Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

156 Palm Sunday
depths (cf. the luminous Introit for the second Mass of Christmas). Our
Introit receives its somber character more especially from the double
descent of a fifth over Ddmine ne longe, thus protracting the initial
D6mine. A light accent should be placed on the second, not the third,
note of Dd-(mine). Tuum exhibits special tenderness: Thou, 0 Lord,
art the only One that can yet help me.
In the second phrase dspice sounds like the cry of one harassed to
death. Look Thou upon me with the eyes of Thy mercy and of Thine
omnipotence! The Introit for Pentecost has a similar passage. There,
however, sciSntiam vocis is only a majestic echo of orbem terrdrum. Aspice
marks the only high point of today's Introit. At Pentecost the d, which
had already been sung twice, lessens the effect of the interval of a fourth;
in the present piece, however, the interval of a fourth comes abruptly.
The torculus over meam tends to retard and to weaken, making the outcry
dspice so much the more impressive.
The third phrase no longer exhibits great agitation. It has a range
of only a fifth. Its special means of expression is the repeated emphasis
on the dominant c, and, following the lead of dspice, it stresses the second
imperative, libera me. How fervent is the petition of the one who is
praying: I am Thy Son, Thy well-beloved Son. The repeated a over de
ore le-(onis) and the repeated g over unicornu6~(rum) share some of the
impressiveness of the high c. In the Offertory of the Requiem Mass, de
ore lednis with its interval of a fourth and pressus is more effective. Here
it merely repeats the formula of a me, which occurs also over (cor)-nibus
and in an abbreviated form over auxUium. In this phrase the accent is
placed on libera me. The whole molds itself into a favorite cadence of
the eighth mode. The ascending f a c, so frequently employed in the
eighth mode, is here avoided throughout. Generally it is used to adorn
bright and joyous texts and is found only once in connection with a
supplicating text in the Introit for the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
over tota. In a somewhat veiled and descending form we meet it here
over tuum a me.
Quiet resignation characterizes the end of the song. Nevertheless
the prayer wells up once more almost vehemently: "0 God, my God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me?" The repetition of the first word already
betrays the interior agitation. Forsaken Me! Now one disciple is about
to betray and sell Me, another to deny Me, then all the rest flee! Even
God Himself seems to forsake Me!
Why has the Lord taken all this sorrow upon Himself? On account
of our sins!
N. Sch., 267 ff.