A similar work—but for equal voices only—appeared in Germany, entitled 'Orpheus: Sammlung auserlescne mehrstimmige Gesänge für Männerstimmen,' in many volumes, published at Leipzig, by Friedlein, and by Zöllner.
'ORPHEUS BRITANNICUS; a Collection of all the choicest songs for One, Two, and Three voices, composed by Mr. Henry Purcell; together with such Symphonies for Violins or Flutes as were by him designed for any of them, and a Thorough-bass to each Song, figur'd for the Organ, Harpsichord, or Theorbo Lute,' with portrait; 2 vols. small folio, London 1698–1702. Second edition 1706–1713. [See Purcell.]
ORTIGUE, Joseph Louis D', born at Cavaillon, May 22, 1802, died suddenly in Paris, Nov. 20, 1866, one of the most conscientious musical litterateurs of modern France. He studied at first merely as an amateur, under the Castil Blazes, father and son. He went to Aix in Provence to study law, but music proved more powerful, and he finally resolved to abandon the law for musical literature. With this view he came to Paris in 1829, and began by writing musical critiques in the 'Mémorial Catholique'; then, becoming intimate with La Mennais, he wrote for 'L'Avenir,' and, after its failure, for 'La Quotidienne,' besides the 'Gazette musicale' and 'La France musicale.' After his marriage in 1835 he redoubled his exertions and contributed to half a score of periodicals, including the 'Temps,' 'Revue des deux Mondes,' 'National,' 'L'Univers,' 'L'Université Catholique,' 'L'Opinion Catholique,' and above all the 'Journal des Débats.' To this last paper he mainly owed his reputation, and his place in several commissions, historical and scientific, to which he was appointed by government.
His important works are his large 'Dictionnaire liturgique, historique, et theorique de Plain Chant et de Musique religieuse' (Paris 1854 and 1860, small 4to), and 'La Musique à l'Eglise' (ibid. 1861, 12mo). To the former of these the Abbé Normand contributed a number of articles under the nom de plume of Theodore Nisard.[1] D'Ortigue was associated with Niedermeyer in founding 'La Maîtrise' (1857), a periodical for sacred music, and in the 'Traité théorique et pratique de l'accompagnement du Plain-Chant' (Paris 1856, large 8vo.) In 1862 he started, with M. Félix Clément, the 'Journal des Maîtrises,' a periodical of reactionary principles in sacred music, which soon collapsed. He was an honest and laborious writer; his name will live through his 'Dictionnaire,' which contains some excellent articles, but his other books are mere musical miscellanies, thoughtfully written but not endowed with any of those qualities of style or matter which ensure any lasting influence.
O SALUTARIS HOSTIA, a Hymn sung during the Office called Benediction,[2] at the moment when the Tabernacle is opened, in order that the Consecrated Host may be removed and placed in the Monstrance prepared for its solemn Exposition.
Sometimes also, though less frequently, 'O salutaris hostia' is sung at High Mass, immediately after the 'Benedictus': not indeed as an integral part of the Mass itself, to which it does not properly belong, but in order to prevent the long and distracting pause which would otherwise ensue, when—as is so frequently the case in Plain Chaunt Masses—the 'Benedictus' is too short to fill up the time which must necessarily elapse between the Elevation of the Host and the 'Pater noster.'
The Plain Chant Melody of 'O salutaris hostia' is a very beautiful one, in the Eighth Mode, and introduces some ligatures, which, when carefully sung, add greatly to its effect. It needs, however, an experienced Choir to do it full justice.
Pierre de la Rue has treated the theme of 'O salutaris' with marvellous ingenuity, in a very celebrated Mass, wherein he seems to have deliberately sacrificed all higher aims to the desire of exhibiting his stupendous learning to the utmost possible advantage, the result of his labours being a series of infinitely complicated Canons, of which one—the Kyrie eleison—will be found at page 229 of the present volume. Happily, Pierre de la Rue did not always write in this ultra-pedantic style. In another of his Masses—the 'Missa de S. Anna'—he has substituted for the Benedictus a Polyphonic setting of 'O salutaris' of surpassing beauty, full of rich harmony, and, so far as its style is concerned, very much in advance of the age in which he lived. We are the more indebted to him for this, because, in the first place, the position of the Hymn, between the Sanctus and Agnus Dei, proves the custom of introducing it at High Mass to be at least as old as the 15th century; and secondly, because, in consequence of the comparatively late date of the Office of 'Benediction,' the number of genuine polyphonic settings of the Music needed for it is exceedingly small.
In modern times 'O salutaris' is treated in a very different spirit. Most Composers of the present century have adapted it for a Solo Voice,
- ↑ NISARD, Theodore, whose real name was Théodule Xavier Normand, born at Quaregnon in Belgium, Jan. 27, 1812, was ordained priest in 1835, and in 1842 became organist of a church in Paris, and was employed by a large ecclesiastical bookseller to edit books of plain-song. Being naturally of a controversial turn of mind, he published many pamphlets on questions connected with musical archæology; but these are of less value than his edition of Dom Jumilhac's treatise on 'La Science et la Pratique du Plain-Chant,' from which he extracted his pamphlet 'De la Notation proportionelle du Moyen-Age' (Paris, 1847); his 'Etudes sur les anciennes notations musicales de l'Europe' (no date), directed against Fétis: and finally his remarkable articles in d'Ortigue's Dictionnatre.
- ↑ Fr. Salut.
