Viderunt Omnes is an old Georgian chant based on a biblical Psalm XCVII. It is sung as a gradual, which is a liturgical celebration of the Eucharist, mostly in the Catholic religion. The hymn is usually performed at the masses on such catholic and Christian holidays as Christmas and, historically, on the Feast of the Circumcision. Viderunt Omnes has been musically interpreted by multiple composers, the most famous being two from the Notre Dame School – Leonin and Perotin. In this assignment, the Viderunt Omnes version by the composer Leonin will be further analyzed.
Leonin wrote a two-part version of a Georgian chant around the XII century, making it one of the most prominent musical pieces of the Medieval Era. In each part of the composition, the lower voice sings the pre-existing melody and the top voice echoes the first’s singing (Buja, 2020). The listeners can distinctly hear the bare-bones structure of the work. The usage of lower and top agents in the melody creates such an impressive feeling that the text becomes something of secondary importance. The piece has a slow beat; however, the melody changes from part to part; therefore, it is not steady.
Leonin’s version of Viderunt Omnes is composed of organum duplum. In such musical setting, the rhythmic models can be easily identified and counted. In this musical piece, the combinations of long and short sounds make a vivid meter feel – trinity (Buja, 2020). It is difficult to unequivocally describe the texture of this musical piece. The simplicity of polyphonic music, as an identification of a chant’s texture, allowed particular sections of the composition play in unison.
The uniqueness of Leonin’s piece is identified with the prolonged performance of the prayer. Having listened to the whole piece of music, one can identify the main prayer and a chorus accompanying him. However, it is impossible to determine the exact number of voices heard. With twenty-two words of the original text, the composer ran for 12 minutes long, where each syllable took from 30 seconds to several minutes. Thus, Leonin’s version of Viderunt Omnes is a unique musical piece with individual parts and textures that became identification elements of Medieval music, particularly the Notre Dame School.
Reference
Buja, M. (2020). Stretching time, stretching meaning – Viderunt Omnes. Interlude. Web.