Responsories for Holy Week

Responsories for Holy Week (Latin: Responsoria pro hebdomada sancta) are three sets of nine responsories, for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday respectively, the three days of the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday. They are also known as the Tenebrae responsories, and were set to music for instance by Carlo Gesualdo (Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia, 1611) and by Jan Dismas Zelenka (ZWV 55).

The Night Hours (preceding the Little Hours) of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday consist of matins (each with three nocturns) and lauds. The lessons of these matins (three for each nocturn) are referred to as the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet, although only those of the first nocturn for each of these services are from Jeremiah's Book of Lamentations: those of the second nocturns are derived from Saint Augustine (his commentaries on the Psalms), and those of the third nocturns from the Epistles.

As in some traditions these services were held the preceding evening for each of these days, the 27 Tenebrae lessons (French: Leçons de ténèbres) are sometimes indicated by Holy Wednesday – Maundy Thursday – Good Friday rather than the Maundy Thursday – Good Friday – Holy Saturday based names. The responsories following each lesson of these matins (so also 27) were usually sung, and these are the Tenebrae Responsoria, or the Responsories for Holy Week. The name of a collection of such responsories may also refer to the Holy Triduum, as in Orlande de Lassus' Responsoria pro Triduo Sacro.

Responsories for Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of the Holy Week (Latin: Feria V or Feria Quinta). In Latin the feast is also indicated as In Cœna Domini ("At the meal of the Lord", referring to the Last Supper). Thus the first nine responsories for Holy Week can appear under titles such as Feria V – In Coena Domini. When the naming is according to the preceding day, names like Les neuf répons du mercredi saint (The nine responsories of Holy Wednesday) can occur (Charpentier).

Responsories for the first nocturn of Maundy Thursday

The lessons of the first nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from Lamentations 1:1-14 (1:1–5, 1:6–9 and 1:10–14 respectively).

In monte Oliveti

The first responsory for Maundy Thursday sets the scene at Mount Olivet (in monte Oliveti), the episode referred to as the Agony of Christ at Gethsemane.

Tristis est anima mea

The text of the second responsory for Maundy Thursday refers to Jesus in the garden Gethsemane, addressing his disciples. The first two lines of the responsory are Matthew 26:38. The last two lines of are free anonymous poetry, predicting they will see a crowd, they will flee, and Jesus will go to be sacrificed for them.[1]

Settings of this responsory include a motet by Orlande de Lassus, appearing as No. 1 in the Drexel 4302 manuscript, and a SSATB motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau.

Ecce, vidimus eum

Responsories for the second nocturn of Maundy Thursday

The lessons for the second nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from Saint Augustines Enarrationes in Psalmos

Amicus meus

Judas mercator pessimus

Unus ex discipulis meis

Responsories for the third nocturn of Maundy Thursday

The lessons for the third nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from 1 Corinthians II: 17-34

Eram quasi agnus innocens

Una hora

Seniores populi

Responsories for Good Friday

Good Friday is the sixth day of the Holy Week (Latin: Feria VI or Feria Sexta). In Latin the occasion is also indicated as In Parasceve (Parasceve being Latin for Friday). Thus the first nine responsories for Holy Week can appear under titles such as Feria VI – In Parasceve.

Responsories for the first nocturn of Good Friday

The lessons of the first nocturn of Good Friday are from Lamentations 2:8-15 and 3:1-9 (2:8–11, 2:12–15 and 3:1–9 respectively).

Omnes amici mei

Velum templi scissum est

Vinea mea electa

Responsories for the second nocturn of Good Friday

Tamquam ad latronem existis

Tenebrae factae sunt

Animam meam dilectam

Responsories for the third nocturn of Good Friday

The lessons for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday are taken from Hebrews 4:11  5:10.

Tradiderunt me

Jesum tradidit impius

Caligaverunt oculi mei

Responsories for Holy Saturday

Sab(b)ato Sancto is the Latin name of Holy Saturday, thus the Responsories for this day can appear under titles such as Sabbato Sancto.

Responsories for the first nocturn of Holy Saturday

The lessons of the first nocturn of Holy Saturday are from Lamentations, 3:22–30, 4:1–6 and 5:1–11 respectively.

Sicut ovis

Responsorium:
  Sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est,
  Et dum male tractaretur, non aperuit os suum :
  Traditus est ad mortem ut vivificaret populum suum.
Versus:
  Tradidit in mortem animam suam,
  Et inter sceleratos reputatus est.

Jerusalem surge

Plange quasi virgo

This responsory has some parallels with the Book of Joel, e.g. "plange quasi virgo" ("Lament like a virgin", 1:8), "accingite vos et plangite sacerdotes ululate ministri altaris" ("Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests; Wail, you ministers of the altar", 1:13) and "magnus enim dies Domini et terribilis valde" ("for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome", 2:11).

Responsorium:
  Plange quasi virgo, plebs mea.
  Ululate pastores, in cinere et cilicio,
  Quia veniet Dies Domini Magna
  Et amara valde.
Versus:
  Accingite vos, sacerdotes, et plangite,
  Ministri altaris, aspergite vos cinere.

Responsories for the second nocturn of Holy Saturday

Recessit pastor noster

O vos omnes

Further information: O vos omnes

The text is adapted from the Latin Vulgate translation of Lamentations 1:12. Some of the most famous settings of the text are by Tomás Luis de Victoria (two settings for four voices: 1572 and 1585), Carlo Gesualdo (five voices: 1603; six voices: 1611), and Pablo Casals (mixed choir: 1932).

Ecce quomodo moritur justus

Based on Isaiah 57:1–2. A german version of the text of this responsory is set as Der Gerechte kömmt um.

Responsories for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday

The three lessons for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday are Hebrews 9:11–14, 9:15–18 and 9:19–22 respectively.

Astiterunt reges terrae

Aestimatus sum

Sepulto Domino

References

  1. Melamed, Daniel R. (1995). J.S. Bach and the German Motet. Cambridge University Press. pp. 148–149. ISBN 0-52-141864-X.

External links

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