PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Modena, Italy, Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alpha.M.1.2 (Lat. 457; olim VI.H.I)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-MOe M.1.2

DIAMM Source Key: 964

Image repositories: Biblioteca Estense Universitaria

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1505

Location of origin: Ferrara, Italy

Provenance

Copied in Ferrara, for use at the ducal court of Alfonso I d'Este (1476-1534). Este family library transferred from Ferrara to Modena in 1598; joined to Modena university library in 1892. (DIAMM)

Artists/Scribes

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe

Basis for description: original

Modena, Italy, Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, alpha.M.1.2 (Lat. 457; olim VI.H.I), All folios

Physical description

Material: parchment

Number of leaves: i + 173 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 550 x 390

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Original quire signatures, brown ink recto bottom right (largely trimmed off, but possible to reconstruct), a1-a4 ... y1-y41.
2. Original foliation brown ink recto top right, 1-174 (including missing first page).
3. Modern foliation pencil recto bottom left, 1-173.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking always,
prick for each ruled stave in outer margins, often trimmed off; not aligned with bottom staveline, but consistently below it. Vertical bounding lines pricked at top and bottom, often trimmed off
Ruled grid always,
single vertical bounding lines; text on double line 5 mm apart; rarely text lines below every stave, normally added only where text present
Ruling pattern highly regular
9 pentagrams, very parallel and even
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point or lead point always bounding lines
red ink always text lines
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
black always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always no indented staves, music either indented over 1 stave to accommodate initials or initials in left margin
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
empty ruled staves on grid often
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
no separate text always
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
notation and staves extended into margin rarely
notation extended into margin occasionally

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Latin
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text discantus always
provided with single incipit all except discantus always
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid shape, with a serif-like point at the bottom and slightly leaning forward
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy fair
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signa congruentiae sometimes
signes-de-renvoi often
repeat signs occasionally
Line fillers Folios Note
often series of custodes before page turn when music continues across the break
Later changes Folios
f. 29r text erased and overwritten; f. 124v second half of D music erased and overwritten
Text
Types of script textura
Types of script note with cursive elements
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions none
Abbreviations fairly many
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text Composer names above new piece, normally. Voice designations for T, Ct and B, with initial in left margin and then under the music, normally. Cross-references, occasionally. Performance instructions (Duo, Tacet, Verte), sometimes. Canonic instructions, rarely (f. 125r). All except voice-designation initials in black ink in the same size and style as underlaid text.

Decoration

Level of Decoration fair
Decoration miniature frequency Folios Size position Description Discrepancies
rarely 1v presumably on lost folio
Decoration border frequency Border type Folios Size Position Description Discrepancies
rarely None 1v partial borders: two-sided presumably on lost folio
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
painted initials normally decorated, flourished beginning of every new piece or movement, discantus only. Purple, red, blue, and green on gold, with filigree work and foliate designs
penned initials always calligraphic , flourished Initials of voices other than discantus or subsections of discantus, in margin or more rarely in indentation medium-sized capitals alternating red and blue with penwork in opposite colour.
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
normally embellished final barline