Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-12-16
MUSIC OF ST. pEIER.s
The Choir sirGs il at Sight witho,
Rf n earsal

The Choir Sings II at Sight without
RI n ,arsaI.
Opposite the Chapel of the Sacrament
Is the Chapel OF the Choir. st. Peter's
- a cathedral. and is managed by q
chapter OF eanons, each of whom has
his seat In the choir, and his vote In the
disposal OF the cathedrars income.
which 10 considerable. The chapter
maintains the choir of st. Peters. q
body of musicians quite independent Of
the so-called "Pope's choir" which Is
properly termed the "chelr of the sis.
tine Chapel" and which is paid by the
Pope.
no musical instruments are ever used
In the Sistine. In the choir, on the con.
trary there are two large organs. The
one ON the west side Is employed on all
ordinary occasions; 1t Is over two hun
dred years old. and Is tuned about two
whole tones below the modern pitch. II
is SO worn out that an organ-buildnr Is
In attendance during every service to
make repairs at moments notice.
The bellows leak, the stops stick, some
notes have chronic tendency to icy.
pher," and the pedal crackers" un.
hook themselves unexpectedly. But the
canons would certainly not think of
building a new organ.
Should they ever do so, and tune the
instrument to the modern pitch, the
CONSERVATION of the singers would be
great; for the music is all written for
the existing organ, and could not be
performed two notes higher, not to men.
ton the confusion that would arise
where all the music is sung at sight.
Ihls Is fact not generally known. but
worthy of notice. The music sung in
NJ. Peters, and indeed. in most Roman
churches, is never rehearsed or prae.
ticed. The music itself Is entirely in
manuscript, and is the property of ths
choirmaster, or, as Is the case In st. Pc
ters, OF the chapter, and there is no
copyright In 1t beyond this fact OF ac.
tual possession, protected by the simple
plan of never allowing any musician to
nave his part in his hands except while
he Is actually performing 1t.
In the course of year the same piece
may be sung several times, and the
old chorlsters may become acquainted
with good deal OF the music in this
way, but never otherwise. Mozart is
reported to have learned Allegri's Mis-.
erere by ear, and to have written II
down from memory. The other famous
Misereres, which are now published
were pirated In a similar way. The
choirmaster of that day was very un.
popular. Some of the leading singers
who had sung the Misereres during
many years In succession. and had thus
learned their several parts. met and
put together what they knew into a
whole, which was at once published, q
the no small annoyance and discount
ture OF their enemy. But much good
music is quite beyond the reach of the
public-Palestrlna's best motets. airs by
Alessandro Stradella, the famous hymn
of Raimondi, in short, great musical
library, an archlvio, as the Romans cal
such collection, all of which is practi
eally lost to the world.
1t is wonderful that under such cir
cumstances the choir of st. Peters
should obtain even such credltable re
suits. At moments notice an organ
LIST and about a hundred singers are
called upon to execute n tlorid piece OF
music which many of them have never
seen or heard the accompaniment Is
played at sight from a mere figured
bass, on a tumble-down instrument tive
hnnHfp6 w pc al nd Il hI4
the soloists and the chorus. sing from
thumbed bits of manuscript parts writ
ten In old-fashloned characters on pa.
per often green with age. No one has
ever denied the extraordinary musical
facility of Italians. but II the general
musical world knew how Italian church
music Is performed 1t would be very
much astonished.
1t Is no wonder that such music Ia
sometimes bad. But sometimes 1t is
very good; for there are splendid voices
among the singers and the Maestro
Renzl, the chief organist, is a man Of
real talent as well as of amazing faciL
lty. His undermining influence is eoun.
terbalanced by that of the old choir,
master, Maestro Meluzzi, a first-rate
musician, who would not for his life
change hair of the old-fashloned ira.
ditions. Yet there are moments. on
certain days. when the effect of the
great old organ, with the rich voices
blending In some good harmony, is very
solemn and stirring. The outward per
suasive force of religion lies largely In
Its music, and the religions that have
no songs make few proselytes.-Cen