PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Basel, Switzerland, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, MS F VI 26 f

Manuscript type: choirbook (single quire(s))

RISM siglum: CH-Bu F.VI.26f

DIAMM Source Key: 2817

Date: First quarter of the 16th century

Kmetz 1988, 59

Location of origin: Basel, Switzerland ; Germany

Provenance

Based on the paper type, script and repertoire, probably made in or in the region around Basel. The manuscript was possibly later in the possession of the Remigius Faesch Museum whose holdings were taken over by Basel University Library in 1823.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Location of origin: Basel, Switzerland
Note: Probably copied in or near Basel. Kmetz 1988, 60. 1 main scribe, two secondary scribes: one has written the discantus on f.8r, another has added text to the bottom of f.6r.

Bibliography

Kmetz 1988, 59-61

Basis for description: original

Basel, Switzerland, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, MS F VI 26 f, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: 8

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 315 x 220

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: None

Index / Table of Contents: None

Non-musical texts: None

Other devices: Original ink foliation top centre, xii-xviiii (xviii erroneously foliated as xiii)
Modern pencil foliation top left, 1-8

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking never
Ruled grid always,
Brown ink, outer margin 19-25, inner margin 16–20
Ruling pattern fairly irregular
Staves omitted from grid always
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
dark brown ink always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
dark brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
freehand always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
single occasionally 1r, 2v, 5r, 7r 7r no stave indent, the initial and stave lines overlap.
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
none always
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
provided, in dedicated space normally
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
notation and staves extended into margin often 1r, 1v, 3r, 4v, 5r, 5v, 6v, 7v, 8v

Copying of text and music

Language(s) German
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
provided with one or two incipits all voice parts often
provided with single incipit discantus sometimes
untexted all except discantus sometimes
Music
Colour(s) of notation brown
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy poor
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signa congruentiae
coronae
Line fillers Folios Note
none
Text
Types of script cursive (German)
Level of calligraphy poor
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions n/a
Abbreviations fairly few
Non underlaid vocal text additional
2r, 2v, 3r, 3v, 4r, 5r, 6r, 7r
Liminary text Voice-designations on the text underlay space (ff. 1r, 1v, 3v, 4r, 5v, 6r, 7v, 8r, 8v), above the stave (2r), in the margin (3r) or on the stave space (6v, 7r) f. 7v "Der schriber was ein man".

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials occasionally 1r, 2v, 3v, 7r, calligraphic
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
occasionally 5r, 5v, 6v, 7r, 8v Drawings of poor quality added to the empty spaces of the pages.