The Solesmes Method: Its Fundamental Principles and Practical Rules of Interpretation

Dom Joseph Gajard

ISBN 10: 0814608639 / ISBN 13: 9780814608630

Published by Liturgical Pr, 1960

About this Item

May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.

Seller Inventory # G0814608639I4N00

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Solesmes Method: Its Fundamental Principles and Practical Rules of Interpretation
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr
• Publication Date: 1960
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814608639
• ISBN 13: 9780814608630
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Weight: 0.35 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

St. Peter's Abbey of Solesmes, France, has long been recognized as a center of European Gregorian chant. This book presents the "Solesmes Method" originated by Dom André Mocquereau, in two parts. The first part, concerned with theory, sets forth the principles that constitute the method, stressing those that distinguish it from other chant procedures. The second part presents the actual rules for singing, rules that are theological implementation of the general principles. This book has been re-issued in response to renewed interest in Gregorian chant.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

© The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced by any means, without the written permission of The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321.
Chapter 1
Preliminary Observations

The Most Important Attempts At Interpretation

The task of restoring the Gregorian melodies, begun approximately a century ago, has been long and arduous, and this fact is perhaps too little known. Much ground had to be covered, and for the workers who undertook this heavy task it meant starting from practically zero as regards both melody and rhythm. Great demands were made on their time and patience as the gropingly felt their was toward the full light. This was particularly the case in everything concerning rhythm, about which information was very deficient.

Many systems have been put forward, most often independently of one another. They have me the varying success; for some, failure was to be expected.

I wish here to explain the method of interpretation established by Dom Mocquereau, which is known as the "Solesmes Method." In order to leave the reader in no doubt as to what characterizes this method, I think it will be useful to first summarize the principal attempt at interpretation which have been made and which are now but faint landmarks on the long road which has been covered. In doing this I shall not attempt to refute them, but, by a process of elimination, I shall remove obstructions and thus pave the way for my thesis, so this it may, by contrast, stand out the more clearly.

The methods of interpretation so far given to the public can be broadly divided into two categories: Those of the mensuralists or partisans of so-called measured rhythm, and those of the partisans of so-called rhythm.