The Bugnini-Liturgy and the Reform of the Reform - MusicaSacra

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shared in the fate of the other "accompanying" chants in that they were eliminated or replaced in most churches. Here again the Bugnini liturgy took the Tridentine rite as its point of departure and not the entire Roman tradition. Its approach to the problems was again to find proposals for further simplification. It draw the final conclusions from the fate of "background chants": some pieces are listed, but they can be replaced by anything else (by any "cantus aptus," — and nobody knows what the "aptus" means in these cases). By doing so, the reform legitimized the process of devalorization which afflicted the chants accompanying the adoration of the Cross in most churches anyway. In general, it can be said that the chants no more carry any definite liturgical message in the new liturgy. Not only did it not occur to them to restore some of those valuable parts omitted by the Tridentinum (e.g. the earlier widespread and beautiful antiphon Dum fabricator mundi^ the sacerdotal prayers to be said silently during the adoration of the community, the lack of which today indicates a functional hiatus), but even the chants retained by the Tridentine use (e.g. the hymn Crux fide/is) received an ad libitum character. All this does not matter so much in practice because the procession of adoration is discarded in many churches as something that cannot be realized, and the adoration of the Cross is performed in agreement with the "accelerated tempo of the life of modern man." Nobody thought of how beneficial the dramatic force of the preparatory rite could be in exactly those churches where the whole community cannot take part in the procession. It would provide time and incentive for the people to be involved in this important event, at least spiritually. In connection with the rite of Holy Communion, let me mention that ancient chant books contain items abounding in profound thoughts and emotions to accompany the procession taking the Host to the altar. (Such is e.g. the hymn Laudes omnipotes ferimus which speaks about the unity of the Eucharist and the sacrifice on the cross.) The mystery of the Eucharist as the memoria passionis was pointed out in the ancient custom by the priest's elevation of the Host with the intonation: "This is the Body which is given for you," and the choir went on singing the Communion Hoc corpus. The new rubrics give instead the usual rite of the Mass with slight abbreviations. 36
7. The new arrangement of the EASTKR VIGIL is one of the greatest mistakes of the liturgical reform. It shows clearly how weak the theoretical and speculative indications of an arbitrary fabric are compared to the lively order molded by organic development and tradition. A basic principle of the doctrinarian liturgy producers carried through relentlessly during the whole reform process was that the administration of the sacraments and all the exceptional rites have to be inserted into the Mass after the Gospel. They wanted to document thereby the relation of the sacraments to the Eucharist. One could demonstrate how the rigidity of this idea ruined both the logic of the rite of sacraments and the unity of the Mass and, furthermore, what kind of theological distortion lies behind this change of form. But there is even more at stake here. The Easter Vigil is a comprehensive series of rites of dramatic construction built on several different elements of form and content. At the same time it is a very delicate phase in the celebration of the mystery, and the imposition of the above mentioned schematic principle meant a serious interference which resulted in the disturbance of its inner balance. Today the celebration starts with the blessing of the fire and the Easter candle followed by the Exsultet and two to seven readings from the Old Testament. After them the priest intones the Gloria (quite unexpectedly, with a sudden change) and then the regular rite of the Mass follows. The Epistle, the Alleluia reddita, and the Gospel resemble steps which lead organically to the culmination of the Eucharistic action. Yet instead of ascending we suddenly step back and start reciting the Litany, then celebrate the prolix rite of the blessing of the baptismal font, the administration of baptism, the renewal of baptismal vows. Only after these can we return to the oratio fidelium (the reformers' favorite which appears here as the duplication of the Litany), and finally we arrive at the sacrificial action of the Mass. Anyone who had the chance of entering fully into the spirit of the earlier forms of the Vigil (or at least the form ordered by Pope Pius XII) has to undergo a series of disappointments and breaks, suffer the marred sequence of actions of the most holy liturgy of the Vigil year by year. The reformers ought to have admitted the fact that certain celebrations and feasts may have their own logic of content and form and, as a result, their own emotional, psychological and dramatic implications, and that 37
Page 1 and 2: in cooperation with the Church Musi
Page 3: THE BUGNINI-LITURGY AND THE REFORM
Page 6 and 7: Copyright © 2003 by Dobszay Laszlo
Page 9 and 10: Introduction The growing displeasur
Page 11 and 12: 2. The reason why I think that the
Page 13 and 14: whole spirituality of the clergy, o
Page 15 and 16: the hymn by linking the resurrectio
Page 17 and 18: In themselves, the contents of the
Page 19 and 20: The Constitution on the sacred litu
Page 21 and 22: sented to the public as the next st
Page 23 and 24: dition, but only from the Tridentin
Page 25 and 26: addition to the contents. They incl
Page 27 and 28: frame to the benediction (similar t
Page 29 and 30: with the other members of the Roman
Page 31 and 32: This statement will prove to be eve
Page 33 and 34: various church types. But the numbe
Page 35: The culmination of the Good Friday
Page 39 and 40: many churches by a threefold intona
Page 41 and 42: tute for the Introit after which it
Page 43 and 44: lows us to sing anything during the
Page 45 and 46: 3. THE DIVINE OFFICE In the most sp
Page 47 and 48: ii. While the continuous psalmody w
Page 49 and 50: fulfillment, from Creation (psalms)
Page 51 and 52: day and the feasts is regulated by
Page 53 and 54: Within this framework the Roman Off
Page 55 and 56: the priests' spirituality. At the e
Page 57 and 58: weakly remained in effect, the basi
Page 59 and 60: unprepared for a well-founded respo
Page 61 and 62: the three Hours to one. In actual f
Page 63 and 64: I do not know what the "true spirit
Page 65 and 66: In the process of practical impleme
Page 67 and 68: 5. Is the Liturgia Horarum part of
Page 69 and 70: C. No other way? Could another way
Page 71 and 72: One solution could be the construct
Page 73 and 74: priests should be prepared to be ab
Page 75 and 76: velopment and tactful intervention
Page 77 and 78: The psalm selection of LAUDS goes b
Page 79 and 80: The best time for the continuous ps
Page 81 and 82: hymn at all. There is, however, a s
Page 83 and 84: Vigil antiphons for Sunday are sele
Page 85 and 86: 4. The Chants of the Proprium Missa
Page 87 and 88:
munion chants in the Graduate Roman
Page 89 and 90:
of our own day should not be unwort
Page 91 and 92:
selections from classical Christian
Page 93 and 94:
sies. Can we possibly say that toda
Page 95 and 96:
tui." The womb of Mary is the soil
Page 97 and 98:
With this in mind, I ask once more:
Page 99 and 100:
Exactly when and how this "properiz
Page 101 and 102:
As far as its formal aspect is conc
Page 103 and 104:
tence. The creation of individual p
Page 105 and 106:
efforts in recent centuries would h
Page 107 and 108:
Along with the other texts, the Pro
Page 109 and 110:
tion. General congregational partic
Page 111 and 112:
largely on recurring (and hence eas
Page 113 and 114:
the inner nature of the liturgy and
Page 115 and 116:
Masses" of a well-provided parish c
Page 117 and 118:
this permission is counterbalanced
Page 119 and 120:
oth the great and significant relig
Page 121 and 122:
5. The Readings of the Mass and the
Page 123 and 124:
Which are the "important and essent
Page 125 and 126:
ut adds the inquiry of the publican
Page 127 and 128:
showed the catechumens the image of
Page 129 and 130:
Pentecost now has a new Gospel, the
Page 131 and 132:
days). Peter's confession is on the
Page 133 and 134:
takes the scroll, reads it aloud, a
Page 135 and 136:
to appropriate analogies from the h
Page 137 and 138:
mitted in the Lectionary) do provid
Page 139 and 140:
week. The arguments on behalf of th
Page 141 and 142:
I also regret the new position of t
Page 143 and 144:
iods of the per annum season cannot
Page 145 and 146:
The rituals made a careful record (
Page 147 and 148:
6. The Tridentine Movement and the
Page 149 and 150:
I. What is the "traditional Roman l
Page 151 and 152:
The geographical (or rather, instit
Page 153 and 154:
And thus many rich elements of the
Page 155 and 156:
However, the conclusion is quite di
Page 157 and 158:
the whole of Catholic doctrine, and
Page 159 and 160:
Gospel is the Word of the Living Ch
Page 161 and 162:
merits, that moral life: fraternal
Page 163 and 164:
and doctrinally rich Sequences for
Page 165 and 166:
pie to the traditional Roman liturg
Page 167 and 168:
traordinary cases be read, the firs
Page 169 and 170:
We cannot postulate, of course, the
Page 171 and 172:
But on the other hand, it cannot be
Page 173 and 174:
emain unchanged, they are easy to l
Page 175 and 176:
5. The simple fact of translation h
Page 177 and 178:
In arguing both on behalf of the "T
Page 179 and 180:
permits absolutely no change. If ch
Page 181 and 182:
most frivolous music resounds witho
Page 183 and 184:
e concordant with the voice. It is
Page 185 and 186:
3. The third problem with the new s
Page 187 and 188:
the nouvelk theologie) of worship a
Page 189 and 190:
of the liturgical parts; allows the
Page 191 and 192:
efore the Mass: and introductory fo
Page 193 and 194:
music will be able to contribute to
Page 195 and 196:
But there is a more deeply rooted m
Page 197 and 198:
the liturgy has been abandoned, and
Page 199 and 200:
of compromises was fulfilled: what
Page 201 and 202:
they are not opposites. At the same
Page 203 and 204:
Urformen. the two 'opposite' qualit
Page 205 and 206:
melody (with a result unsatisfactor
Page 207 and 208:
the State became more liberal and t
Page 209 and 210:
side the liturgy: preaching, proces
Page 211 and 212:
case of Mozart's church music calle
Page 213 and 214:
text had its own melody. Choirs, or
Page 215 and 216:
abandoned by a new priest in favor
Page 217:
when the day of true reform dawns,
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