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The Gregorian Melody: The Expressive Power of the Word
- Author: Turco, Alberto
The Gregorian Melody: The Expressive Power of the Word
- Author: Turco, Alberto
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About
The Gregorian Melody is a resource of music pedagogy that centers on one of the most ancient musical repertoires honored by the church and music historians. Though it may not be common to see the word expressive describing Gregorian chant, a repertoire often associated with subdued solemnity, this volume by renowned scholar and practitioner Alberto Turco includes an abundance of insights into the Gregorian art and proposes that chant is first and foremost sung prayer, an interaction of word and melody, which both include proper and appropriate expression.
The material included in this resource is foundational as it lays out the elements of the Gregorian melody through a careful analysis of first principles. It will be useful as an introduction to Gregorian chant and for helping readers to understand the Gregorian melody. Readers of all levels may turn to this book to sing the liturgical chant with a deepened appreciation for the expressive power of the Word.
Contents
- CONTENTS
- Abbreviations 9
- Foreword 13
- Author’s Preface 17
- INTRODUCTION 21
- 1. Gregorian chant: sung prayer 21
- 2. Historical overview of Gregorian chant 24
- 3. The Gregorian repertory 29
- 4. The relevance of Gregorian chant 33
- CHAPTER 1: THE SOURCES 37
- 1. Manuscript sources 37
- 2. Alphabetic notation 47
- 3. Historical overview of the printed editions 48
- 4. Square-note semiography 57
- 5. Complementary elements of square-note semiography 58
- CHAPTER 2: THE TEXT 71
- Introduction 71
- 1. The syllable 72
- 2. The single word 77
- 3. Latin accentuation 77
- 4. Rhythm 83
- 5. The “expanded” word 85
- CHAPTER 3: MELODY (PART I) 89
- 1. Legato melodic-verbal style 89
- 2. The accent syllable-neume 90
- 3. The final syllable-neume 106
- 4. Rhythmic interpretation 114
- 5. The word-melody 123
- 6. The reading of rhythm 126
- CHAPTER 4: MELODY (PART II) 143
- 1. Sostenuto melodic-verbal style 143
- 2. Phrasing in the syllabic, semi-ornate, and ornate genres 148
- 3. Interpretation 161
- CHAPTER 5: SYMBIOSIS OF TEXT AND MELODY 165
- 1. Text and ornamentation 165
- 2. Text and composition 177
- APPENDIX
- Manuscript illustrations, selection of chants, graphic tables 191
- GLOSSARY 241
