Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

The Holy Innocents 67
Gradual and Offertory have the same text. In the Gradual it is divided
into corpus and verse; in the Offertory the first three phrases have
been drawn into one wbole, the last phrase of the Gradual being omitted.
Both melodies pulse with rich and radiantly joyful life. The Gradual, it
is true, is a composition of various typical melodies, but here they are
joined. The melody for the Offertory, on the contrary, shows that it
originated from this very text. In the Gradual we find melismatic punctuation
on the final syllables of nostra, vendntium, contritus est, sumus, while
the Offertory broadens only the last syllable of sumus.
The Gradual begins solemnly and has a quiet cadence over nostra.
In the Offertory an ebullient, almost rollicking joy characterizes the first
neums. A lightly moving rendition is imperative. Like the lark this song
swings aloft exultant and jubilant; we have escaped from the snare of
the hunter. Erepta est is strongly emphasized in both chants. In the Offertory
it is a continuation of the motive over Anima. Over nostra in the
Offertory, first is sung a light bistropha after the clivis gf, followed by a
climacus. With de Idqueo the Gradual acquires the typical form; the
Offertory, however, continues in an exulting strain with the motive of
est, and yet a third time mounts up to high bb. To a certain extent the
last five notes over Idqueo, vendntium, nos, sumus form an antithesis to
this overflowing joy, or rather, bring it to a quiet conclusion.
On the third syllable of Idqueus the Gradual has a florid melisma,
such as we find over et laborem on the second Sunday of Lent, Audi filia
on the feast of the Assumption (q.v.), and over visi sunt on January 19.
According to this it seems always to occur over the third syllable of the
first part of the phrase. A form occurs in the Offertory with which we
are acquainted from Epiphany (Tharsis); it is repeated over Idqueus
and liberdti. The reduplication of the virga between the two tristrophas
is well substantiated by the manuscripts. Perhaps it wishes to visualize
how cleverly the net had been spread, how well everything had been
prepared. Contritus est has a triumphant ring; it produces the effect of
irony, when the same neums are repeated over (liberd)-ti. It seems as if
the little birds in their sunny heights, in the ethereal blue, looked down
with a smile upon that which human ingenuity had excogitated. The
melody continues to exult in a spirit of thanksgiving: We are free! Free
for all eternity. Here is inserted a melisma which is not found in the
Gradual for the Assumption; it occurs, however, in the Gradual Ecce
sacerdos magnus. Later we again meet with melodic turns from the
Gradual for the Assumption. By a happy coincidence, the verse attains
its summit at this spot, a brilliant enhancement compared with the preceding
contritus est. The final phrase of the Gradual runs along in a recitative
manner, employing podatus to emphasize the word-accents. Do-