Antiphonale versus Liber

[markadm]

I sometimes have the opportunity to buy old books in fairly good nick.

I was thinking of getting either an Antiphonale Romanum or a Liber Usualis, but cannot be sure of the difference between them. Can someone succinctly explain this to me?

(My main use would be to pick my way through the Divine Office.)

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Off the top of my head, I think the Antiphonale is the typical edition of the chants for the Office, whereas the Liber is an approved addition put together by Solesmes. I could be way off, but I must have at least run across something in the past that gave me the impression.

 

[markadm]

Thanks, Andreas. Feedback a friend gave me seems to indicate the same.

 

[bpbasilphx]

It depends on what you want them for.

The Liber Usualis was complied from the Antiphonale and other sources, such as the Graduale and Kyriale, and hence contains chants for both Mass and Divine Office.

However, the Liber contains the music only for feasts of at least double rank.

The Antiphonale contains the chants for the Divine Office of every day for Lauds through Compline (in this case, according to the Roman Secular rite), but not the chants of the Mass.

 

[markadm]

Thanks for this; most useful.

It sounds, then, that I will require an Antiphonale and not a Liber, as I would want to use this to sing the Divine Office.

 

[AJV]

However, the Liber contains the music only for feasts of at least double rank.

Would this still make a Liber usable - don’t feasts of the semidouble rank take most of the non-psalmic parts from the Common?

 

[markadm]

People, just to focus the discussion: I do not know even the common chants, because I’ve not paid attention before. Thus something that helps me say normal, less important, days is probably best?

 

[AJV]

People, just to focus the discussion: I do not know even the common chants, because I’ve not paid attention before. Thus something that helps me say normal, less important, days is probably best?

Sorry, markadm. I wanted to know bpbasilphx’s opinion since he seemed to have used one before. I was just wondering because I think a Liber does contain the Common of Saints. Since I think the Common of Saints is used at all lower feasts,I thought a Liber would be more value for money. The antiphonale I know, keeps to much the same practice in that regard…the Proper of Saints often refers you to the Common.

I say I thought…I forgot a Liber does not give you a lot of ferial chants for weekdays in Advent or Lent, etc. So probably an antiphonale is best.

 

[markadm]

No worries, AJV. I found that part useful anyway. I only said what I said to try and tease out more information from all of you!

It is slightly academic now, anyway, as I have found out I have no source for an Antiphonale, and have managed to procure an old Liber…

 

[CatholicNerd]

The 1961 printing of the Liber Usualis and the 1913 printing of the Antiphonale are both available in their entirety for free from the Church Music Association of America.

musicasacra.com/

IIRC, both are indexed and searchable.

 

[markadm]

The 1961 printing of the Liber Usualis and the 1913 printing of the Antiphonale are both available in their entirety for free from the Church Music Association of America.

musicasacra.com/

IIRC, both are indexed and searchable.

Thanks; I’ve been shown these already, and am most grateful. However, at the end of the day, I’m trying to get a printed Liber because I find it hard to work off a computer screen.

God bless,
Mark

 

[CatholicNerd]

Thanks; I’ve been shown these already, and am most grateful. However, at the end of the day, I’m trying to get a printed Liber because I find it hard to work off a computer screen.

God bless,
Mark

I totally understand that one. I can’t afford the reprint, so I’m stuck with sheets in a binder and my postconciliar Graduale Triplex.