Music and Meaning in Old Hispanic Lenten Chants: Psalmi, Threni and the Easter Vigil Canticles (Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music, 13)

The tradition of Old Hispanic liturgical chant is here examined through a new methodology, enabling striking new insights into its use. Medieval Iberian liturgical practice was independent of the Roman liturgy. As such, its sources preserve an unfamiliar and fascinating devotional journey through the liturgical year. However, although Old Hispanic liturgical chanthas long been considered one of the most important medieval chant traditions, what musical notation to survive shows only where the melodies rise and fall, not precise intervals or pitches. This lack of pitch-readable notation has prevented scholars from fully engaging with the surviving sources - a gap which this book aims to fill, via a new methodology for analysing the melodies and the relationship between melody and text. Focussing on three genres of chant sung during the Old Hispanic Lent (the threni, psalmi, and Easter Vigil canticles), the book takes a holistic view of the texts and melodies, setting them in the context of their liturgical and intellectual surroundings, and, for the Easter Vigil, exploring the relationship between different Old Hispanic traditions and other western liturgies. It concludes that the theologically purposeful text selections combine with carefully shaped melodies to guide the devotional practice of their hearers. Emma Hornby is a Reader in Music , University of Bristol; Rebecca Maloy is Associate Professor of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder. Medieval Iberian liturgical practice was independent of the Roman liturgy. As such, its sources preserve an unfamiliar and fascinating devotional journey through the liturgical year. However, although Old Hispanic liturgical chant has long been considered one of the most important medieval chant traditions, what musical notation to survive shows only where the melodies rise and fall, not precise intervals or pitches. This lack of pitch-readable notation has prevented scholars from fully engaging with the surviving sources - a gap which this book aims to fill, via a new methodology for analysing the melodies and the relationship between melody and text. Focussing on three genres of chant sung during the Old Hispanic Lent (the threni, psalmi, and Easter Vigil canticles), the book takes a holistic view of the texts and melodies, setting them in the context of their liturgical and intellectual surroundings, and, for the Easter Vigil, exploring the relationship between different Old Hispanic traditions and other western liturgies. It concludes that the theologically purposeful text selections combine with carefully shaped melodies to guide the devotional practice of their hearers. Emma Hornby is Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Bristol; Rebecca Maloy is Associate Professor of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder Although Old Hispanic Liturgical Chant Has Long Been Considered One Of The Most Important Medieval Chant Traditions, Its Musical Notation Shows Only Where The Melodies Rise And Fall, Not Precise Intervals Or Pitches, And This Lack Of Pitch-readable Notation Has Prevented Scholars From Fully Engaging With The Surviving Sources. Focussing On Three Genres Of Chant Sung During The Old Hispanic Lent (the Threni, Psalmi, And Easter Vigil Canticles), This Book Takes A Holistic View Of The Texts And Melodies, Setting Them In The Context Of Their Liturgical And Intellectual Surroundings.--publisher Description. Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. 1 Thematic Congruity In The Old Hispanic Lenten Liturgies -- Ch. 2 The Threni -- Ch. 3 Melodic Language In The Old Hispanic Lenten Psalmi -- Ch. 4 Words And Music In The Psalmi -- Ch. 5 The Easter Vigil Canticles -- Afterword: Some Thoughts On The Relationship Between The Old Hispanic Traditions A And B -- Appendix 1 A Guide To Reading Old Hispanic Notation -- Appendix 2 The Threni Texts. Emma Hornby And Rebecca Maloy. Includes Bibliographical References Frontcover 1 Contents 6 List of Music Examples 7 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 9 Preface 11 Abbreviations 13 Manuscript Sigla 14 Introduction 16 Chapter 1 Thematic Congruity in the Old Hispanic Lenten Liturgies 43 Chapter 2 The Threni 90 Chapter 3 The Melodic Language of the Old Hispanic Lenten Psalmi 122 Chapter 4 Words and Music in the Psalmi 170 Chapter 5 The Easter Vigil Canticles 259 Afterword: Some Thoughts on the Relationship between the Old Hispanic Traditions A and B 318 Appendix 1 A Guide to Reading Old Hispanic Notation 330 Appendix 2 The Threni Texts 342 Bibliography 354 Index of Manuscripts Cited 368 Index of Chants Cited 370 Index of Scholars Cited 375 General Index 377 Backcover 386 IntroductionThematic Congruity in the Old Hispanic Lenten liturgiesThe threniThe Melodic language of the Old Hispanic Lenten PsalmiWords and Music in the PsalmiThe Easter Vigil CanticlesAfterword: The relationship between the Old Hispanic traditions A and BAppendix 1: A guide to reading Old Hispanic notationAppendix 2: The threni textsAppendix 3: The threniAppendix 4: The Lenten psalmi in Leon 8Appendix 5: The Lenten psalmi in T5, compared with Leon 8Appendix 6: Easter Vigil Canticles in Leon 8 and T5Appendix 7: Comparison of some Old Hispanic benedictiones in Leon 8, T5, T4, T7 and Aemil 30Bibliography