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 39 (olim H.C.41; = MaiM 64)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: D-Mbs 39

DIAMM Source Key: 2008

Image repositories: Digitale Bibliothek (BSB Munich)

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1505-15

c. 1515, with additions and restorations after 1523, and one addition from second half of 16th century (Bente 1968).

Location of origin: Munich, Germany ; Vienna, Austria

Provenance

Earliest layer presumably copied in Vienna, for use by the imperial court chapel of Maximilian I (1459-1519). Probably taken 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, additional pieces copied, several lost folios replaced with newly copied leaves, fascicles assembled in present order, 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: Copied by one main scribe, with later restorations and additions by a second scribe, possibly Ludwig Senfl.

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Note: Copied by one main scribe, with later restorations and additions by a second scribe, possibly Ludwig Senfl.

Basis for description: high-quality image

Munich, Germany, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Musica MS 39 (olim H.C.41; = MaiM 64), All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: 257

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 430 x 305

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: ‘Dominicarum dierum / Hyemarum / Liber’ (on front pastedown)

Other devices: 1. Modern pencil foliation recto top right, 1-255 (by J. J. Maier) (many folios lack numbers, but all included in enumeration except last folio; "174" applied to two consecutive folios).

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking normally
Ruled grid normally,
except ff. 246-255
Ruling pattern fairly regular
Staves omitted from grid often
Incomplete staves often,
length of staves adjusted to amount of music
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point and lead point always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
black always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
single normally for visual separation only
none sometimes for visual separation only
double rarely for visual separation only
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
staves not ruled on grid normally
variable space, not on grid occasionally 246v-255r
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 normally
fully texted with two texts all voice parts rarely
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid-shaped notation, often rounded
Monophonic notation present
chant incipits, occasionally
Level of calligraphy high
Line fillers Folios Note
occasionally extended final longae
Text
Types of script textura
Types of script note often with strong cursive elements
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts yes
254v-255r
Text repetitions few
Abbreviations some
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text Liturgical rubrics (in black ink); voice designations, occasionally; tacet inscriptions and canonic inscriptions, rarely.

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor