Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

264 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
permit of a broader interpretation of the above rule. In any case, Wagner
is correct when he observes (ibid. 339): "The highly developed sense
of the early singers for an effective and natural concatenation of melodic
members reveals itself to the observer again and again" (cf. above p. 6).
The somewhat oppressive mood of the antiphon is lightened in the
psalm-verse with its high dominant and cheerful b. By this contrast the
otherwise typical melody adds a hearty "Yea" and "Amen" to the text:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation."
How often has not that call for assistance, Exdudi, winged its way
to heaven! And each time it had its own ring, and each heart gave it
its own coloring, and every sorrow gave it its own accent of confidence
—from the radiant hopefulness of a child's prayer to the poignant cry
of some stricken heart tempted to despair. Choral chant has some
knowledge of this also. It would be worth our while to compare, for instance,
the treatment of exdudi in the Introits of the Tuesday after the
fourth Sunday in Lent and of the Sunday after Ascension, in the Gradual
for the feast of the Dedication of a Church, and in the Offertory of the
Monday after the third Sunday in Lent.
For the Gradual see p. 259.
ALLELUIA VERSE (Ps. 20: 2)
1. Domine, in virtute tua laeta- 1. In thy strength, O Lord, the
bitur rex; 2. et super salutare king shall joy; 2. and in thy salvatuum
exsultabit vehementer. tion he shall rejoice exceedingly.
The upward tendency of Alleluia is cut short by the lively downward
movement in the first member of the jubilus, only to appear so
much the more firmly and powerfully afterwards. It is not difficult to
distinguish the two motives, which gracefully complement each other:
the first tends upward, while the second is characterized by its vigorous
accent.
a) / 9 f 6b a g b) 6b g f da f
H C
/ 9 f 6b a g b) &b 9 f
/ 9 f &b 9 f / d c
d f e 9 f d
c c d cc a
f a 9 c c c
a 9 a
99 f
In the verse, Domine borrows its melody from Alleluia, and virtute
from the third member ot the jubilus. Here the verse reaches its zenith;
it mentions the source of all life, of all purposeful activity, the fountain
inexhaustible. In the first phrase the singer is filled with jubilation. But
that which follows is quite unexpected. What does the ornate melody
over the insignificant et mean? One is tempted to assume that we here