Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

356 St. Andrew, Apostle
The second half of the first phrase in both Introit and Offertory is serene
and thetic in character. A solemn reverential awe pervades the nimis
•of the second phrase, which reaches its climax over confortdtus est and
£orum.
The powerful motive over autem nimis with its resolved major
chord f a c, its tristropha ccc and the extended intervals of a fourth
c-g-c are heard again over (confor)-tdtus est, and with a slight variation
over (princi)-pdtus eorum. The three first syllables of confortdtus and
principdtus employ the same melodic figure; likewise the closing figures
of the first (ni)-mis and (eo)-rum, (De)-us and est.
COMMUNION (Matt. 4: 19, 20)
1. Venite post me: faciam vos 1. Come ye after me: I will make
fieri piscatores hominum: 2. at illi you to be fishers of men: 2. And
continuo, relictis retibus et navi, they immediately, leaving their nets,
secuti sunt Dominum. and their boat, followed the Lord.
In the first sentence the Lord summons Peter and his brother Andrew,
while the second sentence relates how both of them immediately
heeded His call. The Lord calls them from the midst of their life occupation—they
were at the moment letting down their nets into the sea—
to an entirely new vocation, one which as yet lay veiled before them. This
new calling demanded of them numerous sacrifices and labors and bitter
disappointments—innumerably more than their previous vocation—
and finally determined their death on the cross. Hearing the word of
Christ and obeying it was for them, however, but the work of a moment.
The melody beginning on the dominant emphasizes this thought, and its
continuance on the dominant realizes for us the enduring sacrifice they
are bringing. It is not difficult to conceive that they were very fond of
their fishing nets and intimately attached to their little ship! Although
the word navi does not occur in the Gospel, we are grateful for its insertion
here so that, realizing the greatness of their sacrifice, we may appreciate
it the more fully. The first phrase is the more quiet, although
there is a certain solemnity in the twofold descent of the interval g-d
and the ascending g-c: here the Lord, the King of the Apostles, is speaking.
This expressive melody is as a fresh breeze from the sea. Together
with the Communion of the Vigil Dicit Andreas, it forms one of the
gems of the Graduale.