What do traditionalists think of the Piano?

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From my very limited understanding, I understand that the Organ is preferred but what about the Piano?
Please be charitable and civil, I’d rather not see this thread spiral out of control.
 
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It depends upon the depth of Traditionalism. If you really want to be traditionalist you can go all the way back to when organs were banned and considered profane.

I don’t really know about the piano. It was only invented in 1700 as opposed to the 10th century Positive Organ.
 
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I’m fine with any keyboard that is chosen for use with that day’s music selections.
 
The trouble with getting too het up about types of instruments is that ultimately they are not what really matters. This isn’t an issue of morality and while we each may have our personal preferences what matters is that the music is fitting and reverent.
 
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I’ve heard excellent organists and mediocre ones. I’ve heard excellent pianists and some pretty bad ones. While I love the organ, I would take an excellent pianist over a mediocre organist any day.
 
Brendan_64 said:
The trouble with getting too het up about types of instruments is that ultimately they are not what really matters. This isn’t an issue of morality and while we each may have our personal preferences what mattets is that the music is fitting and reverent.
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I’d go even further and argue that “fitting” and “reverent” are subjective where music is concerned.
 
I’m a bit “traditional-leaning” if you had to put me in a category. I absolutely love the piano in a secular setting, but don’t find it particularly appropriate for the Liturgy. It’s usually underwhelming at best, in my experience. Pius X was very explicit about what he thought of the piano in Liturgical settings, and I’m inclined to agree with him.
 
In the first document women are not to be part of a choir in Mass. Litugical music is an ecclesiastical office so must be a ministry performed by men and choir boys. in the second document , women and girls can be part of a choir, it must be away from the sanctuary, and can be a mixed choir , but men are to be seperated from women and girls.
Thankyou for the choir loft Pope Pius XII. I love ours

Which Pope and document allowed a mixed unseperated choir of both sexes, was it a Vatican11 document. Anyone know?
 
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Reading the history , the issues include who can sing ecclesiastical music, as it is considered a ministry, an office. The appropriate setting for those singers, given the nature and function of music, is tied up in morality. In part. Reading those documents, way back in 1903, the effect of theatrical music was quite undesirable on laity and liturgical music, and bear in mind liturgical music was sung in Latin.
 
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ChuckB said:
I’d go even further and argue that “fitting” and “reverent” are subjective where music is concerned.
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So long as it isn’t clamorous or of a secular nature, which would seen to rule out electric guitars etc. I also believe that the use of drums is prohibited.
 
I’m partial to a cappella myself 😉

But I can tolerate an instrument as a prelude, postlude and at the offertory. At the abbey, that is a majestic pipe organ.
 
The pipe organ is the preferred instrument of the Catholic Church partly due to the sustained “singing” nature of the tone. Piano is technically a percussion instrument (because the sound is made by striking something), and the tone simply cannot sustain the way that a pipe organ can, especially in a large space.

Believe it nor, for some people, the piano still has a non-sacred quality about it, that it is more of a concert or home instrument, more at home in a cocktail bar than a sacred place.
 
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Voice is the preferred instrument of the Catholic Church. Every other instrument is secondary , and only to support the voice
 
I myself am a studying concert pianist, and I don’t think that it has a place in the liturgy. I enjoy playing some hymns and transposing what I hear at Mass when I’m practicing at home, but even to me the piano doesn’t have the smooth long tones that an organ has. It comes off as too casual or choppy in a liturgical setting.
 
Can you show me where after that 1955 encyclical, mixed choirs were banned please, because they are approved in 1955, although genders are to be kept seperate
 
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Roseeurekacross said:
Voice is the preferred instrument of the Catholic Church. Every other instrument is secondary , and only to support the voice
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Yes!

The organ always seems to overwhelm the voices. Maybe I’ve just never seen it done well.
 
Can you explain why you say that joint choirs are scandalous? What is the scandal?
 
We’re talking about instruments, I thought. Voice and chant are certainly crucial in the Mass, and more important than any instrumental music, but the human voice is not an instrument. By definition.
 
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