Alleluia Pascha Nostrum

An Analysis

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The Alleluia Pascha Nostrum by Leonin provides a good example of Notre Dame Organum. The piece begins in organum purum style and is sung through to the end of the first "alleluia." Then, when the choir comes in to sing teh second "alleluia," it is sung in plainchant style (as were all choir parts of plainchant).Then, the soloists return to organum purum style with the text "pascha nostrum." On the last syllable of "nostrum," the style switches to dicant, alternating between the first and fifth rhythmic modes. On the word "immolatus" the soloists jump back into organum purum. When ariiving at the syllable "-la-" the piece moves back into discant style, the tenor line remaining on la until it goes once again into organum purum. The Chorus enters and sings "Christus" in plainchant st! yle. Again, the soloists enter on "alleluia" and sing organum purum until four notes before the syllable "-le-" where they sing a brief sectioon of copula and then move into discant on the syllable "-lu-." The piece contimues in dicant style until the chorus enters again on the last syllable of "alleluia" and finishes out the piece in plainchant style.

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