PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Padua, Italy, Biblioteca Capitolare, MS A 17

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-Pc 17

DIAMM Source Key: 1449

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1522

Inscription on f. 188v: "Frater Jordanus pasetus venetus ordinis praedicatorum scripsit hec manu propria ad Laudem dei 1522"

Provenance

Copied in Padua, for use by cathedral choir; still in situ.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Passetto, Giordano
Person type: scribe
Note: <p><span>Copied by Giordano Passetto (ca. 1484-1557), maestro di cappella of Padua Cathedral from 1520 until his death; Passetto also copied PadBC D27 and one group of pieces in PadBC D25-6 (<a href="/bibliography/#entry966" data-tooltip="" class="has-tip tip-top reference" data-placement="top" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="" title="Constant, John George, &lsquo;Renaissance Manuscripts of Polyphony at the Cathedral of Padua&rsquo; (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1975)"><i class="fa fa-book"></i>Constant 1975</a>).</span></p>

Basis for description: high-quality image

Padua, Italy, Biblioteca Capitolare, MS A 17, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: 189

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 545 x 420

Quire structure: Text version

Index / Table of Contents: Original index on last folio lists motets by title, in approximate alphabetical order; a few partes listed separately.

Other devices: 1. Original ink foliation verso centre left, 1-188 ("60" repeated)
2. Modern pencil foliation recto bottom centre, 1-188 ("158" repeated).

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking none visible
Ruled grid normally,
single lines to left and right and single lines for text, after restoration only partially visible
Ruling pattern fairly regular
usually
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
black always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
triple rarely 1v
none normally initials, voice-names and Residuum in left margin
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
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
notation and staves extended into margin occasionally
partial additional staves rarely

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 absent
Level of calligraphy high
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signes-de-renvoi rarely
Text
Types of script hybrida
Level of calligraphy fair
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts no
Abbreviations fairly few
Non underlaid vocal text none

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
initials planned rarely 1v three-line indentation at beginning of D
penned initials often calligraphic Moderately elaborate single-line cadel-type initials, where present most often only for D, there in indentation over ruled stave, for lower voices where present in left margin. Often partially trimmed off.
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
often littera notabilior instead of initials in lower voices; first letters of voice-names