Music for Maundy Thursday

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Today, Maundy Thursday, marks the beginning of the Triduum Sacrum, the three holy days of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection, and thus the climax of Holy Week. Traditionally, in the Roman Catholic liturgy, the organ plays for the last time in the Gloria of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and then remains silent until the Gloria of the Easter Vigil. Nevertheless, a look into our database suggests that the musical realization of the masses in Holy Week has been extremely varied.

You can find musical sources for Maundy Thursday in the RISM Catalog by using the Advanced Search. Select the option “Liturgical festival” and enter “Cena Domini, Feria V. in” (in accordance with the Liber usualis). In RISM Online you can find the sources by searching for “Cena Domini, Feria V. in.”

The most common Maundy Thursday responsories include:

• Amicus meus (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Ecce vidimus eum (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Eram quasi agnus innocens (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• In monte Oliveti (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Judas mercator (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Seniores populi (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Tristis est anima mea (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Una hora (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
• Unus ex discipulis (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)

The three Lamentations for Maundy Thursday are:

• Incipit lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
  359 sources, including 55 for settings by Palestrina and Allegri
• Vau et egressus est (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
  185 sources, including 21 for settings by Palestrina
• Jod manum suam (RISM Catalog | RISM Online)
  194 sources, including 15 for settings by Palestrina

Image: Title page from Giuseppe Antonio Silvanis (1672-1728): Sacri responsorii per li tre giorni della Settimana Santa (RISM Catalog | RISM Online) (copy from D-Dl, Mus.2198.E.1)

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