PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

Mise-en-page in manuscripts and printed books containing polyphonic music, 1480—1530

Manuscript: Maastricht, Netherlands, Rijksarchief van Limburg, MS s.s.

Manuscript type: partbook (fragment)

RISM siglum: NL-M s.s.

DIAMM Source Key: 1043

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1480

Waesberghe 1969

Location of origin: Maastricht, Netherlands

Provenance

Probably copied in Maastricht, as personal collection of minstrel employed by the town (Waesberghe 1969). Original manuscript disassembled ca. 1500; some folios used as flyleaves for register of legal documents kept by the court of aldermen for the town of Breust (near Maastricht). Register later came to Rijksarchief in Maastricht, where it received call number "169/1." Flyleaves with music removed in early 20th century; now preserved as separate item. (DIAMM)

Basis for description: high-quality image

Maastricht, Netherlands, Rijksarchief van Limburg, MS s.s., All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: i + 8 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 100 x 70

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: Front cover, modern: 'Oude liederen | aus | het midden der | xvde eeuw | te | Breust bij Maas-|tricht'

Other devices: 1. Original ink foliation, XXI-XXII, XXXIII-XXXV; XXV-XXVII (some folios now bound in incorrect order; some numbers obliterated by trimming or damage).
2. Modern pagination, 1-20 (including endpapers)

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

3-8 (polyphonic repertoire)

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking never
Ruled grid always,
no lines
Ruling pattern highly regular
ruled freehand, very uneven
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
n/a always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
empty ruled staves on grid occasionally
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
no separate text always

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Dutch, French, Latin
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text discantus sometimes
partially texted with one text discantus sometimes
untexted discantus rarely
Music
Colour(s) of notation brown
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note angular teardrop shaped notation
Monophonic notation present
1-2
Level of calligraphy poor
Text
Types of script cursive
Level of calligraphy poor
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions few
Abbreviations many
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text none

Decoration

Level of Decoration very poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials sometimes littera notabilior larger plain inked initials below stave or sometimes in left margin