PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Naples, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale, MS VI E 40

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-Nn 40

DIAMM Source Key: 1013

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1470s

Location of origin: Burgundy

Provenance

Probably copied in Burgundy and sent as gift to Beatrice of Aragon (1457-1508), who moved from Aragonese court at Naples to Hungarian court at Buda in 1476, following her marriage to Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. Manuscript probably brought back to Naples by Beatrice in 1501. Unidentified coat of arms on f. 64v, with motto "Que par Dieu soit"; above this is dedicatory poem for Beatrice of Aragon, Queen of Hungary. (CCM)

Artists/Scribes

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Note: According to CCM and van der Heide, one scribe; according to Milsom, two scribes (one for the troped Kyries, one for the rest)

Basis for description: high-quality image

Naples, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale, MS VI E 40, All folios

Physical description

Material: parchment

Number of leaves: i + 64 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 443 x 313

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Modern pencil foliation recto top right, 1-64.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking normally,
visible only for vertical bounding lines
Ruled grid always,
single line to left and right, single line for text where present
Ruling pattern highly regular
consistent and very even 12-stave ruling
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point or 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
none always music and text indented over ruled staves to accommodate initials
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
empty ruled staves on grid normally
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
not in dedicated space sometimes elaborate canonic inscriptions below tenor on empty ruled staves
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
notation extended into margin often
notation and staves extended into margin rarely

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Latin
Order of Copying music first
normally,
all except tenor
Order of Copying text first
normally,
tenor
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text all voice parts always Tenor with 'L'homme armé' text only; Kyries with trope texts in addition to ordinary text
Music
Colour(s) of notation black red
Colour of notation note <p>outer voices in tenor-free sections in red</p>
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note teardrop-shaped notation, quite slender and elegant, tending towards rhomboid shape
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy high
Later changes Folios
Tenors consistently written out 'ad longum' below or above canonic tenors, on existing staves in later (but still broadly contemporary) hand, texted only with incipit
Text 1
Types of script cursive (bastarda)
Level of calligraphy very high
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts yes
L'homme armé text in T, trope texts in other voice in Kyries
Text repetitions very few
Abbreviations some
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text Voice designations (with initials except for D), Verte instructions, very elaborate canonic instructions, Tacet instructions.
Text 2
Types of script display script
Types of script size position all liminary texts
Types of script note larger and more elaborate than sung text, but same scribe
Level of calligraphy very high
Colour(s) of text black

Decoration

Level of Decoration fair
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials normally calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads, flourished Tenor only, two lines elaborate cadel-type initials, some flourished, some in colour, occasionally with grotesque heads, embellished with yellow wash
penned initials normally plain initials all voices except tenor, one line; some at the beginning of sections below stave large, slightly embellished capitals alternating in red and blue
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
normally littera notabilior most capital letters within sections, second letters after initials, initial letters of Verte and canonic instructions larger and embellished capital letter, filled with yellow wash