Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/582

 BuanrioAT 5;

discuBgion, Wcsfcott and Hort, in the uppeudix (52) to their " Introduction to the New TestameDl in the Original Greek" (New York, 1882), had briefly dis- cusaed and rejected the reading "EliBabeth; and this rejection is summarily confirmed in their revised text of the "N. T. in the Original Greek" (London, 1S95), 523.

LiTUBGicAL Use. — Whilethecanticles taken by the Roman Brei-iary from the Old Testament are located with the psalms, and are so distributed as to be sung only once a week, the Magnificat shares with the other two "evangelical canticles" the honour of a daily reci- tation and of a sin- gularly prominent location immedi- ately before the Oratio, or Prayer of the daily OfBce (or, if there be preces, immediately Wore these). The " Mag- nificat" is assigned to Vespers, the "Benedietus" to Lauds, and the "Nunc Dimittis" to Compline. Six reasons are given byDurandusforthe assignment of the Magnificat to Ves- pers, the first being that the world was

tide by the assent of Mary to the Di- vine plan of Re- demption, Another reason is found by Cdvenarius in the probabibty that it

ing when Our Lndy

arrived at the house

of St. Elizabeth.

However this may

be, in the Rule

(written before 502)

of St. Cssarius of

Aries, the earliest

extant account of

its liturgical use, it

isassignedtoLauds,

as it is in the Greek

Churches of to-dny.

The ceremonies at'

tending its singing

in the choir at soU

emn Vespers are notably impressive. At the intonation

"Magnificat", all who are m the sanctuary; arise, and

the celebrant (having first removed his birretta "in

htxiour of the canticles") goes with his assistants to

the altar, where, with the customary reverences, etc.,

he blesses the incense and incenses the altar ^^ ^^ ^

beginning of solemn Mass. In order to permit the

elaborate ceremonv of inccnang, the Magnificat is

sung much more slowly than the psalms. A similar

ceremony attends the singing of the Benedietus at

solemn Lauds, but not of the Nunc Dimittis at

Compline.

At the first word of the Magnificat and td the Benedietus (but not of the Nunc Dimittis, save where custom has made it lawful) the Sign of the Cross is made. In some churches the Magnificat is sung at devotions outside of Vespers. Answering a question from Canada, the "Ecclesiastical Review" O^XIII, 74) declares that the rubrics allow such a

UAOKIFIOAT

Keparalion, but forbids the incensing of the altwr te such a case. The same review (XXIII, 173) remarka that " the practice of making the Sign of the Cross at the opening of the Magnificat, the Benedietus, and the Nunc Dimittis in the Office is of very ancient usage. and is sanctioned by the very best authority", aita refers to the Congregation of Sacred Rites, 20 Decem- ber, 1861 r

Musical Sbttinob. — Like the canticles and psalms, the Magnificat is preceded and followed Viy an anti- phon varying tor ine feast or ferial Office, snd is sung to the eight modes of plain song. The first verse has, however, no medi- ation, because of the brevitv (the one word Mamti-

eit) of the first If. The Canticles of Mary and of Zachary sha re (even in the Ofiice of the I>ead) the peculiar honourof commenc- ing every verse with an initium or intiv nation. This into-

varying modes; and the Magnificat has a special solemn in- tonationfor the sec- ond, seventh, and eighth modes, al- though in this case the usual festive intonation applies m the second and eighth modes, to all the verses except thefirst. The"mu- sical.", as distin- gui.ahed from the " plain song", treats ing of the canticle has been very va- ried. Sometimes the chanted verses al- ternated n-ith har- moniaed plain song, sometimes with faho bordone having original melodies in the same mode as the plain song. But there are in- numerable settings which -are entinJv original, and whicL run through the whole range of musical expres- sion, from the simplest harmonv up to the most elaborate dramatJc treatment, with orchestral accom- paniment of the text. Almost every great church composer has worked often and zealously on this theme. Palestrina published two settings in each itf the eight modes, and -left in. manuscript almost as many more. Fifty settings by Orlando di Lasso are in the Royal Library at Municu, and tradition credits him with twice as many more. In our own days, C^sar Franck (1822-00) is said to have completed sixty-three out of the hundred he had planned. In addition to such names as Palestrina, cfi Lasso, Joa- quin des Pr^s, Morales, Goudimal, Animuccia, Vitto- na, Anerio, Gabrieli, Suriano, who with their contem- poraries contributed innumerable settings, the modern Cecilian School has done much work on the Magnificat both as a separate canticle, and as one of the numben iu a "CknnpUte Vespers "tn many feasts. la.k: