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Gregorian Chant: A Guide to the History and Liturgy
Gregorian Chant offers a detailed tutorial in the history and liturgy of Gregorian chant for musicians and musicologists, clergy and liturgists, passionate participants, and others who are interested in the revival of chant in the church, today.
- GenresMusic
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 1, 2016
Definitely not for beginners! I have had some music theory over the years, and the level of theory discussed went soaring over my head many times. That being said, it's a surprisingly quick and fascinating read.
August 16, 2023
This book is not for beginners at all. The author is highly familiar with his area, but fails to communicate to those who are not familiar with it.
1. Advanced music theory - anyone who does not have such background or ready to go cannot profit.
2. Examples without explanation - I was struck by the fact that even though I knew what a "reciting tone" was, I could not actually identify which tone in any of the examples was the reciting tone. Yet the discussion referred extensively to this tone when talking about examples, never pointing it out or explaining how to see it. Again, expertise is assumed by the author, instead of communicated.
3. Dense writing - The author or translator did not do well in writing. I think in part this comes from the fact that the book actually appears to be meant for scholarly discussion/research, and as a historical survey for further research, rather than for public consumption. It fails as a "guide."
4. No Argument - I kept thinking, "the author is about to make a point," only to have the point never arrive.
5. Impractical - This book does not help one at all in learning how to, or becoming better at, Gregorian chanting.
A final (non-literary) note, regarding this book/publisher: review inflation - I submitted honest reviews about the literary quality and features on Amazon after purchasing this, only to have them removed because "We investigated your concerns about product authenticity, and the information we have indicates that the product you received was authentic." The only way such an investigation would happen is if the publisher/etc. complained about the review. This happened within one day of my review being approved. I submitted a new one, and it happened again. In the new one, I explicitly acknowledged that I received an authentic product, and had no complaints about authenticity. Yet I received the same message. The only conclusion I can draw is that the publisher is dishonestly inflating reviews to improve sales of a poorly written book, which is not in fact for beginners, but primarily for scholars. This is not only unethical, but (hopefully) in contrast to the author's own principles as the resident at a monastery.
1. Advanced music theory - anyone who does not have such background or ready to go cannot profit.
2. Examples without explanation - I was struck by the fact that even though I knew what a "reciting tone" was, I could not actually identify which tone in any of the examples was the reciting tone. Yet the discussion referred extensively to this tone when talking about examples, never pointing it out or explaining how to see it. Again, expertise is assumed by the author, instead of communicated.
3. Dense writing - The author or translator did not do well in writing. I think in part this comes from the fact that the book actually appears to be meant for scholarly discussion/research, and as a historical survey for further research, rather than for public consumption. It fails as a "guide."
4. No Argument - I kept thinking, "the author is about to make a point," only to have the point never arrive.
5. Impractical - This book does not help one at all in learning how to, or becoming better at, Gregorian chanting.
A final (non-literary) note, regarding this book/publisher: review inflation - I submitted honest reviews about the literary quality and features on Amazon after purchasing this, only to have them removed because "We investigated your concerns about product authenticity, and the information we have indicates that the product you received was authentic." The only way such an investigation would happen is if the publisher/etc. complained about the review. This happened within one day of my review being approved. I submitted a new one, and it happened again. In the new one, I explicitly acknowledged that I received an authentic product, and had no complaints about authenticity. Yet I received the same message. The only conclusion I can draw is that the publisher is dishonestly inflating reviews to improve sales of a poorly written book, which is not in fact for beginners, but primarily for scholars. This is not only unethical, but (hopefully) in contrast to the author's own principles as the resident at a monastery.
January 14, 2023
There were some fascinating surprises in the history of Gregorian chant. I wish there were an auditory companion or a glossary illustrating more of the examples of changes. I would recommend this to someone looking to learn more about the history of music in the Catholic Church.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews