauda cans do. It would be a complete waste of Sion, in fact there are no sequences record time and type to tell an Italian, for instance, ed at all. \Ve hope that the success of these that "Pater" noster qui es in coelis, sancti- records will warrant the making of the ficetur nomen tu mm ...... " means: Padre others. nostro che sei ne' coeli sia santificato il tuo * * * * * nome ...... etc. He already recognizes it A very interesting and enlightening bro from his own tongue. 1\ot so, with us. We chure from the pen of the Director of the Americans as a people lack any great famil Choir accompanies these albums of Musical iarity with Latin and appreciate the trans Masterpieces. It contains historical notes on lations of eYen the most common expres the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes and sions of the Liturgy. And the clearer and upon the labors of Dom Gueranger, Dom · simpler they are, the more "·e apprecia,te "We recommend THE CAECILIA to our clergy and our sisterhood" - Cardinal Mundelein. The Caecilia 191 them. If these be the reasons for his omis to locate the Responsories of Holy Week, sion of the thought content of the records, Tenebrae, and still another, (which we do we trust that he may Javor us later with a not possess), for other Responsories, and fuller explanation of the records. We would then had to give up the search when in gladly offer him our pages for that purpose. formed that others were from the monastic We know of no one whose comments we Antiphonary. For the benefit of those of would welcome more. our readers who may not be familiar enough Here in Boston, for a year or more now, with it to find them easily, we have indi our Catholic Truth Radio Period has been cated in the following list, the location in devoting an entire hour every two or three the Liber Usualis of all the texts contained months to just the sort of explanation of therein. We would be grateful for informa Catholic Church Music which we hoped tion leading to the discovery of the others. would accompany the records. If there is Now our contention is as follows. En one thing which these local instructions of thusiasts will perhaps go to all the trouble ours have taught us, it is that the true route indicated above, in order to satisfy their de to an appreciation of Gregorian lies through sire to learn all that these records teach. a complete understanding of the p9.rtciular But what about the vast public who have thought which is about to be interpreted only a momentary cultural curiosity about in music. At much pains, just before it is this strange music? There is, we believe, sung, the thought is thoroughly presented a very large number of persons really eager to the radio audience, both in Latin and in just now to understand wherein lie the English, along with any other liturgical or peculiar charm and lavishly praised merit musical comment which may contribute to of this style of music.