PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Munich, Germany, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Musica MS 38 (olim H.C.47; = MaiM 59)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: D-Mbs 38

DIAMM Source Key: 2007

Image repositories: Digitale Bibliothek (BSB Munich)

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1510-31

Bente 1968

Location of origin: Munich, Germany ; Vienna, Austria

Provenance

Probably begun in Vienna, for use by the imperial court chapel of Maximilian I (1459-1519). Brought to Munich by Ludwig Senfl c. 1523, when he began serving at the court chapel of Wilhelm IV, Duke of Bavaria (1493-1550). At Munich, fascicles assembled in present order, title page added, and volume bound in present covers. Kept in Hofkapelle library until end of 18th century, then transferred to ducal court library, whose holdings formed foundation of present Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Senfl, Ludwig
Person type: scribe
Note: Earliest layer (ff. 4v-37, 96v-142) copied by an unidentified scribe, whose hand also appears in D-Mbs 19, 35-6, and (probably) MunBS 37; remainder of manuscript possibly copied by Ludwig Senfl (Bente 1968) although that ascription is now considered doubtful.

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Note: Earliest layer (ff. 4v-37, 96v-142) copied by an unidentified scribe, whose hand also appears in D-Mbs 19, 35-6, and (probably) MunBS 37; remainder of manuscript possibly copied by Ludwig Senfl (Bente 1968) although that ascription is now considered doubtful.

Basis for description: high-quality image

Munich, Germany, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Musica MS 38 (olim H.C.47; = MaiM 59), All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: 258

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 465 x 325

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: Title page on f. 1: "En Opus Musicum festorum dierum hyemalium, … Anno a Christo nato. M.D.XXXI."

Other devices: 1. Modern pencil foliation recto top right, 1-258 (by J. J. Maier).

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking sometimes
Ruled grid never
Ruling pattern fairly irregular
Staves ruled flexibly to accommodate music
Staves omitted from grid n/a
Incomplete staves often,
length of staves adjusted to amount of music
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
none always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
black always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
double occasionally
single normally for voice-names at beginning of pieces, elsewhere for visual separation only
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
variable space, not on grid often
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
no separate text always

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 all voice parts always
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid-shaped notation
Monophonic notation present
chant incipits, occasionally
Level of calligraphy high
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signa congruentiae occasionally
Text 1
Types of script textura
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts no
Liminary text Liturgical rubrics (in red or black ink); voice designations (at beginning of pieces incorporating initials, sometimes written throughout); composer ascriptions, normally (in red ink); tacet inscriptions, canonic inscriptions (in red ink).
Text 2
Types of script display script
Types of script size position Liturgical rubrics (in red or black ink); voice designations (at beginning of pieces incorporating initials, sometimes written throughout); composer ascriptions, normally (in red ink); tacet inscriptions, canonic inscriptions (in red ink).
Types of script note Textura, somewhat bigger and more elaborate than sung text
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text black red

Decoration

Level of Decoration fair
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials occasionally 80v-81r, 96v-97r, 207v-208r, 219v-220r plain initials at beginning of proper cycles
penned initials occasionally 4v-5r, 24v-25r, 38v-39r, 60v-61r, 102v-103r, 121v-122r, 143v-144r, 167v-168r, 231v-232r calligraphic , flourished at beginning of proper cycles initials in red, green and blue