Ambrosian chant

La ricerca si è svolta in quattro province lombarde (Milano, Monza e Brianza, Lecco, Varese) e in provincia di Verbania.  A livello metodologico si è cercato di ricostruire per intero i riti, concentrandosi  non solo sulle feste che prevedono canti eccezionali (la Settimana santa o il Corpus Domini), ma documentando prevalentemente il canto liturgico popolare nella sua quotidianità, come si dispiegava normalmente nelle parrocchie ambrosiane.

No século IV, Santo Agostinho, um homem entre a antiguidade e o medievo, entre Roma e África, escreve o tratado De Musica.

Nele retoma o imaginário greco-romano sobre a palavra, o canto e a dança, com nítidas influências de Platão e Plotino.

O futuro bispo de Hipona, cidade portuária da África do Norte, apresenta nesta obra a música como uma arte da vida interior, uma travessia entre a beleza sensível e a Beleza Suprema.

“A ciência de bem modular” – como Agostinho define a música – faz transbordar o espírito do homem, movendo-o em direção a Deus, fonte dos números e harmonias eternos.

Entre a Igreja de Santo Ambrósio e as experiências mundanas no Império Romano decadente, Agostinho, o pai da filosofia cristã, nos desvela as sutilezas da música impressa na memória, no corpo e no espírito dos homens.

Este é o roteiro pelo qual esta obra nos convida a viajar.

Como destacou o escritor Deonísio da Silva, estamos diante de um livro encantador.

This study explores the idea of music being used in interreligious engagements involving Muslims, both so non-Muslims can be aware of Muslim sensitivities and so Muslims can positively contribute to such types of engagement. After explaining Muslim reservations, I identify four genres of sound art (Qurʾān recitation, the call to prayer, liturgical chants, and eulogy chants) which are deeply engrained in the Islamic tradition such that Muslims are united in attesting to their sacredness. I explain a little about the important features of the sacred music of the Islamic tradition and note that the type of Muslims who risk being left out of dialogue are the same Muslims who are most sensitive regarding music. I argue that Muslims can be both engaged and engaging through the use of music, without their musical sensitivities being side lined.

Abstract

Il repertorio ambrosiano dimostra sovente un’attenzione particolare all’espressività. A tal fine vengono usati dei mezzi musicali quali ripetizioni melodiche oppure cambiamenti repentini di modalità con lo scopo di sottolineare parallelismi e opposizioni nei testi.
Verranno studiati diversi casi, partendo dalle semplici corrispondenze parola-formula all’interno dello stesso canto o fra canti diversi, fino a pezzi interi costruiti e strutturati per rappresentare le idee attraverso strutture architettoniche.
Qualche esempio:
Nella festa dei Santi Innocenti, un psallendo trova una risonanza nel confrattorio della messa, con un’interessante variante testuale. Nella stessa pagina, si trova la rima musicale fra Patre e Matre.
Oppure il chiasmo nell’ingressa dell’Epifania: Claritas Dei-Ambulabunt gentes // Reges terrae-Claritatem suam.
Più sottili le referenze nell’ufficiatura di Santa Agnese, dove un’antifona duplex (Rogans sanctas virgines) fa una relazione fra i genitori carnali (suis parentibus) e i veri parenti della santa (i santi del cielo: cum his omnibus). La conclusione di questo stesso canto, Lucidas sedes accepi, trova conferma in una psallenda che termina con Martyrem consecrauit.
Verranno presentati ancora altri canti dal tessuto modale-retorico estremamente complesso.
Questo modo di fare è rarissimo nel canto gregoriano e romano, e costituisce una caratteristica propria del repertorio ambrosiano.

Abstract

The Ambrosian repertory  shows often a particular care towards expressivity. In order to achieve this, it uses musical means like melodical repetitions or sudden modal changes, aimed to underscore parallelisms or contrasts in the text.
Some instances will be presented here, beginning with simple correspondences between words and formulas inside one chant or shared across different chants, up to whole items, built and structured as to represent the ideas through architectural structures.
Some exemples:
In the feast of the Holy Innocents, a psallenda is echoed in a confractorium of the Mass, with an interesting textual variant. In the same page there is a musical rhyme between Patre and Matre.
The Ingressa of the Epiphany has a musical and textual chiasm: Claritas Dei-Ambulabunt gentes // Reges terrae-Claritatem suam.
The references in the Office for St Agnes are more subtle. Here, an Antiphona duplex (Rogans sanctas virgines) sets a musical relation between the carnal parents (suis parentibus) and the true parents of Agnes (the Saints in Heaven: cum his omnibus). The closing of the same chant on the words Lucidas sedes accepi, is echoed in a psallenda ending with the words Martyrem consecrauit.
Further chants will be presented, whose modal-rhethoric texture is extremely complex.
Such proceedings are very rare in the Gregorian and Roman repertory, and represent a proper characteristic or the Ambrosian Chant.

In the Mass of the Epiphany, after the singing of the Gospel, the deacon still announces the date of Easter, according to an ancient practice of the Church. There are various textual and musical formulas in the different ritual traditions. The contribution focuses on the formulas used in Aquileia and Venice, also taking into account the use of Milan and the formulas found in manuscripts from the eastern Adriatic area (Spalato, Osor). The formula "Plebs sancta", in addition to Aquileia and (in amplified form) in Venice, was in use in Como, Bergamo and other Churches in Northern Italy, as further evidences have shown.

Наименуването на книгата ясно сочи към моста, който съединя-ва западното и източното християнство чрез общите им светци, а в музиката разкрива общите корени на християнската монодия. Това са най-почитаните имена, свързани с дълбоко упование и вяра – св. св. Кирил и Методий, св. Николай Чудотворец, св. Георги, символизи-ращ не само мъжеството и храбростта, но и победата над " вътрешния враг " – пороците и слабостите на човека, " безсребърниците " Козма и Дамян. Този избор на обект на изследването през апарата на теоре-тичното музикознание е не просто интригуващ, но и предизвикващ общокултурен интерес. Явор Генов прилага интегрален подход към напевите – истори-ческото, догматическото и музикалното знание взаимно се обуславят и допълват, като се изваждат от забвение истории, написани с жи-вия език на съответната епоха, които интересуват съвременника и му показват защо с такава интензивност усещаме духовната си връзка както със Запада, така и с Изтока. Това става през призмата на кон-кретните музикални факти и доказателства. Приносите на тази книга съществуват не само затова, защото " малцина са избрани " да работят с нейната вдъхновяваща проблема-тика, която се докосва до най-въздействащата страна на християнския култ – музиката, но и защото обогатява езика, словесен и музикален, от който се поражда, тъй като е вид екзегеза на вековните образци. Тази дейност изисква много от своя изследовател и го поставя в една историческа перспектива. Явор Генов е успял във всичко това.
Проф. д-р Нева Кръстева

SALTO NEL TEMPO - "Escursione a doppio anello sul basso versante orientale del capoluogo della Riviera, celebre per la cascata di Santa Petronilla. Alla scoperta di una delle chiese romaniche più imponenti e significative del Ticino e una delle più belle della Svizzera, riconosciuta monumento storico d'importanza nazionale."

One of the earliest forms of Christian psalmody, the alleluia psalmody, is difficult to explore since in most rites it is preserved only in part. Comparisons between direct and indirect traces of alleluia psalmody from Milan, Rome, Byzantium and Gaul as well as between alleluia psalmody and other genres of chant, especially the Mass alleluia, allow some conclusions about distinctive melodic characteristics. As one result, there seem to be common features in the Italian traditions that are missing in the Gallican tradition.

The Lent antiphon "Convertimini omnes simul ad Deum", found in Aquitanian manuscripts, is also present in various North Italian Churches (Ivrea, Vercelli, Como, Monza, Bobbio, Piacenza, Nonantola, Ravenna...) as a processional antiphon; in the Ambrosian rite as the Transitorium for the Septuagesima Sunday; and  at Benevento as a responsory (with verset Scindite corda vestra and prosula Reparator omnium). The antiphon probably came from Gallia to Northern Italy and here re-elaborated in the local Italian idiom; later was acquired  by Milan when the Ambrosian rite accepted Septuagesima, not before the 9th cent.In Southern Italy, "Convertimini omnes" can be arrived directly from Aquitania and reworked in text and music independently.

Intervista del Catholic World Report a dom Alcuin Reid, organizzatore dell'importante Convegno Internazionale "Sacra Liturgia" che quest'anno, giunto al suo IV appuntamento dopo Roma, New York e Londra, si terrà a Milano dal 6 al 9 Giugno 2017, presso l'aula magna dell'Università Cattolica del S. Cuore.

In occasione dell'importante evento,  sarà celebrata, tre le altre, una Messa in rito ambrosiano antico nella centralissima chiesa di S. Alessandro  dei RR.PP. Barnabiti (tra via torino e Piazza Missori).

A comparative study of the Benedictiones in Mozarabic, Ambrosian, Beneventan, Roman-Frankish, and Old-Roman Chant

Table of Contents:

(1) The Frankish reception

- Form and liturgical function

- Notation systems of the Cluniac reforms
  + Modality and microtonal attractions
  + The composition of the last verse

- Aquitaine and the reforms of Cluny and Italy

(2) The Old-Beneventan and Ambrosian canticum

(3) Mozarabic cantillation models

- The long form

- The short form

- Conclusions about the canticle recitation of the Mozarabic and Milanese cathedral rite

(4) Conclusion