The credo (Latin for "I believe"; pronounced [ˈkɾeːd̪oː]) is a
statement of religious belief, such as the Nicene Creed (or, less often, another creed,
such as the Apostles' Creed). It especially refers to the use of the creed in the
Catholic Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant,
or other musical settings of the mass.
History
After the formulation of the Nicene Creed, its initial liturgical use was in
baptism, which explains why the text uses the singular "I believe" instead of
"we believe." The text was gradually incorporated into the liturgies, first in the east and in Spain, and gradually into the
north, from the sixth to the ninth century. In 1014 it was accepted by the Church of Rome as a legitimate part of the
service.
Probably because of its late adaptation, and the length of the text (the longest in the Ordinary of the Mass), there are relatively few musical(hello) chant settings of it. What is
identified as "Credo I" in the Liber Usualis was apparently widely considered the
only authentic credo, and it is the element of the ordinary that was most strongly associated with a single melody. The Liber
Usualis contains only two other settings, designated as "Credo V" and "Credo VI," which is far fewer than for other settings
of the Ordinary.
In musical settings of the credo, as in the Gloria, the first line is intoned
by the celebrant alone ("Credo in unum Deum"), or by a soloist, while the choir or congregation joins in with the second line.
This tradition continued through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and is even followed in more recent settings. In Stravinsky's Mass, for example, a soloist intones the first
line, which is from the plainchant Credo I. In mass settings of the Classical and Romantic period (for example the later masses
of Haydn, and the Missa Solemnis of Beethoven) the Credo line in usually set for whole choir.
The melody of Credo I first appears in eleventh-century manuscripts, but it is believed to be much older, and perhaps Greek in
origin. It is almost entirely syllabic, probably because of the length of the text, and consists
of a great deal of repetition of melodic formulas.
In polyphonic settings of the Mass, the Credo is usually the longest movement, but is
usually set more homophonically than other movements, probably because the length of the text
demanded a more syllabic approach, as was seen with chant as well. A few composers have set a Credo individually, but it is
generally part of a Mass.
Text
- This is the Latin version used in chants and most modern settings of the Mass. For other translations, see
Nicene Creed.
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem, factórem cæli et terræ, visibílium ómnium et invisibílium;
Et in unum Dóminum Jesum Christum, Fílium Dei unigénitum, et ex Patre natum ante ómnia sæcula: Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine,
Deum verum de Deo vero, génitum non factum, consubstantiálem Patri, per quem ómnia facta sunt; qui propter nos hómines et propter
nostram salútem descéndit de cælis; et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sancto ex María Vírgine et homo factus est; crucifíxus étiam pro
nobis sub Póntio Piláto, passus et sepúltus est; et resurréxit tértia die secúndum Scriptúras; et ascéndit in cælum, sedet ad
déxteram Patris; et íterum ventúrus est cum glória judicáre vivos et mórtuos; cujus regni non erit finis;
Et in Spíritum Sanctum, Dóminum et vivificántem: qui ex Patre Filióque
procédit; qui cum Patre et Fílio simul adorátur et conglorificátur; qui locútus est per Prophétas;
Et in unam sanctam cathólicam et apostólicam Ecclésiam.
Confíteor unum baptísma in remissiónem peccatorum; et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam ventúri sæculi. Amen.
The credo is also know as the Credo of the People of God
Personal belief
In some religions, especially those having no formal creed such as Unitarian
Universalism, a credo can be a statement of personal belief.[1]
References
- Hoppin, Richard. Medieval Music. New York: Norton, 1978. Pages 136-138.
See also
External links
- Credo for a cappella choir from Hristo Tsanoff
- CredoPeda.com para los que estan bien CREDOTES
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)