The Art of Gregorian Music

De: Andre Mocquereau

Narrado por: Russell Stamets

The Art of Gregorian Music has been selected as a suitable beginning because it deals on broad lines with the principles underlying the restoration of the liturgical chant of the Catholic Church. The paper was originally read before the Catholic University of Paris in 1896 and thus antedated, by nearly a decade, the official action of the Holy See.

In spite of this fact, the translators have thought it best to reproduce the paper without any attempt to bring it up to date in detail, partly because of its historical interest, but chiefly because, dealing as it does with the subject on broad and general lines, it forms an ideal introduction to the more detailed study of the liturgical chant, which will follow in the monumental work of Dom Mocquereau's Le Nombre Musical Gregorien.

Public Domain (P)2020 Russell Stamets

Makes a good audiobook

What a pleasant surprise to see this title on Audible! Mocquereau is one of my favorite writers, and even one of the formative influences on my life. He writes so appealingly about plainchant and music, and this is one of his most accessible and winning pieces of writing.

I like the idea of having the recorded music in the background too, although it could have been a little more sparing. Even better would have been to have recordings of the specific examples discussed in the text, although I understand why that might be difficult.

My only real complaint is that the French and Latin are both badly mispronounced. If you can get past that annoyance, this is worth a listen.

surprising find!

I got this on a whim and was so pleased! This essay on Gregorian music makes quite the case for it being divinely inspired. And the chant in the background is perfectnalong with Russell Stamets' well matched narration.