Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

128 Second Sunday in Lent
The friendly F-major chord—at least so it strikes us—is often heard,
both in an ascending and in a descending line. Several times occurs the
descending fourth c-g. The close of the corpus corresponds with meis.
The verse repeats its first motive and prolongs it. The melodic development
of its second and third phrases will be explained on the feast of
the Assumption. Meis in the corpus and meum in the verse tend to produce
the same effect as a modern modulation to A minor. Similarly, we
should like to speak of omnia as a modulation to C major.
TRACT (Ps. 105: 1, 4)
The closing cadences of all the verses, with the exception of the
last, are alike. From verse to verse the range of the melody is extended.
1. Confitemini Domino, quoniam 1. Give glory to the Lord, for he is
bonus: f quoniam in saeculum good: f and forever (—) endureth
(—) misericordia ejus. 2. Quis lo- his mercy. 2. Who shall declare the
quetur potentias Domini: f auditas powers of the Lord: f who shall set
faciet (—) omnes laudes ejusl 3. forth (—) all his praisesl 3. Blessed
Beati qui custodiunt judicium, f et are they that keep judgement, f and
faciant justitiam (—) in omni do justice (—) at all times, 4. Retempore.
4. Memento nostri, Do- member us, O Lord, in the favor of
mine, in beneplacito populi tui: | thy people: f visit us with thy salvisita
nos in salutari tuo. vation.
The Gospel, which contains the episode of the Transfiguration,
comes as an answer to the final petition of the Tract. And at the consecration
and in Communion the salvation of God descends upon us.
OFFERTORY (Ps. 118: 47, 48)
1. Meditabor in mandatis tuis, 1. I will meditate on thy comquae
dilexi valde: 2. et levabo manus mandments, which I have loved
meas ad mandata tua, quae dilexi. exceedingly: 2. and I will lift up
my hands to thy commandments,
which I have loved.
Dilexi with its lightly moving torculus dominates the melodic line
and colors the entire piece. Now we hear a song of love, which by love
alone can be fully grasped. For he only can love commandments to
whom the command is an expression of the will of the beloved, who
makes it his care to fulfill all the desires of the beloved, for whom—as
it was with the Saviour—it is a joy to do at all times that which is most
pleasing to the Father. Such is the conviction here expressed. Another