Magnificat

   One of the three Gospel canticles for the major divine offices of the Roman Catholic liturgy. The Magnificat (St. Luke 1: 46–55), known as the Canticle of Mary, is sung near the conclusion of vespers.

   In the Gregorian tradition, the Magnificat is chanted much like a psalm. It is introduced by an ornate antiphon proper for the day, sung by the entire schola. Then follow the verses of the Magnificat itself, chanted in pairs either responsorially or antiphonally, with the concluding doxology appended to the Gospel passage. The antiphon is repeated by the full schola. The Magnificat, however, has chanting tones for each mode that are distinct from the psalm tones, and while a psalm tone begins with an incipit melody that links the antiphon to the first verse only, the Magnificat begins every verse pair with the incipit.

   Because of its liturgical eminence as the climactic moment of daily vespers, the Magnificat was the Latin text most commonly set to polyphony during the Renaissance after the mass. Composers set it numerous times to accommodate the various modes; Giovanni da Palestrina has 30 settings, Orlandus Lassus more than 100. The type of polyphonic setting varied with liturgical practice. A minority are through composed works like motets. Others preserve the pairing of the verses and use one of the Magnificat tones as a cantus firmus. Most common in the 15th and 16th centuries was the alternatim setting, by which half the verses, usually the odd numbers, would be chanted and the other half would be sung in polyphony. Baroque composers continued to distinguish the verse pairs with strong cadences at the end of each one. Later, as in the "Neapolitan" mass settings, each pair became a short aria with distinct instrumental accompaniment. The Magnificat of Johann Sebastian Bach is the best example of this type.

   Thereafter, the verse distinctions were lost in through-composed musical settings, and composers in the later 18th and 19th centuries mostly ignored the genre, probably because of liturgical constraints. Some composers turned to oratorio type settings: Magnificats for chorus and orchestra by Lennox Berkeley (1968) and Krzysztof Penderecki (1974) are examples. The promotion of vernacular languages after the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) encouraged some commercial settings.

   See also Benedictus.

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Magnificat (St. Luke 1: 46–55)

Magnificat anima mea Domi-   |   My soul doth magnify the Lord,

num. Et exsultavit spiritus meus   |   and my spirit hath rejoiced in

in Deo salutari meo. Quia res-   |   God my Saviour.

pexit humilitatem ancillae suae;   |   For he hath regarded the lowliecce

enim ex hoc beatam me   |   ness of his handmaiden; for bedicent

omnes generationes. Quia   |   hold, from henceforth all

fecit mihi magna qui potens est,   |   generations shall call me

et sanctum nomen eius.   |   blessed. For he that is mighty

Et misericordia a progenie in   |   hath magnified me; and holy is

progenies timentibus eum. Fecit   |   his Name. And his mercy is on

potentiam in brachio suo, dis-   |   those that fear him throughout

persit superbos mente cordis sui.   |   all generations. He has showed

Deposuit potentes de sede et ex-   |   strength with his arm; he hath

altavit humiles.   |   scattered the proud in the imag-

Esurientes implevit bonis et div-   |   ination of their hearts. He has

ites dimisit inanes.   |   put down the mighty from their

Suscepit Israel puerum suum re-   |   seat, and hath exalted the humcordatus

misericordiae suae.   |   ble and meek. He hath filled the

Sicut locutus est ad Patres nos-   |   hungry with good things; and

tros, Abraham et semini eius in   |   the rich he hath sent away

saecula.   |   empty. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.