The Kyriale

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iohanne

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Does know or have any resources concerning when the various settings of the Mass in the Kyriale were composed? I’ve noticed that some of the songs in settings like the Missa de angelis sound “later” than others that sound more “primitive”. I was hoping to be able to confirm or disprove this suspicion and learn more about how the Kyriale - and Mass settings in general - evolved over time.

Also, apparently the name of the Mass settings are incipits - titles named after the first words - of the troped Kyries that once belonged to each Mass setting but was suppressed at Trent. I’ve found the troped Kyrie of Orbis Factor on Youtube and the lyrics for it on-line but I was curious about the other ones like Lux et Origo, etc. Does anyone know where I can find the lyrics for the other troped Kyries?

Lastly, is there a reason why Missa de angelis is the preferred Mass setting? It’s not the most beautiful, in my honest opinion, and the Kyriale suggests that it’s only to be used on solemn feasts and even then it’s only one option among others but it seems to be used so often at the expense of the other ones! The one that’s supposed to be used in Ordinary Time is Orbis Factor! Is there something I’m missing?

Thanks in advance!
ICXC NIKA
 
iohanne said:
Lastly, is there a reason why Missa de angelis is the preferred Mass setting? It’s not the most beautiful, in my honest opinion, and the Kyriale suggests that it’s only to be used on solemn feasts and even then it’s only one option among others but it seems to be used so often at the expense of the other ones! The one that’s supposed to be used in Ordinary Time is Orbis Factor! Is there something I’m missing?
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I can’t answer your other questions but the reason de angelis is popular is because it is easy to sing.

I think diocesan EFs and “latin mass communities” often use de angelis because they lack the time and resources to do better. Full traditional parishes are more likely to use the mass of the season and reserve de angelis for feasts (if they don’t just use a polyphonic setting).
 
I don’t have any information to offer you, but I just wanted to say that I am really getting into learning the Kyriale and appreciating the beauty of each one.

I was attending an FSSP parish for awhile and they used to use Mass XI (Orbis Factor) quite a bit and I developed a love for it. Especially the Gloria.

At first I wasn’t crazy about it because I didn’t know it and the congregation alternated with the choir, but once I was able to bring my missal with me and was able to follow along, I grew to really love it.

It’s not easy for folks to learn new chant they are not familiar with.
 
iohanne said:
Does know or have any resources concerning when the various settings of the Mass in the Kyriale were composed? I’ve noticed that some of the songs in settings like the Missa de angelis sound “later” than others that sound more “primitive”. I was hoping to be able to confirm or disprove this suspicion and learn more about how the Kyriale - and Mass settings in general - evolved over time.
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If you download the Liber Usualis (from here; a large pdf), you will find that the chants of the ordinary all have a notation indicating the century to which they are believed to date. They were, generally speaking, not collected into the “Masses” as we have them now – Mass VIII, Mass XI, etc. – until something like 120 years ago.
Also, apparently the name of the Mass settings are incipits - titles named after the first words - of the troped Kyries that once belonged to each Mass setting but was suppressed at Trent. I’ve found the troped Kyrie of Orbis Factor on Youtube and the lyrics for it on-line but I was curious about the other ones like Lux et Origo, etc. Does anyone know where I can find the lyrics for the other troped Kyries?
Click to expand...
This is the book you want (Analecta Hymnica Medii Aevi, vol XLVII). As far as I know, they’re all in there. It’s in German and Latin, though, but the index starts on page 417 and is pretty much self-explanatory.
Lastly, is there a reason why Missa de angelis is the preferred Mass setting? It’s not the most beautiful, in my honest opinion, and the Kyriale suggests that it’s only to be used on solemn feasts and even then it’s only one option among others but it seems to be used so often at the expense of the other ones! The one that’s supposed to be used in Ordinary Time is Orbis Factor! Is there something I’m missing?
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My guess (as I think I’ve discussed elsewhere on this forum) is that Mass VIII is especially popular because it is basically in F major, and thus sounds more like comforting, modern music than any of those “weird,” “churchy” Gregorian modes. I would not be surprised if this were attributable to the late date of composition of most of the chants that make up Mass VIII.
 
Thank you to everyone for their responses, particularly Mark Thompson. 👍
 
No matter what you feel, when you sing Kyriale at Latin Masses,it warms your Heart, just to reply,back. Amen :harp:
 
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