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Gradual of King John I Albert of Poland in the Wawel Cathedral's Sacristy

The gradual (Latin: graduale or responsorium graduale) is a certain chant or hymn in liturgical Christian worship. It is practiced in the Catholic Mass, Lutheran Divine Service, Anglican service and other traditions. It gets its name from the Latin gradus (meaning "step") because it was once chanted on the step of the ambo or altar.[1] It is customarily placed after a reading of scripture.[2]

In the Tridentine Mass, it is sung after the reading or chanting of the epistle and before the Alleluia, or, during penitential seasons, before the tract. In the Mass of Paul VI, the gradual is usually replaced with the responsorial psalm. Although the Gradual remains an option in the Mass of Paul VI, its use is extremely rare[citation needed] outside monasteries. The gradual is part of the proper of the Mass.

A gradual can also refer to a book collecting all the musical items of the Mass. The official such book for the Roman Rite is the Roman Gradual (Graduale Romanum). Other such books include the Dominican Gradual.

History

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Excerpt from the manuscript of the gradual of the abbey of St.-Baafs in Ghent. Made in 1469.[3]

The Gradual, like the Alleluia and Tract, is one of the responsorial chants of the Mass. Responsorial chants derive from early Christian traditions of singing choral refrains called responds between psalm verses. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, it (and the associated Alleluia or Tract) is the oldest of the chants of the Proper of the Mass, and, in contrast to the Introit, Offertory, and Communion, the only one that was not sung to accompany some other liturgical action, historically a procession. Until about the fifth century, it included singing a whole psalm. They were sung in the form of a psalmus responsorius, i.e. the whole text was chanted by a reader appointed for this purpose. For some time before Pope Gregory I, to sing these psalms was a privilege of deacons at Rome, a privilege he suppressed in 595. The people answered each clause or verse with an acclamation. This apparently dates back to the synagogue tradition, and can even be seen in the structure of some Psalms (such as 136|135). Originally, there was a psalm sung between each reading, of which in the fifth century there were three (Prophets, Epistle, and Gospel). When the Old Testament reading was later dropped, the other two psalms became the Gradual and Alleluia, ordinarily sung one after another, until the 1970 Missal restored the three readings on Sundays and Solemnities.

The modern Gradual always consists of two psalm verses, generally (but not always) taken from the same psalm. There are a few Graduals that use a book of scripture other than the Psalms (for example, the verse for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is from the Book of Judith), or even non-scriptural verses (for example, the first verse in the Requiem Mass).

The Gradual is believed to have been so named because it was sung on the step (Latin: gradus) of the altar, or perhaps because the deacon was mounting the steps of the ambo for the reading or singing of the Gospel.[1] However, early sources use the form gradale ("graded" or "distinguished"), and the Alia Musica (c. 900) uses the term antiphona gradalis for the Introit.[2]

Liturgical use

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The Gradual is to be sung after the reading of the Epistle. It is ordinarily followed by the Alleluia or Tract, but in Masses that have more readings than normal, such as during Lent, these may be separated by another reading, or, if there are more than three readings, there is more than one Gradual, and finally the Tract, to separate each reading. In Eastertide, the Gradual is normally omitted, and a second Alleluia is sung in its place, except within the Octave of Easter. In what is now the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, the Responsorial Psalm normally takes the place of the Gradual, and is sung after the first reading, but it may be replaced by the Gradual.

In the Tridentine Mass, the celebrant himself reads the Gradual with the Alleluia, Tract, or Sequence immediately after he has read the Epistle, and at the same place, even if the choir sings it too. There is no rule for the distribution of its parts within the choir. All may be sung straight through by the whole choir, but it is more common to divide the texts so that some parts are sung by one or two cantors. A common arrangement is that the cantors sing the first words of the Gradual (to the asterisk in the choir-books), the choir continues, and the cantors sing the verse. Normally it is all sung to plainsong.

In other churches and rites, there are fragments of the psalms once sung between the lessons that correspond to the Roman Gradual. Their placement and structure depend strongly on how many readings there are. In the Byzantine Rite the reader of the epistle first chants "the Psalm of David" and then the "Prokeimenon of the Apostle", both short fragments of psalms. The Armenian Rite, which has kept the older arrangement of three lessons, includes between each a fragment called the Saghmos Jashu (Psalm of dinnertime) and the Mesedi (mesodion), again a verse or two from a psalm. The Nestorians use three verses of psalms each followed by three Alleluias (this group is called Zumara) after the Epistle. The present Ambrosian Rite sometimes has a Prophecy before the Epistle, in which case there follows the Psalmellus, two or three verses from a psalm, which corresponds to the Gradual. The Mozarabic Rite has three lessons, with a psalm (Psallendo) sung between the first two. Among Protestant churches, Lutherans sing a Gradual either between the Old Testament and the Epistle or the Epistle and the Gospel readings during the Divine Service.

Musical form and style

[edit]
Sanctissimus namque Gregorius, from the Vatican edition of the Graduale Romanum.

The usual form of the Gradual is a single respond with a solo verse, although a final repetition of the respond was found up to the Renaissance and is still permitted by the Liber usualis.

Graduals are among the most florid and melismatic of all Gregorian chants; Clamaverunt iusti, for example, has melismas with up to 66 notes.[3] Graduals as a group are also notable for melismas that stress one or two pitches, both through repeated notes and repercussive neumes. Both the verse and the respond tend to be similar in style, excepting a tendency for the verse to have a higher tessitura.[4]

Like Tracts, most Graduals show clear signs of centonization, a process of composition in which an extended vocabulary of stock musical phrases are woven together. Some phrases are only used for incipits, some only for cadences, and some only in the middle of a musical line. The Gregorian Graduals can be organized into musical families that share common musical phrases. Although nearly half of the Gregorian Graduals belong to a family of related chants in the fifth mode, the most famous family of Graduals are those of the second mode, commonly called the Iustus ut palma group after one representative chant.[5] The Graduals of the Old Roman chant fall similarly into centonization families, including a family corresponding to the Iustus ut palma group.

Polyphonic settings

[edit]

Graduals were among the parts of the Mass most frequently composed as organa, including both the St. Martial School and the Notre Dame School. Ordinarily the parts that were sung by the soloist (the beginning of the respond and the verse) are the only parts so set, while the choral parts continued to be performed in plainsong. In 1198, Odo de Sully, Bishop of Paris, authorized polyphonic performances of Graduals, including Pérotin's famous four-part organa, Sederunt principes for St. Stephen's Day and Viderunt omnes for Christmas.[6]

Book

[edit]
Main article: Roman Gradual

The term "Gradual" (or Graduale) also refers to certain books compiling the musical items of the Mass. A Gradual is generally distinguished from the Missal by omitting the spoken items, and including the music for the sung parts. It includes both the Ordinary and Proper, as opposed to the Kyrial, which includes only the Ordinary, and the Cantatory, which includes only the responsorial chants.

Originally the book was called an antiphonale missarum ("Antiphonal of the Mass"). Graduals, like the later Cantatory, may have originally included only the responsorial items, the Gradual, Alleluia and Tract.[7]

Footnotes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Gradual

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The gradual (Latin: graduale or responsorium graduale) is a form of liturgical in , particularly within the Roman Catholic , consisting of a responsorial or portion thereof sung between the and readings. It serves as the oldest and most prominent element of the Proper chants in the , typically featuring an drawn from the followed by one or more verses, with the antiphon repeated after each verse. The term derives from the Latin gradus, meaning "step," reflecting its historical performance on the steps (gradus) of or ambo during early liturgical practices. Introduced in the as a between psalm verses, the gradual evolved into a structured that bridges the scriptural proclamations, emphasizing meditative reflection on the readings. In its musical style, it often employs melismatic singing—extended notes on single syllables—to convey solemnity and expressiveness, drawing primarily from the as its textual source. While central to the , similar responsorial elements appear in other traditions, such as Lutheran , where it retains portions of arranged for congregational or choral use. Over centuries, the gradual has been preserved in dedicated chant books known as graduals, which compile the full repertoire for the , influencing sacred music composition and practices. Its enduring role underscores the integration of Scripture and song in worship, adapting from ancient influences to medieval developments while maintaining its core function as a bridge between divine word and communal response.

Overview and Etymology

Definition

In the context of , particularly the of the Catholic , a gradual (Latin: graduale or responsorium graduale) is a responsorial consisting of a and verse, typically drawn from the Book of Psalms, that serves as an antiphonal response to the reading. It functions as a form of psalmody with a , where the text reflects themes from the preceding reading to deepen scriptural meditation. The gradual distinguishes itself from other Proper chants in the Mass, such as the introit, which accompanies the entrance and has a more character, or the tract, a solo psalmody without used during penitential seasons like . Instead, the gradual emphasizes a stationary, contemplative pause, acting as a meditative interlude that invites to reflect on the proclaimed word before proceeding to . This role underscores its pastoral importance in fostering spiritual engagement during the Liturgy of the Word. Structurally, the gradual comprises a respond—a short refrain sung by the choir—followed by a single verse performed by a soloist, with the respond often repeated afterward to frame the piece in an A-B-A form. The melody is characteristically melismatic and ornate, particularly in Gregorian chant settings, highlighting key syllables for expressive depth while maintaining a meditative tone.

Historical Naming

The term "gradual" derives from the "gradualis," which stems from the "gradus," meaning "step" or "stair." This nomenclature reflects the chant's original performance site in early basilicas, where the cantor ascended the steps of the ambo—a raised platform used for scriptural readings—to deliver the piece, symbolizing a gradual ascent in both physical and spiritual terms. Early liturgical references employed variant forms such as "gradalis" or "gradale," appearing in ninth-century texts like those of , who described it as "cantus graduum" or simply "gradualis" to denote the stepped location of its execution. By the medieval period, the terminology standardized around "graduale" for both the and the compilatory containing it, known as the "liber gradualis" or antiphonarium missae, which gathered the responsorial chants for the Proper. This evolution marked a shift from descriptive phrasing tied to performance practice to a fixed liturgical designation. In traditions, the Latin-derived name "gradual" persisted with minimal alteration, entering around the early fifteenth century primarily through ecclesiastical contexts, as seen in liturgical books like the Sarum Gradual. Old English had no direct equivalent, but post-Reformation adaptations in English-speaking regions retained "gradual" for translated settings, influencing resources such as the English Gradual of the twentieth century, which adapted Latin forms to psalmody without renaming the form. This continuity underscores the term's enduring architectural and ritual associations across linguistic shifts.

Liturgical Role

Position in the Mass

In the of the Catholic , the Gradual occupies a fixed position within the of the Word, immediately following the in the Traditional Latin (Extraordinary Form) and serving as an optional alternative to the Responsorial Psalm after the first reading in the Ordinary Form. This placement underscores its role in bridging the scriptural readings, with the text drawn from the Proper of the for the specific day or feast. As part of the Proper chants, the Gradual follows the prayers and the initial readings, preceding the Alleluia (or Tract during penitential seasons) and the proclamation. In the Ordinary Form, the General Instruction of the specifies that, in place of the Lectionary's Responsorial Psalm, the Gradual may be selected from the Roman Gradual or an approved collection, maintaining this sequential position to enhance meditation on the Word of . Variations occur between Low and High Masses in the Traditional Latin Mass: in a High Mass, the choir sings the Gradual aloud after the subdeacon's chanting of the , while in a , the priest recites it quietly at along with other propers. The Gradual may be omitted on certain solemnities, such as Easter Sunday and , where it is replaced by a Tract or an extended Alleluia to suit the liturgical season's emphasis on or .

Responsorial Function

The responsorial function of the Gradual centers on its interactive structure, in which a or soloist chants one or more verses from a psalm, and the or congregation responds by repeating a fixed known as the respond. This call-and-response format derives from early Christian traditions of psalmody, where the leader intoned verses and the assembly replied with a simple , creating a participatory dialogue that unified the worshippers. In the traditional , the respond is typically sung first by the full , followed by the verse(s) delivered by a , with the respond repeated at the conclusion to frame the chant and reinforce its meditative quality. In the Traditional Latin Mass, this responsorial role serves primarily as a moment of communal reflection on the just proclaimed, allowing the assembly to internalize and respond to its scriptural message through song rather than spoken commentary. Positioned immediately after the , it bridges the readings, preparing the congregation for while emphasizing the epistle's themes of and exhortation. In the Ordinary Form, when used in place of the Responsorial Psalm, it provides similar reflection on the first reading. (General Instruction of the , no. 36) Historically, the Gradual's responsorial form evolved from rudimentary call-and-response practices in the early Church, influenced by synagogue worship where solo psalmodic verses elicited group refrains, as noted by patristic writers like St. Augustine and St. Isidore. By the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century, these chants had developed into more structured pieces with assigned psalm texts tied to the liturgical calendar, though the core interactive element persisted to maintain congregational involvement amid growing melodic elaboration. This evolution balanced communal response with artistic depth, ensuring the Gradual remained a vital expression of the Church's living tradition.

Historical Development

Early Origins

The gradual chant traces its roots to the traditionally attributed to Jewish practices, where were sung between scripture readings as a form of communal response and . Modern scholarship, however, questions the extent of sung psalmody in synagogues during the early Christian era, suggesting (Psalms 113–118) were recited as lessons in ceremonial meals like the rather than chanted liturgically. This practice, evident in early Christian adaptations, mirrored elements of synagogue structure of reading, discourse, and responsive singing, as described in the (c. 380), which instructs: "The readings being finished, let another sing the hymns of ." Early incorporated such psalmody into their liturgies, transitioning to structured worship elements. In the fourth-century Roman basilicas, this responsorial singing evolved into a fixed part of the , particularly between the and readings. (422–432) is credited with formalizing its introduction into the Roman liturgy, ordering to be sung antiphonally before the to enhance devotion, as recorded in the . The earliest literary references to psalmody after lessons appear in the writings of St. Augustine in the late fourth century; in Sermo 176.1, he recalls: "We sang a psalm" immediately after the apostolic lesson, highlighting its role in communal praise. St. Ambrose similarly promoted antiphonal psalmody in Milanese around this time. These accounts link the chant to the architectural "step-altars" or ambones in basilicas, from which it was performed, reflecting its gradual ascent in liturgical prominence—though the term graduale itself derives from gradus (step). By the sixth century, the gradual had developed from simple, full psalm verses into more structured responsorial chants across regional rites. In the of , St. Germanus of (d. 576) describes psalm fragments sung between lessons, emphasizing their meditative function amid the rite's elaborate ceremonial style. Similarly, in the of Visigothic , early manuscripts indicate responsorial psalms evolving into formalized tracts and responses by this period, influenced by local traditions yet retaining the core Jewish-Christian responsorial form. This shift to concise verses for practicality solidified the gradual's position in Western liturgy, with reforms under figures like (d. 604) contributing to its form.

Medieval and Post-Tridentine Changes

During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Carolingian reforms under rulers such as and significantly standardized the Gradual as part of the broader unification of Frankish with Roman practices. These reforms aimed to replace regional Gallican chants with the Roman repertory, including the Gradual, which was integrated into the emerging standardized structure through the importation of Roman singers and the establishment of scholae cantorum. By the early 11th century, texts and melodies for the Gradual were largely fixed, ensuring uniformity across the and laying the foundation for its role in the . The (1545–1563) further simplified and fixed the Gradual's form to counter liturgical variability and Protestant influences, mandating the suppression of tropes and most sequences while preserving the core s of the Proper. In its 22nd and 24th sessions, the Council addressed liturgical reforms and the need for a uniform , leading to promulgate the Tridentine Missal in 1570, which definitively established the Gradual's texts and structure without additions or alterations. This standardization reduced regional differences, promoting a single, authoritative version of the throughout the . Post-Tridentine developments maintained this fixity until the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), which, through , authorized revisions to enhance active participation and introduced elements into the Liturgy of the Word. The 1970 (Novus Ordo) omitted the traditional Gradual in many cases, favoring a responsorial psalm with expanded verses that could be proclaimed or sung in the to align with local readings. However, revivals of the full Gradual have occurred in traditionalist movements, particularly following Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 , which permitted broader use of the 1962 Missal preserving the original chant, though these permissions were significantly restricted by ' 2021 , with some traditional celebrations continuing under diocesan approval as of 2025.

Musical Characteristics

Form and Structure

The Gradual chant in the Roman Catholic Mass follows a responsorial structure designed to meditate on the preceding reading, comprising an opening respond sung by the full , a contrasting verse performed by a solo , and occasionally a such as "" appended to the verse. Historically, the respond was repeated after the verse, a practice that persisted into the medieval period but was officially omitted in the following the . In contemporary usage, the form is typically limited to the respond and verse without repetition, emphasizing textual reflection over extended performance. The textual content of the Gradual is drawn primarily from the , with selections tailored to the liturgical calendar to align with the thematic focus of the , such as during or praise on feast days. Occasional texts from other scriptural sources, like or , are incorporated when they enhance the seasonal or festal context, ensuring a direct scriptural basis for the chant's meditative role. This organization promotes a layered textual , where the respond establishes a core and the verse provides deeper elaboration, often concluding with the to invoke Trinitarian praise. Melodically, the Gradual employs a framework of neumatic recitation in the respond—using simple, syllabic or semi-ornate phrases on a dominant tone—contrasted by melismatic elaboration in the verse, where extended florid passages highlight emotional or theological climaxes. This binary organization creates dynamic tension and release, with the respond often in a plagal mode for solemnity and the verse ascending to brighter, authentic modes for intensity. A representative example is the Easter Sunday Gradual "Haec dies quam fecit Dominus" (Psalm 118:24), whose respond joyfully proclaims the Lord's made day in five neumatic phrases, followed by a four-phrase verse "Confitemini Domino" (Psalm 118:1) featuring melismas on accents like "quoniam" to evoke exultation.

Chant Style and Notation

The Gradual, as a form of , exemplifies monophonic sacred music, consisting of a single melodic line sung without accompaniment or support. This unaccompanied style emphasizes purity and directness in liturgical expression, allowing the voice to convey the sacred text undiluted. , including the Gradual, utilizes free rhythm unbound by fixed meter, where the melody adapts to the natural and phrasing of the Latin or , prioritizing text over symmetrical patterns. The music draws from eight church modes—Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and their plagal counterparts (Hypodorian through Hypomixolydian)—which provide scalar frameworks that evoke contemplative or majestic moods suited to the Mass's solemnity. These modes, rooted in theory but adapted for medieval practice, ensure melodic contours that align with the emotional weight of the responsorial verses. Notation for the Gradual evolved from adiastematic neumes in the 8th through 12th centuries, where simple strokes and curves above the text indicated approximate melodic direction and grouping without specifying exact pitches or durations, relying heavily on oral transmission within monastic communities. By the late , diastematic neumes emerged, using relative heights on an implied staff to suggest intervals, marking a transition toward greater precision. In the 13th century, this culminated in square notation on a four-line staff, with neumes rendered as angular, block-like forms that fixed pitches accurately using clefs for F and C lines, standardizing the Gradual's recording for widespread liturgical use. Performance of the Gradual traditionally involves a schola cantorum, a trained ensemble of singers who render the chant in , fostering communal participation in the while maintaining vocal blend and intonation. Emphasis is placed on breath control to sustain extended melismas—flourishes of multiple notes per that heighten textual emphasis—enabling seamless phrasing without interruption, often through staggered breathing among singers to preserve the line's continuity.

Compositional Adaptations

Polyphonic Settings

The development of polyphonic settings for the Gradual began in the , as composers sought to enrich the responsorial chants of the Proper through added voices while adhering to liturgical function. Guillaume Dufay, a leading figure in early polyphony, composed several settings of Graduals as part of his Propers cycles, notably incorporating the technique—a method involving parallel thirds and sixths above a chant-bearing to create a harmonically supportive texture. In his Missa Se la face ay pale, Dufay's Gradual "Benedictus es Domine" closely follows the melody in the , with the added voices providing rhythmic elaboration and modal consonance that enhanced the meditative character of the respond without overshadowing the text. Similarly, his setting of the Gradual "Os iusti" in the Missa Sancti Antonii et Sancti Francisci employs to alternate between polyphonic verses and monophonic chant, reflecting the era's transitional approach from monophonic tradition to fuller harmonic integration. By the , composers such as and elevated Gradual settings to sophisticated s that preserved the modal frameworks and clear text declamation demanded by ideals. 's "Haec dies quam fecit Dominus," composed around 1570, draws directly from the Gradual's respond, unfolding in five voices with imitative entries that build a luminous, arching structure while maintaining the chant's rhythmic profile in the line. This setting exemplifies 's mastery of polyphonic balance, where overlapping voices converge on cadences that echo the original mode's purity, ensuring liturgical suitability. Victoria, influenced by during his Roman studies, produced similarly restrained yet expressive works, such as the Gradual " aeternam" from his 1605 Officium Defunctorum, a six-voice for the that interweaves somber modal harmonies with subtle dissonances to evoke eternal rest, adhering closely to the plainsong's melodic contour. Both composers' approaches prioritized the Gradual's responsorial dialogue, using to amplify spiritual depth without introducing secular elements. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a revival of Gradual polyphony occurred amid the Cecilian movement's push for liturgical reform, with composing motets that honored the chant's integrity through Romantic-era expansions. Bruckner's Gradual "" (WAB 23, 1869), written for the dedication of a , sets the responsory in eight parts with a homophonic opening that yields to intricate canonic writing, rooted in the to mirror the plainsong's archaic solemnity. His later "Os justi" (WAB 30, 1879) employs a seven-voice texture with chromatic inflections and pedal points, creating a gradual intensification that respects the Gradual's meditative role while incorporating symphonic breadth. Similarly, the third setting of "" (WAB 11, 1884) for Good Friday unfolds in five voices with stark dynamic contrasts and modal fidelity, underscoring humility and sacrifice in a manner that sustained its use in Viennese . These works by Bruckner revived interest in polyphonic Graduals, bridging clarity with 19th-century expressivity to reinforce their place in Catholic worship.)

Modern Interpretations

In the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, the Gradual experienced a revival within the Novus Ordo Mass through simplified chant adaptations and translations, aligning with the council's emphasis on active participation and accessibility. The 1974 edition of the Graduale Romanum, published by under Vatican approval, restructured the chants to fit the revised liturgical calendar, incorporating shorter responsorial psalm forms derived from traditional Graduals while preserving their melodic essence. Simplified versions, such as those in the Graduale Simplex (1967), reduced melodic complexity to facilitate congregational singing, often pairing Latin originals with English texts for broader use in ordinary parishes. These adaptations, including settings in resources like Lumen Christi Missal, allowed the Gradual's meditative role between readings to persist, though frequently supplanted by responsorial psalms in practice. Ecumenical adaptations extended the Gradual's reach beyond Roman Catholic contexts, particularly in Anglican services where English-language versions integrated it into the of the Word. The Anglican Use Gradual (2007, revised 2019), developed for Anglican Ordinariate communities, translates and adapts the Graduale Romanum's chants to English prose rhythms, enabling their use in hybrid liturgies that blend Anglican patrimony with Catholic norms. Similarly, The American Gradual (2007) provides psalm-based propers fitted to English texts, drawing on historical scholarship to maintain the Gradual's antiphonal structure for Episcopal and broader Protestant settings. In concert repertoires, ensembles like have popularized these chants through performances emphasizing their purity and historical depth, as seen in programs exploring Gregorian influences alongside . Contemporary compositions have reinterpreted Gradual chants in minimalist and forms, expanding their cultural footprint. Estonian composer , deeply influenced by Gregorian , incorporates chant-like elements in works such as his Seven Magnificat-Antiphons (1988), which echo the responsorial intimacy of Graduals through sparse, textures that evoke medieval psalmody. These innovations highlight the Gradual's enduring melodic vocabulary in secular and , bridging liturgical origins with modern expressive needs.

The Gradual as a Book

Contents and Format

The Graduale Romanum serves as the official containing the notation for the proper chants of the in the , encompassing all graduals, introits, tracts, alleluias, and communion antiphons for the complete . These core contents are organized chronologically and thematically, beginning with the temporal cycle (Proprium de Tempore) that covers seasons such as Advent, , , , and , followed by the sanctoral cycle (Proprium de Sanctis) arranged by saints' days and feasts. Additional sections include commons for various categories of saints and occasions (Communia), ritual and votive masses, and an appendix for less frequent uses, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the Propers for . The format of the Graduale Romanum incorporates practical elements to facilitate liturgical performance, such as rubrics (Praenotanda) at the outset that provide instructions on execution, , and ensemble practices in Latin, with later editions adding English translations. It also features detailed indices at the end, organized by musical mode (the eight Gregorian modes), (opening words), psalm, or liturgical function, allowing quick reference for choirs and cantors. Related chants integral to the Mass structure, such as tracts sung during penitential seasons in place of the gradual and alleluia, are included within the proper sequences to maintain the integrity of the liturgical flow. Standardization of the Graduale Romanum was achieved in its 1974 edition, published by the Abbey of Solesmes under Vatican authority to align with the revised Ordo Missae from the Second Vatican Council, presenting the chants in a unified square notation format for clarity and authenticity. This edition, spanning approximately 900 pages in hardbound format, prioritizes the Propers while integrating the Ordinary chants () and optional verses (Cantus ad Libitum), making it the definitive resource for sung in the post-conciliar Roman liturgy.

Manuscripts and Editions

One of the earliest surviving manuscripts containing the chants of the Gradual is the St. Gall Codex 359, a Cantatorium produced at the in the late 9th century, dated around 922–926. This manuscript is the oldest complete extant example of a neumed musical source for the Roman-Frankish , featuring solo chants such as graduals, alleluias, and tracts notated in early unheighted neumes. It preserves 64 graduals, 38 alleluias, and 10 tracts, serving as a key witness to the early transmission of in . Another significant manuscript is the 11th-century Winchester Troper, preserved in two versions: , MS 473 (early 11th century) and Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodley 775 (late 11th century). These tropers, used at , include plainchant and the earliest surviving examples of two-voice in , with tropes and polyphonic settings for proper chants, including over 50 for alleluias and responsorial graduals. The manuscript, in particular, contains 158 two-part compositions, such as Kyries, Glorias, tracts, and Alleluias, illustrating the integration of troped elements into the Gradual's repertoire. The transition to printed editions began in the late 15th century, with the Constance Gradual of circa 1473 marking the first known book to feature music printed from . Produced likely in or by the printer of the 1472 Constance Missal, this folio volume contains the complete chants for the , including graduals, using a double-impression technique for staves and notes, and represents a pivotal advancement in the dissemination of . Although Johann Fust and Peter Schoeffer pioneered printed in their 1457 —a with rubricated chants—their workshop did not produce a dedicated Gradual until later works, such as Schoeffer's contributions to missals in the 1470s that incorporated gradual chants. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the monks of spearheaded the restoration of , producing critical editions of the Gradual based on paleographic study of medieval manuscripts. Their efforts culminated in publications like the 1883 Graduale Romanum and subsequent revisions, which aimed to recover authentic rhythms and melodies by comparing variants across sources such as St. Gall and manuscripts. These Solesmes editions emphasized rhythmic interpretation through the study of forms and textual transmission. Modern critical editions include the Vatican Graduale Romanum of 1908, commissioned by and edited under Solesmes influence, which standardized the Gradual's chants for the while noting textual and melodic variants from primary manuscripts. This edition addressed discrepancies in responsorial forms by prioritizing 9th–11th-century sources, resulting in a unified version used widely until the mid-20th century. Complementing this, the Antiphonale Monasticum of 1934, published by Solesmes, provides a monastic with restored chants, including responsorial graduals for the Divine , and incorporates variant readings to reflect Benedictine liturgical traditions.

References

  1. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06715a.htm
  2. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/8-december/regulars/out-of-the-question/origins-of-the-term-gradual
  3. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/0E5579DDDD0803447AE2FE10C001C067/S0261127900000553a.pdf/fourthcentury_origin_of_the_gradual.pdf
  4. https://www.chantcafe.com/2011/04/a-primer-on-the-gradual/
  5. https://lutheranspokesman.org/2023/04/01/the-gradual/
  6. https://media.musicasacra.com/books/gregorian_chant_guide_saulnier.pdf
  7. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html
  8. https://sites.williams.edu/obrechtmass/score/gradual/
  9. https://malankaralibrary.com/ImageUpload/d1ecce4e98fbcf12f10a9eade31662d8.pdf
  10. https://www.etymonline.com/word/gradual
  11. https://sarum-chant.ca/resources/glossary/
  12. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12787a.htm
  13. https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/GIRM/Documents/GIRM.pdf
  14. https://epub.uni-regensburg.de/25520/1/hiley2.pdf
  15. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/early-music-history/article/fourthcentury-origin-of-the-gradual/0E5579DDDD0803447AE2FE10C001C067
  16. https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/psalmsmusicofheaven/
  17. https://www.liturgica.com/litWLMusDev4.html
  18. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511807848.005
  19. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html
  20. https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/plain-chant
  21. https://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/chants_johner.pdf
  22. https://nerd.wwnorton.com/ebooks/epub/hwm10/EPUB/content/1.3.1-chapter03.xhtml
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  24. https://sourcebooks.web.fordham.edu/medievalmusic.pdf
  25. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/67178747/the-enjoyment-of-music-forney-kristine-dellantonio-andrew-z-liborg
  26. https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=music_and_worship_student_presentations
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  28. https://www2.lawrence.edu/fast/KOOPMAJO/antiquity.html
  29. https://onepeterfive.com/on-singing-gregorian-chant-artfully-part-1/
  30. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/guillaume-du-fay/mass-propers/3EAA85AC60CCBA1211125E299FE8A0DC
  31. http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/alp051.htm
  32. https://www.diamm.ac.uk/documents/183/03_Du_Fay_Missa_Sancti_Antonii_et_Sancti_Francisci.pdf
  33. https://www.brabantensemble.com/discography/palestrina-missa-ad-coenam-agni-providi-and-easter-motets/
  34. https://www.tenebrae-choir.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SIGCD248-Requiem-Mass-1605-Booklet-Signum-2011.pdf
  35. https://cororecords.com/products/victoria-requiem-1605
  36. http://www.jamescsliu.com/classical/bruckner_motets.html
  37. https://www.alfred.com/gradual-no-3-christus-factus-est/p/98-EP6316/
  38. https://www.ccwatershed.org/2014/02/17/1974-graduale-romanum-now-online/
  39. https://archive.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/23/10/19/05-05-21_0.pdf
  40. https://adoremus.org/2008/06/rethinking-the-responsorial-psalm/
  41. https://anglicanhistory.org/music/gradual/gradual.pdf
  42. https://media.churchmusicassociation.org/books/americangradual1.pdf
  43. https://www.thetallisscholars.co.uk/
  44. https://catholiceducation.org/en/culture/arvo-paert-on-gregorian-chant.html
  45. https://www.vox.com/videos/2019/9/16/20868789/creepy-melody-movies-catholic-chant-lion-king-shining
  46. https://giamusic.com/resource/graduale-romanum-print-g2414
  47. https://adoremus.org/2010/05/gradual-progress-in-recovery-of-sacred-music/
  48. https://media.churchmusicassociation.org/pdf/propers1974.pdf
  49. https://www.cantatorium.com/principles/MSdates
  50. https://medievalfragments.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/oldest-musical-notation-a-look-at-the-cantatorium-of-st-gall/
  51. https://parker.stanford.edu/parker/catalog/yp193mg4537
  52. https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/623/10-rankin.pdf
  53. https://historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=1421
  54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/954716
  55. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/7051/summary
  56. https://www.ccwatershed.org/2013/03/19/1908-graduale-romanum-vatican-edition/
  57. https://www.ccwatershed.org/2013/12/04/1934-antiphonale-monasticum-free-pdf-download/
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