Gregorian Chant - 1930 HMV

Gregorian Chant
Monastic Choir of the Abbey of St, Pierre de Solesmes - The classic, and complete, 1930 HMV recordings
Choeur des Moines de l'Abbaye St. Pierre de Solesmes - Joseph Gajard, dir.
La Voix de son Maître "Gramophone" AW 249 / AW260 [78rpm x12, France]
La Voix de son Maître "Gramophone" W 1115 / W1120 & W1121 / W1126 [78rpm x12, France]
His Master's Voice "The Gramophone Company Ltd" HMV D 1971 / D 1982, Series 120 [78rpm x12, England]
Victor 7341 / 7352, set M 87 [78rpm x12, U.S.A.]
Victor 7341 / 7352, set DM 87 [78rpm x12, U.S.A.]
Victor 12538 / 12549 [78rpm x12, U.S.A.]
Electrola EJ 631 / 642 [78rpm x12, Germany]
RCA Victor LCT 6011 / 12 [LPx2, U.S.A.]
Pearl GEMM CDS 9152 [CDx2]

Contents:

    78rpm - 1 (matrix: CF 3158 / 3159)

    Gregorian: Mass "Lux et Origo"
  1. Ordinary: Kyrie Eleison I (Mode VIII), LU 16b
  2. Ordinary: Agnus Dei I (Mode IV), LU 18b

    3. ----
  3. Ordinary: Gloria in excelsis I (Mode IV), LU 16c
  4. Ordinary: Sanctus I (Mode IV), LU 18a

    5. 78rpm - 2 (matrix: CF 3152 / 3139)

    Gregorian: Mass for the Dead
  5. Introit: Requiem aeternam (Mode VI), LU 1807a
  6. Tractus: Absolve Domine (Mode VIII), LU 1809

    7. ----
  7. Offertory: Domine Jesu Christe (Mode II), LU 1813

    8. 78rpm - 3 (matrix: CF 3150 / 3153)

    Gregorian: Maundy-Thursday
  8. Gradual: Christus factus est (Mode V), LU 655

    9. Gregorian: Passion Sunday
  9. Communion: Hoc corpus (Mode VIII), LU 573b

    10. ----
    Gregorian: 3rd Sunday of Advent
  10. Gradual: Qui sedes (Mode VIII), LU 335

    11. Gregorian: 19th Sunday after Pent.
  11. Gradual: Dirigatur (Mode VII), LU 1060a

    12. 78rpm - 4 (matrix: CF 3154 / 3145)

    Gregorian: Mass for Doctors
  12. Alleluia: Justus germinabit (Mode I), LU 1192

    13. ----
    Gregorian: 20th Sunday after Pent.
  13. Communion: Memento verbi (Mode IV), LU 1065b

    14. Gregorian: Mass for a Virgin
  14. Communion: Quinque prudentes (Mode V), LU 1228b

    15. Gregorian: Easter Sunday
  15. Communion: Pascha nostrum (Mode VI), LU 781b

    16. 78rpm - 5 (matrix: CF 3140 / 3143)

    Gregorian: 1st Sunday of Advent
  16. Offertory: Ad te (Domine) levavi (Mode II), LU 321

    17. Gregorian: 2nd Sunday of Lent
  17. Offertory: Meditabor (Mode II), LU 548

    18. ----
    Gregorian: 1st Vespers of the 5th Sunday after Pentecost
  18. Antiphon: Montes Gelboe (Mode I), AM 576

    19. Gregorian: Tuesday in Holy Week
  19. Offertory: Custodi me (Mode I), LU 611a

    20. 78rpm - 6 (matrix: CF 3149 / 3148)

    Gregorian: Holy Saturday Tenebrae
  20. Responsory: Ecce quomodo moritur justus (Mode IV), LU 728

    21. ----
    Gregorian: Good Friday Tenebrae
  21. Responsory: Tenebrae facta sunt (Mode VII)

    22. 78rpm - 7 (matrix: CF 3151 / 3138)

    Gregorian: Mass "Cum Jubilo"
  22. Ordinary: Sanctus IX (Mode V), LU 42a
  23. Ordinary: Agnus Dei IX (Mode V), LU 42b

    24. ----
    Gregorian
  24. Hymn: Adoro te (Mode V), LU 1855
  25. Antiphon: Salve Regina (Simple tone, Mode V), LU 279

    26. 78rpm - 8 (matrix: CF 3157 / 3146)

    Gregorian: Pentecost Week
  26. Introit: Spiritus Domini (Mode VIII), LU 878b
  27. Communion: Spiritus Sanctus docebit vos (Mode VIII), LU 889a
  28. Communion: Spiritus qui a patre (Mode VIII), LU 892a

    29. ----
    Gregorian: 18th Sunday after Pent.
  29. Introit: Da pacem (Mode I), LU 1056a

    30. Gregorian
  30. Ordinary: Kyrie "Orbis factor" (ad lib X) (Mode I), LU 80b

    31. 78rpm - 9 (matrix: CF 3144 / 3141)

    Gregorian: 12th Sunday after Pentecost
  31. Offertory: Precatus est Moyses (Mode VIII), LU 1030

    32. ----
    Gregorian: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
  32. Offertory: Jubilate Deo universa (Mode I), LU 486b

    33. 78rpm - 10 (matrix: CF 3147 / 3156)

    Gregorian: Christmas Matins
  33. Responsory: Descendit de caelis (Mode I), LR 59

    34. ----
    Gregorian: Ascension
  34. Alleluia Ascendit Deus (Mode IV), LU 848a
  35. Alleluia: Assumpta est (Mode V), LU 1603

    36. 78rpm - 11 (matrix: CF 3136 / 3137)

    Gregorian: Septuagesima
  36. Responsorium: Media vita (Mode IV), PM 45b

    37. ----
    Gregorian
  37. Responsory: Christus resurgent (Mode II), PM 66

    38. Gregorian: Easter Chants
  38. Antiphons (Mode V), PM 67
    1. Alleluia, lapis revoltus
    2. Alleluia, quem quaeris mulier
    3. Alleluia, noli flere Maria

    78rpm - 12 (matrix: CF 3160 / 3142)

    Gregorian: Dedication Feast
  39. Hymn: Urbs Jerusalem (Mode IV), LU 694b

    40. ----
    Gregorian: Hymns to Blessed Virgin
  40. Hymn: Virgo Dei Genitrix (Mode II), LU 1865
  41. Hymn: O quam glorifica (Mode II), LU 1864b

Sources:
LU = Liber Usualis
AM = Antiphonale Monasticum
LR = Liber Responsorialis
PM = Psalterium Monasticum

Playing time: 46' 04" + 49' 32" = 95' 36" for CD

Performers:
Monastic Choir of the Abbey of St. Pierre de Solesmes - Joseph Gajard, dir.

Recording site and date:
Abbey of St. Pierre de Solesmes [04/1930]

Excerpts:
[1]-[4], [7]-[12], [26]-[30], [32]-[33], [39] QLP 8008 [LP, Italia]
[1]-[4], [7]-[12], [26]-[30], [32]-[33], [37]-[38] Schwann AMS-L 58 [LP, Germany]
[12] Voce del Padrone 7EPQ 656 [LP, Italia]

Reviewed in:
Diapason (#-p.):
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.):
Gramophone (Vol./#-p.):

Comments:
Information from 78rpm and CD.
The order of tracks is slightly different on CD-1: 1, 3-4, 2, 5-8, 10-11, 9, 12-17, 19, 21, 20, 18, and on CD-2: 22-26, 29, 31-32, 27, 28, 30, 33, 36-38, 34-35, 39-41.
On CD booklet, the HMV reference is wrongly stated; it is not HMV D 1917 / 28, but HMV 1971 / 82; same mistake appears in World Encyclopaedia of Recorded Music (WERM).
Matrix CF 3155 didn't appear; only CF 3136 / 3154 and CF 3156 / 3160; according to Weber "Gregorian Chant Discography, matrix 3155 (Introit: Exsurge quare and Antiphon: Hosanna) was never issued.

To purchasing information for this disc.

To FAQ references to this recording.

To FAQ CD index page.

Pierre-F. Roberge