Notre Père

Sacred motet by Maurice Duruflé

- voice
- organ
SATB a cappella

Notre Père (Our Father), Op. 14, is a sacred motet by Maurice Duruflé, setting the Lord's Prayer in French as a sacred motet. It was published for voice and organ in 1977, and for a four-part choir a cappella in 1978, by Éditions Durand. Durufle dedicated the composition to his wife, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé. It is his last published composition, and his only work suitable for congregational singing.

History

Duruflé, who was organist in at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris^[1] and also director of the Gregorian Institute of Paris,^[2] set the Lord's Prayer in French as Notre Père for liturgical use.^[3] It was a commission from a priest at Saint-Etienne.^[1] It is his only work suitable for congregational singing, as requested by the Second Vatican Council.^[4] He regretted the decline of Gregorian chant in Latin which had influenced his earlier compositions.^[4] He wrote first a version for unison male voices with organ,^[2] then a transcription for a four-part choir a cappella.^[2] Both versions were published by Éditions Durand, dedicated to his wife, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, the unison version in 1977 and the choral version in 1978. It became his last published composition,^[5] which appeared also with an English translation.^[2]

Music

The melody of Notre Père is chant-like, although not original Gregorian chant. Like chant, it is in free motion and with narrow ambitus, and the beginning uses the same notes as the chant melody.^[1] It is written in reverential approach to the prayer, with a subtle treatment of harmony used to interpret the significant text in homophony. The composition is in F major, mostly in triple meter but shifting to 2/4 time when the natural flow of the text demands it.^[2] The four-part setting is accessible, and the unison version can also be performed by children's choirs.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Frazier 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ACDA 2007.
^ Sutton 1989.
^ ^a ^b Rone 2018.
^ Association Durufle 2019.

Cited sources

Frazier, James E. (2007). "Notre Père, Op. 14". Maurice Duruflé: The Man and His Music. University of Rochester Press. pp. 132ff. ISBN 978-1-58-046227-3.
Rone, Vincent (13 April 2018). "Vatican II, Maurice Duruflé, and the Harmony of Resignation in Notre père: Part Two". Journal of Musicological Research. 37 (2): 166–180. doi:10.1080/01411896.2018.1451713. ISSN 0141-1896. S2CID 195001177.
Sutton, Wadham (1989). "Notre Père, Op 14". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
"Les oeuvres de Maurice Duruflé" (in French). Association Maurice & Marie-Madeleine Duruflé. 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
"Our Father (Notre Pere)". American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2019.