Kyrie Eleison from Mass XI

Kyrie Eleison from Mass XI “Orbis factor” (LU 46)
If anything needs clarification or correction, please holler!

Authorship: This setting of the Kyrie Eleison is essentially anonymous. There are many theories on the origin of the melodies and melodic style of the Gregorian chants, but there is scant evidence to support any of these theories. Certainly there was precedence in the Jewish temple service (for an interesting note on the Jewish roots of Catholic liturgy, please see “The Judean Heritage” on pp 25-26 of Grout and Palisca (from here on I will abbreviate Donald Grout and Claude Palisca’s A History of Western Music, Fourth Edition, W. W. Norton, New York and London, 1988 as G & P), noting the influence of Syrian music and Byzantine music as well, although the primary Syrian contribution was in the antiphons (p. 57)).

The name Gregorian chant refers to the role of St. Gregory the Great (ca 540 – 604), who had some undetermined role in writing, codifying, or commissioning some of the chants. As Grout and Palisca point out (p 51), the legend of St. Gregory hearing the chants from the Holy Spirit and dictating them to a scribe could not have been accurate because there was no effective system of musical notation at the time.

Liturgical Background: This Kyrie is a setting for use “For Sundays throughout the Year.” The name “Orbis factor” pertains to another text which was set to this melody later. This melody is still used in liturgies, although I have heard it more often as the melody for “Praise and Honor to You, Lord Jesus Christ” as the substitute for the Alleluia during Lent. I have heard this tune used completely inappropriately in a film, but I cannot remember which one (Name of the Rose perhaps?).

Mode: In modern parlance we would describe this as a natural minor (Aeolian mode), although this is a modern concept (it wasn’t until the 16th Century that this mode (and its corresponding hypomode) was recognized as existing independently). It is more historically seen as Mode I (dorian) with a b-flat. Please note that Gregorian chant is relative, key-wise. Simply because it is written in re (d) does not imply any exact pitch.

The mode system is important to understand, as it forms the basis of all subsequent Western music, from Gregorian chant to whatever is playing on your radio this very minute. It is roughly based on descriptions of how the Greeks organized pitches, but was distorted from the Greek understanding of how to divide an octave by misunderstandings through the years. I am not planning on getting into the nuts and bolts of how the church modes differed from the ancient Greek modes, unless requested. It is a technical matter that is probably beyond the interest of all but a few music geeks (who probably already know it). However, if you want to take the plunge and become a music geek, let me know and I will discuss the differences in modes.

Essentially a mode is a scale, a collection of seven notes, each subsequent one a second from the prior one. What gives modes their character is whether each second is a major (whole step) or minor (half step) second. There are not all-whole step modes until the 19th Century, and fully chromatic scales are never called modes. The other regular scale, the octatonic (whole, half, whole, half, whole, half, usw.) likewise is not found in frequent use in Western music until the 19th Century. What really makes music modal is that the melodies end on the first tone of the mode.

Those modes that have a Major third between the first and third notes are considered Major in character. They include the Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian modes (although the Ionian is a modern term). The minor modes (called such because they have a minor third in the first/third relationship) are the Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes. We will not consider the Locrian, since it exists only in theory, lacking a Perfect Fifth. The Lydian and Mixolydian modes are often found in American and European folk musics. The Phrygian mode with its flat second (which is an interesting animal in and of itself – when we deal with Renaissance polyphony, we will have to look at a Phrygian piece), gives flamenco music its characteristic sound (remember this for when we look at flamenco and the art music that draws from it – but don’t worry I will remind you).

Text: Lord Have Mercy (x3), Christ Have Mercy (x3), Lord Have Mercy (x3). But since this is primarily directed at St. Blog’s parish, I assume you know that. This setting is melismatic, so that each syllable has multiple notes, which is often the case with Kyries. Credos, with their lengthy texts, tend to be syllabic, with one note per syllable.

Ambitus and basic melodic contour: Major ninth. The melody begins on the fifth tone of the Mode, climaxes (in a prolongation of the climax) on the octave of the first tone, and dips to the unraised leading tone (if you will forgive the blatantly tonal language, the concept of leading tone comes later, but basically it means the last note of the mode).

Structure: The tripartite structure is built into the text: Kyrie Eleison (x3), Christe Eleison (x3), Kyrie Eleison (x3). Since the division of the three primary parts is also in three, we could borrow from the language of rhythm and call this a compound tripartite form(or, to borrow rhythmic terms from the 14th Century, Perfect formal tempus and perfect formal prolation, although to use those terms to apply to form is unusual. It can be justified by pointing to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s notes on the continuity of rhythm and form outlined in his “Four Criteria of Electronic Music” (taken from Stockhausen on Music, Lectures and Interviews Compiled by Robin Maconie, Marion Boyers Publishers Ltd. London, 1989). We will get into using these rhythmic and formal concepts later, in our discussion of the 14th Century Ars Nova music as well as the hyperrational total serialism of Boulez, so I will only give the reader a taste of what is to come). To the medieval mind, the perfection came in the division into three, as this is reflective of the Holy Trinity. To echo each acclamation three times gave the sort of marvelous micro-macrocosmic relationship that makes all of Medieval art fascinating.

So, we can start with A:B:A1, as the third iteration of the final set of Kyrie Eleisons is slightly different from the rest. To look at the subdivisions thus far we have A A A, B B B, A A A1. Since each section has a common part, namely the step-wise melisma on each Eleison, we can call that phrase B and give a final form to this as AB AB AB, CB CB CB, AB AB C1B. Note that G & P on their notes to this chant on page 65 consider the C prime to be a completely different phrase, D. The elements of this D are so close to the melodic material of the C (Christe) that we must recognize a unity between these. Overall we can describe this as an arch form, with the beginning and ending virtually the same.

Because of the use of the Christe material in the final iteration of Kyrie, the third section is tied a little closer to the Christe section, providing an extra measure of diversity, and faintly suggesting a sectio aurem relationship (because of it bracketing the first two iterations of the Kyrie in the third section, right where the golden section division would be). Clearly this does not negate the climax of the melody on the Christe, rather it reinforces it by reusing that material later, when it is no longer expected.

The effect on the listener of the form is magnificent, since the whole piece is held together by the stepwise motif used on each Eleison. The Kyrie starts on and repeats the fifth tone of the mode, before leaping to the first tone. As the melody moves to the Eleison, it outlines a triad built on the first tone (contrary to what beginning counterpoint students are told to do in building a good cantus firmus). The mode is strongly reinforced by these elements as well as the cadential formula of 7-1-1. The melody is varied (good balance between stepwise motion and leaps) and contains strong internal logic (working to reinforce the mode, setting up a strong presence on the fifth tone and resolving it after the triadic leaping with a strong stepwise arch), and it is short enough to lodge in the ear’s memory after one hearing. When the Christe comes in, moving almost immediately to the climax, it comes with a triumphant surprise, which, although connected to the other material, provides ample variety now that the ear has completely learned the Kyrie melody.

The climax of the piece is on the word Christe, and it is especially pronounced, since the melody leaps a fifth to land on the note, briefly moves to the lower note, and returns before descending. Since the exact CB pattern is repeated, the climax is actually tripled. Significantly, the word Christe, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is central to the tripartite arch form. The exact repetition of the motif of the Eleison provides solid grounding through repetition.

When the Kyrie returns it implies a relief, built into the arch form. Lord Have Mercy (ugh!), Lord Have Mercy (a little bit louder), Lord Have Mercy (with some urgency), Christ! Have Mercy!(ever urgenter) Christ! Have Mercy! (I mean it) Christ Have Mercy! (Amen!) Lord have Mercy. Yes. Mercy is being had. Oh, Lord Have Mercy. Lord. Have. Mercy. If you can read that in the tone of voice that I have in my head, you will get it. Otherwise, forgive me for a goofy way of writing.

This Kyrie is a great example of economy in writing. In a few simple lines this piece conveys a rather complex structure with a powerful emotional punch. Note that all of this is accomplished without the use of harmony and with a narrow vocal range!

Again, I see this as a bit of a rough draft. If you notice anything unclear or incorrect or missing or off the wall, please holler and I will make clarifications or corrections and will owe you a martini. At the very least I will try to not make the same sort of errors in subsequent analyses. For the next analysis we will move from the Ordinary of the Mass to the Sequence for Easter, Victimae Pascali Laude (attributed to Wipo of Burgundy), and maybe to the other major Sequences as well, depending on how much Gregorian chant analysis the readers (and the writer) can take. Most of the analytical techniques that theorists hone involve analyzing harmony, so trying to squeeze something out of monophony is a bit of a challenge. Perhaps we will move to something else after Victimae Pascali Laudes and come back to chant afterwards.

Posted by erik at June 12, 2003 11:38 PM | TrackBack