Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

400 SS. Peter and Paul, Apostles
In holy wonderment the singer now contemplates the Church and
pours forth his praise of her wonderful fruitfulness in saints, apostles
and confessors. Special emphasis might well mark the word filii—
designating the Apostle-princes—as also the word confitebuntur; technique
of composition calls for florid melismas at the beginning of the
verse, resulting in the extended melody over pdtribus tuis. The bistropha
on a divides the first member of this melody into two groups which,
however, are not in harmony with one another. The energetic c b a c b
g a corresponds to the more soft b\? a g a g f g.
The melismas after the second pause enhance one another and reach
their high point on /, which is twice extended. The nati following should
be sung broadly, while filii should be given especial warmth even though
the melody is not very effective. Manuscripts 339 of St. Gaul and 121 of
Einsiedeln seem to have sensed this and give the first eight notes over
filii the broad form. To be sure, this typical form is always found in
Graduals of the fifth mode. To illustrate we might refer to preces in the
Gradual Protector noster of the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, although
there the melody really belongs to a significant word. The c a b g g a c
d c over propterea answers the cabbgfgac over (ti)-bi. In the first case
b is qualified by the following c; in the second 6b by the following/.
The melody of the present Gradual is also sung on the feast of the
Blessed Trinity. Where today we have a definite break in the melody
after terram—demanded by textual punctuation—the Gradual of
Trinity Sunday continues without interruption in its first phrase the
melody over memores. A similar continuation over Cherubim in the same
Gradual is somewhat unpleasant. A happier result was achieved in the
verse. The melody of today's verse has been adapted almost perfectly
to the verse on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Rassegna, 2, 241 ff.; Revue, 7, 206 ff.
ALLELUIA VERSE (Matt. 16: 18)
1. Tu es Petrus, et super hanc 1. Thou art Peter, and upon this
petram 2. aedificabo Ecclesiam rock 2. / will build my Church,
meant.
The adaptation of this Christmas melody for use during the summer
cycle was already noted on the feast of the Nativity of St. John.
This may explain the fact that in some churches the present feast was
celebrated on December 27 or 28.
In the Gospel, the text of which combines intimately with that of
the Alleluia, Peter professes his faith in our Lord with the following
words: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." And as a reward for