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Reforming Service Orders at St Stephen’s

Reinhard Strohm

A new Latin order of services at St Stephen’s (20 March 1436) was issued by the visitors who, in the course of the Melk Monastic Reform (» A. Melk Reform), also examined the collegiate church.[33] The duties of the provosts, deans, sacristans, and cantors are described here more clearly than in the less systematically formulated German-language foundation charters of Duke Rudolf. For musical duties, regulations from the Council of Basel were adopted, including the otherwise known prohibition against abbreviating the text of the Credo in unum Deum (which was often the case in polyphonic compositions). With regard to St Stephen’s, the visitors forbade the singing of Masses or Vigils in the two side choirs during Masses in the central choir (“ne tempore publici officii in choro Missae cum nota, aut vigiliae in lateribus chori decantentur”); the latter were only to be sung in other locations, sufficiently distant, and only “submissa voce” (in a subdued voice).[34] The hymns and psalms of the Divine Office were to be performed with pauses in the middle of the verses and in a low, not too loud voice.[35] This could be seen as a contrast to the “clear and loud” voice prescribed in Rudolf’s ordinances – although those refer specifically to antiphons. The terms “submissa voce” and “bassa voce” (in a low voice) also appear in a chapter ordinance from 1478 concerning services during Lent: according to this, Prime and Terce, including the antiphon up to the Elevation in the Marian Mass, were to be sung “submissa voce”, while a Requiem inserted before Terce was to be sung “bassa voce”.[36]

[33] Zschokke 1895, 84–91.

[34] Raimundus Duellius, Miscellanea, Augsburg/Graz 1724, Vol. II, 78 and 82.

[35] “Ne quis eciam nimium voces agitare aut in altum audeat elevare habeatque et cantum Bassum et nimis clamorosum ad medium reducere.” (Zschokke 1985, 89 f.) See also Rumbold/Wright 2009, 44.

[36] Archdiocesan Diocesan Archive Vienna (A-Wda), Acta Capituli 14461551, Cod. II, fol. 107r.