Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

168 Good Friday
silence. When sorrow overpowers us, then words fail us. And today the
most terrible scene will be enacted, for Christ dies upon the cross between
two criminals. With this announcement the pious soul trembles,
for she remembers the words of the first Tract: The crucifixion is the
work of divine justice, but at the same time it is our work. We are not
innocent of the blood of this Just One. On the cross, moreover, is accomplished
the separation of the spirits. The cross is the great dividing
point (in medio) of the world's history. The great and final parting will
take place when the Crucified will come again as the Holy One "from
the shady and thickly covered mountain," when His glory will fill the
heavens, and the whole world will resound with His praise.
FIRST TRACT (Heb. 3: 2, 3)
1. Domine, audivi auditum tuum, 1. 0 Lord, I have heard thy heart
et timui: t consideravi opera tua, ing, f and was afraid: f / considered
et expavi. 2. In medio duorum ani- thy works, and trembled. 2. In the
malium innotesceris: dum appro- midst of two animals thou shalt be
pinquaverint anni, cognosceris: t made known: when the years shall
dum advenerit tempus, ostenderis. 3. draw nigh, thou shalt be known: f
In eo, dum conturbata fuerit anima when the time shall come, thou shalt
mea: f in ira, misericordiae (—) be shown. 3. In the time when my
memor eris. 4. Deus a Libano ven- soul shall be troubled: f in anger of
iet, f et Sanctus de monte umbroso mercy (—) thou shalt be mindful. 4.
et condenso. 5. Operuit caelos majes- God shall come from Libanus, f
tas ejus: f et laudis ejus plena est and the Holy One from the shady
terra. and thickly-covered mountain. 5.
His majesty hath covered the heavens:
f and the earth is full of his
praise.
The sign (t) indicates the mediant, while (—) indicates the caesura.
In the first verse the mediant occurs twice. The ascending fourth
d-g with the prolonged / joined to it, which is heard several times, seems
to be a peculiarity of this Tract. The melisma which closes the third verse,
is only found again at the very end of the piece. In the fifth verse we
hear a melody over the first two words which is also sung in the Alleluia-verse
of Christmastide, for example, in the third Mass for Christmas
over the third phrase.
SECOND TRACT (Ps. 139: 2-10, 14)
1. Eripe me, Domine, ab homine 1. Deliver me, O Lord, from the
malo: f « viro iniquo (—) libera evil man: f from the unjust man (—)