Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

288 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
of love. (3) If the mystery of strength already abides in this unity, then
God provides special power (Exsurgat) for the struggle against His foes,
who are at the same time ours.
First phrase: Like the Introit of the ninth Sunday after Pentecost,
this one also begins immediately on the dominant, 1 with a descending
line to the tonic. A vigorous emphasis marks the word Deus. Care must
be taken that the doubled notes be not too prolonged. The rest of the
phrase is solemn and reverential. Each of the disyllabic w»rds has the
accented syllable lengthened, so that the whole sounds like a succession
of solemn spondees—Deus, loco, sancto suo. The final clivis over
(lo)-co corresponds to that over (sanc)-to. They must not be made too
short.
Second phrase: Here, as in the preceding phrase, the word Deus
is marked by its accent and melodic independence; and just as the former
properly begins only with in loco, so does the latter with inhabitdre.
After Deus a short pause or prolongation is not at all out of place. This
second Deus is more tender and quiet than the first, a fitting introduction
to this phrase, which no longer speaks of the majesty of God, but of
His goodness. Both word-accents in each of the two members, inhabitdre
and undnimes, have a correspondingly important musical accent.
The second porrectus must be sung more lightly than the first; then must
follow a steady crescendo to the musical climax, which speaks of the
workings of divine mercy with the word facit. Let only a slight prolongation
be made on the clivis of (fa)-cit. A still better effect is obtained if
the two members—facit and undnimes—are joined without a pause. In
case of need, breath might be taken, imperceptibly, before facit. If a
full pause is given after domo and only a half pause after suo, this must
not cause confusion. We are not dealing here with mathematical values.
The cadence on domo permits of no long pause; it urges forward to completion.
Melodically speaking, the third phrase has two members, of which
the second comprises the words plebi suae. The first bears some resembblance
to the first phrase of the antiphon and has, moreover, the same
spirit of solemn affirmation. Happy trustfulness is suggested by the
accented dominant and the fourth. A sharp, clear pronunciation of the
consonant "t" before the "v" will contribute much to bring out the
symmetry between dabit and virtutem. This part moves in the four-note
range a-d, emphasizing the c, while the following et fortitudinem, employing
a similar range (f-b}>), stresses a and for the first time strikes b\>.
The cadence closes a part of a phrase, but not the entire piece, and
1 N. Sch., 52.