Chant Grégorien - Vendredi-Saint / Les Répons Des Ténèbres = グレゴリオ聖歌 - 聖金曜日/聖務日課の応唱集

This recording features the Chœur des Moines de l'Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes under the direction of Dom Joseph Gajard, a figure central to the 20th-century revival of Gregorian chant. The Abbey of Solesmes has long been recognized as the primary authority on the interpretation of plainchant, having spent decades restoring the semiological accuracy of medieval manuscripts to inform their liturgical singing style. This particular release, centered on the solemnity of Good Friday and the Tenebrae responsories, reflects the abbey's mission to preserve and disseminate the meditative, austere tradition of monastic liturgy.

The 1978 IPG release, often distributed in Japan under the ULX catalog series, was designed to introduce international audiences to the rigorous aesthetic of the Solesmes school. Dom Gajard, who directed the choir for nearly 60 years, emphasized a fluid, speech-based rhythm that prioritized the sanctity of the Latin text over modern metrical constraints. By the time this recording reached the public, the Solesmes choir had become internationally renowned for their definitive technical approach, serving as the gold standard for recordings of early Western religious music throughout the mid-to-late 20th century.