Liber Usualis

The Liber Usualis is a book of commonly-used Gregorian chants compiled by the monks of the Abbey of Solesmes in France.

This 1,900-page book contains most versions of the ordinary chants for the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei), as well as the common chants for the Divine Office (daily prayers of the Church) and for every commonly celebrated feast of the Church Year (including more than two hundred pages for Holy Week alone). The "usual book" or "common book" also contains chants for specific rituals, such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, ordinations, and benediction. This modal, monophonic Latin music has been sung in the Catholic Church since at least the sixth century and through the present day.

An extensive introduction explains how to read and interpret the medieval musical notation (square notation of neums or neumes). A complete index makes it easy to find specific pieces.

The "Liber" was first edited in 1896 by Solesmes abbot Dom André Mocquereau (1849–1930). After the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (opened by Pope John XXIII in 1962) allowed in the constitution on the liturgy "Sacrosanctum Concilium" the vernacular (local language) to be used in Church rites, its use has decreased, although the same council mandated that Gregorian Chant should retain "pride of place" in the liturgy [Sacrosanctum Concilium] para. 116. Gregorian chants are still sung in most monasteries and some churches and in performances by groups dedicated to its preservation.

The "Liber usualis" does not reflect the new order of chant propers for the Masses of the church year by order of the Council. Furthermore, research on the notation of the Gregorian chant accomplished after the "Liber's" publication has shown that a lot more information about the rhythm and articulation of the chants can be drawn from the adiastematic neumes than from the square notation alone. The "Liber" therefore is nowadays considered outdated. Its place has been taken by other books like the Graduale Romanum (1974). However, the versions found in the Liber Usualis, or other versions in the manuscripts upon which the "Liber" was based, are still most commonly sung in primarily musical (i.e., non-liturgical) performances of chant.

Due to its shortcomings, the "Liber Usualis" has been out of print since 1964, which meant that for most of the 1970s to the '90s, it was not easy to find. Recently, the book has been reprinted and is easily available.

External links

* [http://www.solesmes.com Solesmes Abbey]
* [http://quilisma-publications.info/Liber%20Usualis%20(Full).html Liber Usualis (modern notation) in PDF format]
* [http://www.musicasacra.com/pdf/liberusualis.pdf Liber Usualis (1961) in PDF format] (115 MB)
* [http://www.libers.com/liber.htm Reprint of the Liber Usualis]
* [http://www.traditio.com/feature/liber.txt Review of the reprint]