Chant

Style psalmodic

The essential characteristic of the style psalmodic is to use the same note, recto tono, to interpret several syllables of the text, generally a whole segment of sentence.

Neumatic formulas can be intercalated, to mark the introductions, rates or the accents.

Example of style psalmodic: Opening of the office of the hours: The " Do" on which is done the recitation is practically Recto tono: the rate/rhythm of the recitation is dominated by the rate/rhythm of the Latin stressing. The content is here faded only by a Podatus of accent on adjut' or' ium , and an opposite podatus (specific to the contents of the " type; Do") on in' ten' of .

Structure of a verse

The verse (or phrases it in the readings) starts with a formula of intonation, followed by a content, and ends in a final formula of conclusion (gives rhythm final). A verse is generally composed of two members, sometimes three. The members are separate from/to each other by an intermediate rate (*).

The content itself includes/understands its note of recitation, the formulas of accent, the formulas of inflection (†) which make it possible to introduce breathings, and formulas of recovery.

Stressing of the content

The content is generally sung recto tono, several syllables being thus sung on the same note. In the traditional notation, each syllable is represented by a separate note.

In the long or more decorated contents, certain accents are marked either by a higher note of a tone or a half your, possibly preceded by a rise anticipated on the preceding syllable, or more generally by a podatus of accent, which can be of a note or (more rarely) with the third. This mode of stressing is normally fixed for all the contents of the part. One finds of them very many examples in the different ones tons psalm invitatoire, in let us répons prolix, or within psalmodic formulas which appear in other parts. The stressing generally meets on the last accent preceding a formula by rate (accent of preparation). In the members of longer verses, it can meet on all the accents nonconcerned by a formula, except generally the first.

Inflections

The inflection of let us tons psalmodic is done in a uniform way on the syllables which follow the last accent of the segment of sentence. The last not accentuated syllables are lowered by one second or a third, according to the formula of intonation:

When the intonation leaves the quad (or the fifth) lower and passes by the third, to jump directly on the cord of content, the inflection is done while turning over to the lower third.
Conversely, when the intonation mentions the lower modulation of the content, the inflection takes place at the second.

Psalmodic formulas

The psalmodic formulas type are of four style:

the simple style is used with the office, for the recitation of the psalms.
a more complex style is used with the Mass, for the verses of the Introït and the Communion (of time or those were sung).
style very decorated with the prolix Répons.
Lastly, the chant used for the Magnificat and the Benedictus is intermediate between the simple style and that of Introït.

Each style is carried out into eight tons, according to the classification of the Octoéchos.

Interpretation of the accentuated formulas

The interpretation of rate is done while going up starting from the end of the verse.

The median formulas are always accentuated; and can be with one or two accents, with or without syllables of preparation: they depend on the place where fall the last accent from the hémistiche, or sometimes of the last two accents. These accents are located on the standard formula (here, by triangles). If the length of the words forces to intercalate an additional syllable in the formula, this one is noted by a " note blanche" , which can be added or removed according to what the accent requires.

There can be one or more preparatory syllables with the accent in the formula. In this case, these preparatory syllables are placed on the verse while going up starting from the last accent.

In the case of formulas with two accents: if the accent preceding the last is too far compared to the number of notes " blanches" being able to be added with the formula, the formula is interpreted as if a conventional accent were two syllables before the last accent.

Chants of the office

The chants of the office are very numerous: There are eight types of intonation and median formula, which depend only on the tone, but the terminations are very varied, outcome to about fifty formulas. These formulas are differentiated by the final note: in the example above, the formula " 1G" mean that it is about the first formula finishing on a Ground (=G, in traditional notation).

; Intonation: The verse has a formula of intonation, which is used only for the first verse of the psalm. The other verses are directly entonnés recto tono .

; Content: The content is noted here by a large white rectangle: it is a single note on which the body of the verse will be sung.

; Inflection: Certain verses can have inflections, noted †. The formula of inflection is not noted, but is rather simple:

the last stressed syllable is on the content, then the voice drops by one or two tone.
It drops by a tone in all the cases where the intonation passes by the tone lower than the content, and of a third whenever the intonation makes the same jump of a third.

Here, in the tone 1G, the inflection will be thus of a tone. In the event of inflection, the recovery is done always directly on the content.

; Give rhythm median: In the verse of the psalm, median rate is normally noted by a " *". It follows a formula accentuated, according to the rules given above.

; Recovery: The resumption of the second hémistiche is generally made recto tono in the simple chant.

; Formulate final: The final formula can be with one or two accents, with or without syllables of preparation. It is carried out according to the same rules that median rate.

Chants of the Mass

The chant of the Mass meets especially on the verses of Introït, but also on certain formulas of the Asperges me .

The intonations, rates and medians follow the same rules as for the chant of the office. The only difference is that if there are several verses, the intonation must be repeated each time. It is in particular the case for the doxology of the " Gloria ", which receives an intonation systematically.

The principal difference between the verses of office and those of the introït is in the conclusion of the verses, which follows a pentasyllabic fixed formula: one counts five syllables before the end of the verse, and these syllables receive the five neumes final formula, independently of the place of the accents.

The verses of introït are often followed of a standard formula comprising the letters " E U O U In E". It is about a shortened conventional representation of the formula " sa' e' - it u' - the o' - r' u' m, has - me e' N " , which makes it possible to know where fall the five last syllables from the doxology compared to the musical formula of conclusion.

Chants of let us répons prolix

Let us répons prolix correspond to a style Syllabique, even Mélismatique. They have a structure of verse much more complex than the preceding structures, which forces in practice to be noted.

the formula of intonation is generally accentuated, which can lead to a small récitatif passage before passing with the content itself.
the contents are sometimes accentuated, and can present Podatus of accent which come romprent the uniformity of the verse.
the median formula always rich, is accuentuée and with three syllables of preparation.
There exists always a formula of recovery for the second hémistiche. This formula is however not used in the doxology, which is too short and thus tackles directly the content.
the final formula is always pentasyllabic, as for the verses of introït, but it is very richly decorated.

It will be noted that répons it is not completed on the chant, but takes again the initial antienne. The final note of the pentasyllabic formula thus does not correspond necessarily to that of the mode.

Chant of the Magnificat

The Magnificat and the Benedictus can psalmodier on tons themselves of the office, the difference being whereas the intonation is then taken again with each verse.

They can also be chants on a solemn tone, intermediary between the chant of the office and that of the Mass, whose median is that of the verses of introït.

The Magnificat has as a characteristic that the first verse " Magnificat animated mea Domine " does not have median rate. In this first verse, the intonation is connected directly on the final formula.

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