PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Modena, Italy, Archivio Storico Diocesano di Modena-Nonantola, MS Mus. III

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-MOd 3

DIAMM Source Key: 1011

Image repositories: ASDMN

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1520-4 and 1524-30

Location of origin: Modena, Italy

Provenance

Copied in Modena, for use by the cathedral choir. Still held in original location.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Monte Regali, Eustachius de
Person type: scribe

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Note: Four further scribes (B, C, D, E)

Bibliography

Crawford 1967, Dondi 1896, Jeppesen 1968–70, Kirsch 1977, Lerner 1961–70, Maas 1966, Picker 1977, Roncaglia 1957, Seay 1972–3

Basis for description: original

Modena, Italy, Archivio Storico Diocesano di Modena-Nonantola, MS Mus. III, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: iii + I + 178 + iii

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 400 x 280

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Original foliation, top recto, mostly removed through trimming and damage to the pages.
2. Modern pencil foliation bottom right, 1-178
3. Modern stamped pagination bottom centre, 2-347 (partly corrected with pencil to take acount of missing leaves).

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking occasionally,
visible in gatherings iv, vi, xiii; presumable trimmed off in other gatherings
Ruled grid always,
vertical bounding lines; no text lines
Ruling pattern highly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point 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 Text and music indented at beginning of voice parts, but only rarely used for initials
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
staves not ruled on grid often
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
not in dedicated space rarely 80v
provided, in dedicated space occasionally 51v, 61v-62r, 64v, 65v, 71v, 74v, 78v-79r, 82v, 83v, 84v, 87v, 88v, 89v, 97v, 128v-129r, 132v-135r
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
notation and staves extended into margin rarely 29v, 36v-37r, 136r
partial additional staves rarely 67v
notation extended into margin rarely 9r, 11r, 15r

Copying of text and music

Language(s)
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text all voice parts always
Music
Colour(s) of notation brown
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid shaped noteheads
Monophonic notation present
for chant intonations, occasionally
Level of calligraphy fair
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signes-de-renvoi occasionally
Line fillers Folios Note
none
Text
Types of script cursive (italic)
Types of script note Five different scribes. With textura and/or bastarda elements (depending on scribe)
Level of calligraphy fair
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions few
Abbreviations few
Non underlaid vocal text additional
additional stanzas, occasionally
Liminary text Tacet instructions, canonic instructions, sometimes

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials rarely 36v-40r, 55, 79v, 127v-128r
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
rarely 30v-31r, 126v-127r decorated letters elaborate penwork on some text descenders