Victimæ Paschali (Gregorian Chant)
Description
The solemn Easter song dating back to the 11th century, dedicated to the Passion of Christ. Famous themes and poetic images recur: the sacrificed Lamb, the duel between life and death, the tomb of Christ, the encounter with Mary Magdalene, the resurrection of the Lord.
Composed by hand in movable type and printed in the printing press on pure cotton Umbria paper, specially set up by hand at the Fabriano Paper Museum.
The musical characters were hand-engraved on punches by Théophile Beaudoire and cast in Paris by Deberny in the 19th century.
The Latin text was composed by hand with the Garaldus characters, merged from the Nebiolo of Turin.Publisher: Tallone
Dimensions: 31x50 cm (spread sheet); 33x7 cm (cylindrical package)Peculiarities
The song was printed in two distinct color passages, in the manner of the ancient antiphonaries.
The publisher does not employ the rapid monotype and linotype keyboard composing systems, often confused with manual typography. It also does not use digital compositions transferred onto plastic (photopolymer) matrices.
Insights
The only Gregorian musical typography is in operation at the Tallone Publisher. Due to the complex interlocking interplay between notes and tetragrammaton, the hand composition of Gregorian chant is one of the most demanding trials of typographic art.
By virtue of its characteristics, this print is a valuable object made to last over time.****
Victimæ Paschali (Gregorian Chant)
Description
Solemn song of the Passion, dating from the 11th century.
Many are the themes and the poetic images: the sacrificial Lamb, the duel between life and death, the sepulcher of Christ, the encounter with Mary Magdalene, the resurrection of the Lord.Printing
Printed letterpress from movable types on 100% cotton paper, handmade expressly for this edition at the Fabriano Paper Museum.
The notes were handcut on punches by Théophile Beaudoire and cast by Deberny in Paris in the second half of the 19th century. The text in Latin was handset in Garaldus types, cast by Nebiolo in Turin.
Press: Heel.
Size: 31x50 cm (broadsheet); 33x7 cm (cylindrical packet).Features
The printing took place in two steps, in the way of old antiphonaries: first the staves in red, then the notes in black on the staves.
Neither monotype nor linotype are used. These typesetting systems from a keyboard are often passed off as manual typography. The Tallone Press also does not print from plastic plates derived from digital compositions.
Details
The art of music hand-typesetting, practiced only at the Tallone Press, is an exceptional endeavor in contemporary fine printing. The complex assembly of notes (neumes) and four-line staffs, makes Gregorian Chant the hardest endeavor for hand-typesetters.
These unique features makes this broadsheet a valuable object, meant to last over time.
