Graduale Triplex

Titled "triplex" because it combines information from three sources, this massive volume adds the neumes from the Laon manuscript, written around 930 A.D., and the neumes of the manuscript of the St. Gall family, from the ninth century, to the original Graduale Romanum, reproduced here in its entirety.

This beautifully bound hymnal contains the chant propers for the entire liturgical year, ritual and votive Masses, a Proper of Saints, and the complete Kyriale with all the chants for the Mass. Besides its obvious historical value, Graduale Triplex is an essential book for music directors who want to introduce the rich and ancient tradition of Gregorian chant to their communities.

The Laon manuscript neumes are printed above the staff in black, while the St. Gall neumes are printed beneath in red. Neumes are handwritten lines, dots and curves used to indicate rhythm (and sometimes pitch) in plainsong during the Middle Ages. The neumes reproduced in this hymnal can help the modern reader to properly interpret and sing the chant melodies.

All texts are in Latin and all the music is in Gregorian notation. Printed on high-quality, ivory paper, the book includes two ribbon bookmarks, an introduction in English and an extensive index. Published by the monks of the Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes in France, an active Benedictine monastery founded in 1010.

[918 pp, 5 1/2 x 8 3/8, hardbound]