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Two Gregorian Chants to Mary the Mother of God, Op.41
SM-000612935
| Komponist | Unknown (works before 1850), Richard Willmer, Joseph Pothier |
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| Verleger | Richard Willmer |
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| Genre |
Klassische Musik / Kammermusik |
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| Instrumentierung |
Klavier |
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| Partitur für | Solo |
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| Art der Partitur | Klavierauszug |
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| Tonart |
G-Dur |
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| Satz, Nr. |
1 bis 1 von 1 |
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| Länge |
6'0" |
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| Schwierigkeitsgrad |
Fortgeschritten |
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| Jahr der Komposition |
2024 |
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| Beschreibung |
A setting for the piano of two Gregorian chants: Sub tuum Præsidium and Salve, Mater Misericordiæ.
The Two Chants to Mary the Mother of God were written at the request of Anna Heller, who, at the end of August 2024, commissioned several composers to write music inspired by Gregorian chant, or, more specifically, inspired by the Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies by Ottorino Respighi, which he wrote in 1921.
I use no modulation and no alterations apart from F and F sharp (in Gsregorian usage the only alterations are B and B flat).
After setting the IV variant of chant A, I wondered how it would sound if I added chant B as a descant. I wanted to use chant A as the bass, but eventually decided to place it immediately under chant B. The latter, being longer and in two sections, I had to adapt both chants slightly (in variant VI, chant B, there is the sole alteration in either of the chants, an F sharp) so that the A section of chant B fits over one enunciation of chant A, while the B section fits over the final appearance of chant A.
The journey from monody to five-part polyphony. From the VII mode to G major, and from pianissimo to forte is a journey, if not from darkness to light, at least from resignation to joy.
As a tempo indication for chant B I mention Peace. A better translation of the original Hebrew ùÈÑìåÉí (Shalom) would be not absence of conflict, but wholeness.
I distanced myself from Respighi's model, trying to be as faithful as possible to the original chant. I did not transpose it at all, and the chant begins and ends on G. I kept the F natural almost to the end. All the Solesmes indications make it to the piano music. I do, however, recommend studying the charts I provide, so that the music can sing, even as the pianist (unless he is Glenn Gould) remains silent.
There are six sections in the piece:
I – Is the simple enunciation of Sub tuum Præsidium, with the left hand holding a silent G major chord, to add resonance to the music.
II – The chant is accompanied by a simple harmony in broken chords.
III – the chant is accompanied by arpeggi.
IV – The chant is presented in four-part polyphony.
V – Section A of Salve, Mater Misericordiæ, transposed a fifth higher, makes its entry over Sub tuum Præsidium, each chant is its own mode, that is, V and VII.
VI – Section B of Salve, Mater Misericordiæ is set over a variation of Sub tuum Præsidium, which now is in the V mode also.
Both V and VI are in five-part polyphony
The piece ends, reaching for light, on the highest register, pianissimo.
You may listen to the audio on my site, which was taken from this video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3m6eciCXfw&list=RDj3m6eciCXfw&start_radio=1
The pianist is Anna Heller, who has kindly given me permission to use the audio track. |
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| Datum des Uploads |
03 Feb 2025 |
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