The alleluias in the Old-Roman gradual Bodmer C74 : transcriptions and an analytical/comparative study

Although surviving books containing the texts of chants intended for the Mass date back to the late eighth century, the earliest books containing musical notation do not appear until the late ninth century. Both types of documents first appear in the Frankish kingdom. It is generally accepted that these Frankish chants were adopted from ninth century Roman practice, however, it is not until the eleventh century that the first so-called Old Roman chant manuscripts appear. The Old Roman sources transmit a repertory related to, and yet quite distinct from Frankish sources. While the exact nature of the historical relationship between the two traditions remains unknown, both appear to stem from a common tradition. Bodmer C74, the earliest of the six main Old Roman sources, has only recently become readily available to scholars with its publication in facsimile in 1987. Part one of this study presents a survey of the Mass Alleluias in Bodmer C74. Alleluia respond melodies are categorized by multiple use, compared with various Gregorian sources as found in Karlheinz Schlager's Thematischer Katalog der ältesten Alleluia-Melodien, and analyzed to determine whether they belong to a distinct Roman dialect or represent an outstanding influence of Gregorian melodies. Part two offers the entire repertory of the Bodmer C74 Mass Alleluias in transcription. Of the total of sixty-five unique Alleluia responds and 112 different verse texts found in Bodmer C74, thirteen responds associated with forty verses display characteristics indicating a regional Roman style. These characteristics include the filling-in of intervals found in Frankish melodies, the sense of a more continuous, improvised style, and the fondness for trill-like figures. In many cases, the Old Roman/Frankish comparisons reveal respond melodies to be closer in design than those of the verses. Overall, the Old Roman style as presented by these Alleluias appears more consistent than the variety of styles offered by the Gregorian repertoire. Two important conclusions regarding the Old Roman repertoire are confirmed by this study: (1) the generally accepted divergence among Old Roman manuscripts is not borne out in the case of the Mass Alleluia and, (2) while the Old Roman Alleluias in C74 may represent various stages in the development of the genre, their features exhibit clear melodic preferences, often confirmed by studies of other Old Roman genres.