clarification of a phrase in music document? QUESTION from John on June 19, 2002 Dear Mr. Slavek
My question refers to the following passage in Section 5 of l'heureux devellopement issued by the Consilium on 25 January, 1966:
It is necessary moreover that the principles of sacredness and dignity which distinguish church music, be it for its chant as for its sound, should remain intact...
Taking this translation at its face value, I confess myself stumped by that phrase ...be it for its chant as for its sound... As a musician I can make no sense of this. The only way I can get any meaning out of it is to assume that 'chant refers to the singing voice and sound to the playing of instruments. Am I correct in suspecting that the meaning of this passage has suffered from clumsy and inept translation?
If the passage is restated as follows:
It is necessary moreover that the principles of sacredness and dignity which distinguish church music, BOTH VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL, should remain intact...
...then the passage immediately becomes much more clear and sensible.
Have you access to the original text (I assume it's in French), and if so, could you post the relevant passage here? I'd like to see if my suspicion is correct and be able to amend my copy accordingly.
Thank you and God bless you.
ANSWER by Mr. Jacob Slavek on June 24, 2002 Dear John,
My guess is that the author intended to say that chant is the sound of church music. I do not have the orignal text, and I do not know the context of the whole document, but I think a better way to read what is said as: It is necessary moreover that the principles of sacredness and dignity which distinguish church music, WITH CHANT AS ITS SOUND (or with chant as the sound of church music), should remain intact...
I seriously doubt that any reference is being made here to musical instruments.
Thanks for writing,
Mr. Slavek
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