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
247-380, 387-394, 416-422, 427-432
Preparation
Disposition of Voice Parts
Key
- Discantus
- Altus
- Tenor
- Bassus
- Contratenor
- Sextus
- Quintus
- Vagants
- Textus
- Triplex
- Medius / Meane
- Quatriplex
- Signe de renvoi
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
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 |
|
381-386, 395-415, 423-426
Preparation
Disposition of Voice Parts
Key
- Discantus
- Altus
- Tenor
- Bassus
- Contratenor
- Sextus
- Quintus
- Vagants
- Textus
- Triplex
- Medius / Meane
- Quatriplex
- Signe de renvoi
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
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 |
|