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PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Montecassino, Italy, Biblioteca dell'Abbazia, MS 871

Manuscript type: composite manuscript with interpolated polyphony

RISM siglum: I-MC 871

DIAMM Source Key: 800

Folio(s): pp. 247-434

Date: late 15th century

Non-musical portions date from 13th and 14th centuries.

Provenance

Composite of several originally separate fascicles bound together in late 17th century. Section with music possibly copied at Benedictine monastery of Ss. Severino and Sossio in Naples (Cattin 1972), or Benedictine monastery of S. Michele Arcangelo de Planciano in Gaeta (Pope/Kanazawa 1978). Owned by latter monastery in 16th century (inscription on p. 247: "Est monasterij sancti angeli palantani de gaieta signatus lettera et numero"). Brought to central monastery of Benedictine Order at Monte Cassino at an unknown time, probably in 16th or 17th century.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe

Basis for description: high-quality image

Montecassino, Italy, Biblioteca dell'Abbazia, MS 871, pp. 247-434

Physical description

Material: parchment and paper (mixed)

Number of leaves: ii + 123 + 94 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 276 x 206

Index / Table of Contents: Modern list of contents of composite volume on second modern flyleaf. Original index of musical portion on pp. 433-434 lists 171 pieces in alphabetical order by title; 46 pieces listed in index now missing, other pieces added to manuscript after index was prepared.

Other devices: Modern pencil pagination, 1-436 (numbers often omitted on versos); section with music [pp. 247-436] has original ink foliation, 1-160(?), inaccurate and inconsistent due to misbinding and faulty renumbering by later hands.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

Preparation

Show Preparation Slideshow

Disposition of Voice Parts

Pricking none visible
Ruled grid always,
Single line to the left and right; no text lines
Ruling pattern fairly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point and lead point always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
single often First line, varying depth. Where stave not indented, music and text always indented over ruled staves to accommodate initials
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
empty ruled staves on grid sometimes
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
not in dedicated space rarely
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
made for complete additional staves rarely pp. 343, 357
staves extended into margin rarely pp. 375, 378

Copying of text and music

Language(s) French, Italian, Latin, Spanish
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text all voice parts sometimes
provided with single incipit all except discantus often
fully texted with one or two texts discantus sometimes
provided with single incipit discantus occasionally
provided with single incipit all voice parts occasionally
untexted all voice parts rarely
partially texted with one text all except discantus rarely
untexted all except discantus rarely
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid shaped notation, pointed at bottom and blunt at top
Monophonic notation present
chant incipits for liturgical compositions
Level of calligraphy fair
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signes-de-renvoi
Later changes Folios
notation added pp. 323, 339, 429
Text
Types of script textura
Types of script note several different scribes, with varying degrees of cursive characteristics
Level of calligraphy fair
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts yes
multilpe underlaid strophes, occasionally
Text repetitions few
Abbreviations fairly few
Non underlaid vocal text additional
p. 256
Liminary text Composer ascriptions often; Duo, rarely; initials as voice designations, normally
Later changes underlaid text added later, occasionally (usually in addition to existing text by original scribe)

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
initials planned occasionally
penned initials normally calligraphic Slightly elaborated cadel-type initials at the beginning of every piece or section; for lower voices voice-designation initial

Preparation

Show Preparation Slideshow
Show Preparation Slideshow

Disposition of Voice Parts

Pricking none visible
Ruled grid always,
Single line to the left and right; rarely text lines
Ruling pattern fairly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point and lead point always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always two rastra: normally 16.5 mm, occasionally 15 mm
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always Music and text sometimes indented over ruled staves to accommodate initials
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

Copying of text and music

Language(s) French, Italian, Latin
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
untexted all voice parts sometimes
fully texted with one text all voice parts rarely
provided with single incipit all voice parts rarely
provided with single incipit all except discantus occasionally
partially texted with one text discantus rarely
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid shaped notation, pointed at bottom and blunt at top
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy fair
Text
Types of script textura
Types of script size position several different scribes, with varying degrees of cursive characteristics
Level of calligraphy fair
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions none
Abbreviations few
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text Composer ascriptions, sometimes; Secunda pars, rarely; initials as voice designations, normally (sometimes fully written out after intial or above stave)

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
initials planned often
penned initials sometimes calligraphic Slightly elaborated cadel-type initials at the beginning of piece or section; for lower voices voice-designation initial