Sarlós Boldogasszony ferences kegytemplom, Sümeg
Post-Tridentine Gregorian Chant in Hungary
Anthem Book of the Pauline Monks in Sátoraljaújhely (1623) - Eperjes Gradual (1635)
In the mid-sixteenth century came a turning point in the situation of Gregorian chant in Europe, and thus in Hungary too. Although the Synod of Trent dealt hardly at all with music, it established uniform liturgical texts for the whole continent.
These dated back to an old tradition, and were not obligatory for churches which already had their own equally ancient traditions, yet they were adopted sooner or later practically everywhere, and both in liturgy and in music, local traditions were abandoned. However, since the synod did not prescribe the music, in the seventeenth century a wide variety of attempts were made to alter the old melodies so they would fit the Tridentine texts, and also the tastes of the time. As this disc demonstrates, such experiments were made in Hungary too.
But continuation of the tradition was problematic not just because of the Synod of Trent. After the middle of the sixteenth century the attention of church musicians turned to polyphony, and where there were not enough good singers, they made do with newly fashioned popular hymns. Although Gregorian chant continued to be regarded as an integral part of the liturgy, in most places it was considered sufficient to pray it, or a few movements were sung to a simplified melody. If this was the case in the West, how much more understandably in the Hungarian church, which had been almost eradicated during the Turkish occupation.
However, in around 1600 Pauline monks in Hungary conducted an interesting experiment. This order was founded in Hungary at the end of the thirteenth century, and for a long time clung to the (central Hungarian) Esztergom liturgical and musical customs as a sign of the order's own identity. When after 1600 they moved to the new Roman (Tridentine) liturgy, they wanted to preserve at least the musical aspect of the order's character, and so they reapplied the Roman chant texts to their own melodies from the Hungarian tradition, simplifying them a little where they saw fit. Compared to the old Gregorian chant this was a barbarian act, but this repertoire is a part of our music history, and if we listen to it as an expression of late Renaissance or early classical music, then undeniably, melodious and at times heart-rending chants were created in this manner.
This dual, historical and aesthetic curiosity explains why it is worth presenting at least a small selection of this repertoire on a CD. Our source was an anthem book of the Paulines in Sátoraljaújhely written in 1623 containing chants for the mass. It provides three movements for each feast: the introit, which begins the mass, the alleluia, and the communion chant. The two outer movements show less change compared to the Middle Ages, because even their texts mostly match those of the earlier tradition. The genuinely characteristic forms are to be found in the alleluias: these are usually new compositions based on old models, yet in the place of the old Gregorian ornamentations there are shorter aria-like melodic passages.
The appendix to the Pauline gradual also contains ordinaries for the mass. In the first and the last cycle here (which contains the chants for the feast of Saint Paul the Hermit, the patron saint of the order) we have recorded some of these pieces, which well demonstrate the new style.
Finally, some subsequent inscriptions can be found in the book, which contain four-part arrangements of Latin cantios (non-liturgical, Latin strophic songs). These can be supplemented with pieces from the Eperjes Gradual, dating from almost the same time (1635). Although the latter are Hungarian translations, their annotations clearly refer to the Latin original, and they are thus easy to match with Latin texts from other songbooks.
Dobszay László
(Translated by Richard Robinson)
Sarlós Boldogasszony ferences kegytemplom, Sümeg