It IS a quandry!
Mary sang. Moses sang. According to Zephaniah 3:17 God Himself is a musician, specifically a singer!
Many, if not nearly all, Orthodox Christian Churches prefer vocal music almost to exclusion.
For the instrumentalist, this chills the soul! Perhaps a vocalist who finds out that no music is allowed in the worship ceremony of a typical Muslim mosque might feel just a twinge of what is faced by an Orthodox Christian instrumentalist who wants to praise Jesus with their musical gifts.
It irrefutable that the human voice most often carries with it an incredible attribute shared by no instrumentalist. Words. When these words are from the Bible and especially when they Praise God, the supremacy of the voice seems distinct and compelling
The video of a young bishop from the church of the Patriarchs makes a compelling argument: “the voice is the only instrument made by God”. The Christian believes that they bear the image of God and are His creation. That God has created each human voice.
And yet, as the soul crushing sound of the door of the great orthofox basilica seems to close with a resounding thud of rejection, a simple knock on that resolute edifice taps lightly in the form of a question: WHO DO THEY THINK MADE GABRIEL’S TROMBONE?
And so we see that Basilica San Marco, of La Serenissima the blessed, the trombones and cornetti, the viols and the organ all cry out to God to praise and worship him. If the very rocks could be compelled to worship the Lord, why not these blessed instruments of angels and men?
Magnifica Sexta Toni , a verseti
Latin-Dictionary.netDefinitions:
- noble/eminent
- proud/boastful
- splendid/excellent/sumptuous/magnificent/stately
BUT, WAS VENICE EVEN CHRISTIAN IN ‘the FIRST PLACE?
As Althea Weil writes in her brilliant book, “A History of Venice”:
“In the year 569 Italy was again overrun: this time by the wildest horde that Germany had yet sent forth, in the shape of the Longobardi or Lombards under their king, Alboin.”
“Again were those dwellers in the mainland , who had dreamed of safety in their inland homes, forced to seek the shelter patronised of old by their neighbors, and repair to the lagunes. It was chiefly from the town of Altium (Altino) that the refugees now poured forth…”
“”The Story runs that: “When Alboin was bearing down on the land and terror was in every heart the inhabitants determined to seek Divine assistance, and with tears implored for guidance from above. A sign was granted to them in that they saw birds and pigeons suddenly flying from the wells, and leave their nests, carrying in their beaks their young….This was accepted by them that they too should seek safety in flight. They decided to do so and divided into three compagnies, one going towards Istria, another to Ravenna, while the third remained in perplexity as to their destination.
After prayer and fasting, they were given a message of lights, which they followed to the once and future Rialto, La Serenissima, Venice!
The future empire began as a satellite of Constantinople, her Los Angeles (in American terms), and was Orthodox Christian as testified by the Basilica san Marco in the Eleventh Century.
While the French, Roman Catholic influence of “The Notre Dame School” of vocal music is widely acknowledged in the superb music and innovation of such composers as Leonin, Perotin and Machaut:
The Venetian School rightly includes: Adrian Wilaert, Andrea Gabrieli, Giovanni Gabrieli, Saint Henrich Schutz, Claudio Monteverdi and perhaps even partially Antonio Vivaldi. (It is difficult to believe that he never performed there with his father, nor derive great influence from his exposure to the greatest orchestra of his time.)
The stunning instrumental accomplishments of the Orthodox Church included the first proto-Opera (Andrea Gabrieli, 1585), The invention of dynamics (Giovanni Gabrieli 1597), antiphony or “surround sound”, orchestration-and thus THE INVENTION OF THE ORCHESTRA (Giovanni Gabrieli). While the first complete opera was composed by Monteverde in Mantua, his tenure for more than thirty years at San Marco saw the first public opera house (In Venice), produce his three later masterpieces and re-stage his earlier works. The first opera in German was not composed by the beloved Mozart but by Saint Heinrich Schutz, a student at and for a period of time Co-Music Director of San Marco’s Basilica with Monteverdi. The two great men and musicians worked alongside one another as Catholic and Protestant during the Counter-Reformation under the shelter of the Orthodox Christian Church.
When taken alongside the fact that the pipe organ using air, and not water, was invented in Orthodox Christian Constantinople and later introduced into Roman Catholic Western Europe, it becomes clear that the musical contributions of the Orthodox Christian Church rival those of the Roman Catholic Church in the Antiquity before the ostensible fall of the Roman Empire/ Constantinople in 1453 AD and into the Renaissance and Baroque.
By merit, Orthodox Christian Venice may stand first among the greatest musical cities on Earth: Vienna, Paris, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro to name but a few.
Since Antonio Vivaldi’s father enjoyed a lifetime appointment at St. Mark’s, one is tempted to add partial credit for the invention and perfection of THE CONCERTO as well as the DEVELOPMENT OF REFERENTIAL MUSIC (as in Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”), to the list of Orthodox Christian accomplishments. It is almost impossible to imagine that the young Vivldi did not perform there alongside his father at times, nor listen to the greatest orchestra in the world as they rehearsed and performed for worship.
Terra pax hominibus, (Peace on Earth).
Ecce facedor magnus (Behold, a great fool!) Vincent Campbell 1595?
Canzona Francesca a’ 4 dal’ Octavo, detla la Sirifinia
“CVD 274 Mass- p43-50 approx”.
“Venice, constantly proud of its past and its originality, did everything possible to stand apart from Rome; it intended to preserve its academic traditions and a ducal ceremonial which was quite distinct from the progress to uniformity undertaken by the Catholic Counter-Reformation throughout Italy. St. Mark’s , as the symbol of the hegemony of the Republic over the Church was therefore under the perpetual control of the Senate:”, writes Patrick Barbier in Vivaldi’s Venice.
May we also add home of the brass duo?
REFERENCE of ALL DUOS FOUND, VENETIAN, FOR BRASS
Page Listings, from Original Transcripts
ONE I II: Ecce facedor magnus, p. 1-2 (Oh what a great fool)
TWO I II: Factum est silentium, p. 3-5 (There was silence.)
THREE Ego flos campi, p. 5-6 (2 More…-Second Collection) (I am a flower of the field.)
FOUR Salve Regina, p. 7-8 (Third Collection-“3 More..”)
FIVE Angelus ad pastores, p. 9-10 (Third Collection-“3 More..”)
SIX Omnes gentes, p. 11-12 (2 More…-Second Collection) (All nations)
SEVEN Paratum cor meum, p. 13-14 (First Collection-“Did We Miss Something?”) (My heart is ready).
EIGHT Verbum caro factum est pages 14, 15a 15b 16 (The Word became flesh.)
NINE V: Magnificat Secundi Toni, p. 17-25
TEN Laudate Dominum, p. 26-29 (Third Collection-“3 More..”)
ELEVEN Canzon Francese a’ 8, detta la Carissima (said the dearest) , p. 30-33 (First Collection-“Did We Miss Something?”)
TWELVE Canzon Francese a’ 4, del Secondo Tuono, p. 34-36 (First Collection-“Did We Miss Something?”)
THIRTEEN Canzon Francese a’ 4 dal ‘Ottavo, detta la Sirifina, p. 37-39
FOURTEEN Magnificat Sexti Toni, a verseti , p. 40-42
FIFTEEN XII: MAss , Paratum cor meum (My heart is ready), Kyrie (Lord) Perino (I am tired.) p. 43-50
Intro p. 43 recording ok
SIXTEEN Kyrie Ultiima p. 43-44 recording (Lord’s Prayer)
SEVENTEEN Et in terra pax hominibus p. 44-45 ok stand alone. (trans. And Peace On Earth)
EIGHTEEN Qui tallis p.45-47 (Who are you?)
NNETEEN Credo p. 47-48 (I Believe)
TWENTY Adoramus te 48-49 (We adore you)
TWENTY-ONE Agnus Dei 49-50 John the Baptist, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.”
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