Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

182 Easter Sunday
The beginning should almost be piano, but should steadily gain in
fervor and warmth. Pascha nostrum: how much grateful love nostrum
shows! Immoldtus must be an exultant shout. The rich melisma has the
form aa}b c. Let a 1 be a resounding amplification of a after which, however,
the next nine notes are to recede somewhat in volume; b in turn
should come a little to the fore, while great eagerness should be evident
in c. Strange to say, a and a 1 , with a different introduction, however,
and at a lower pitch, are to be found over univirsi in the last verse of
the Tract on the Ember Wednesday in Lent.
Revue, 31, 33 f.
SEQUENCE
The joyfulness of the Alleluia continues (Sequentia) to resound in
the Sequence, which owes its origin to Wipo (*c. 1048), an ecclesiastic at
the courts of Conrad II and Henry III. The Alleluia-verse supplies the
theme for the I strophe: Sing the Paschal Victim's praisel With a powerful
motive, the following two strophes then set in. Ha. A Lamb the sheep
did save; and Christ back to the Father, sinless, sinners gave. lib. Death
and Life clashed in mysterious strife; Life's Captain, dead, now lives and
reigns instead.
The four succeeding strophes are a dialogue between the choir and
Mary Magdalen. With the motive beginning an octave lower than that
of Ha (acd), the melody now becomes somewhat more calm. Ilia 1. 0
Mary, say, what sawest thou by the way"! 2. The tomb of the living Christ;
and the glory of Him risen. Illb 1. / heard the angelic word: I bowed to
see the bands, the shroud. 2. Christ my hope is risen, and He is gone before
you into Galileel
Again the jubilant motive of Ha resounds. It springs from exultant,
unshakable conviction. IV. Christ from the dead is truly risen\ Victorious
King, to us kind pity show. Amen. Alleluia. As far as victor Rex the melody
is full of power, upn which a confident miserere with a softer coloring
follows. A hearty Amen, Alleluia brings this marvelous song to a close.
OFFERTORY (Ps. 75: 9, 10)
1. Terra tremuit et quievit, 2. 1. The earth trembled and was
dum resurgeret in judicio Deus, 3. still, 2. when God arose in judgment,
alleluia. 3. alleluia.
We cannot sing this melody too solemnly or too majestically. Although
employing the fourth mode, like the Introit, in spirit it differs
radically, being full of force and irresistible power. One is tempted to