Inside the Offertory: Aspects of Chronology and Transmission. By Rebecca Maloy
Alejandro Enrique Planchart
The offertory chants in the Roman and Gregorian traditions are among grandest works of early medieval music also most problematic terms their genesis, transmission, musical structure. only repertory that poses similar problems great responsories for matins, but these do not have any melodies approach sometimes wildly prolix nature verses. Virtually every problem concerning chant is magnified offertories: putative origins Rome, transmission to Francia, relationship other dialects Latin plainsong Lombard southern northern Italy, Merovingian Gaul, Visigothic Iberia, between word melodic gesture, use non-diatonic tones dislocations this produced once staff notation came into use, how much a given was actually sung at time liturgy. Accordingly, they attracted considerable amount study played prominent role contentious debate when went from oral tradition partially written later mostly one.
Music & Letters