PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Turin, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, MS Ris. mus I. 27 (olim Regia Biblioteca dell'Università, qm III. 59)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-Tn I.27

DIAMM Source Key: 1503

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1500

C. 1500 (Bernstein 1973).

Location of origin: Staffarda, Italy (North) ; Turin, Italy

Provenance

DIAMM: Copied in Turin or vicinity (Crawford). Early (original?) owner was a certain Frater Taparellus (or Laparellus) Brixianus, of Staffarda Cistercian abbey, near Saluzzo

Basis for description: original

Turin, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, MS Ris. mus I. 27 (olim Regia Biblioteca dell'Università, qm III. 59), All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: v + 102 + iii

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 275 x 200

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Early pagination, brown ink top right, 1 (=6), 8-99 (=10-101), partly trimmed off
2. Modern library foliation stamped in black bottom right, 1-2, 3-101, leaf between 2 and 3 not foliated
3. Quire signatures E(fol. 69), F(fol. 87)

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking none visible
Ruled grid always,
single line on left and right, no lines for text
Ruling pattern fairly regular
9 pentagrams, ruled freehand, rather uneven in length between the grid lines; sometimes slightly not parallel, varying in distance
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
reddish brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
single normally stave 1 mostly indented, c. 10-25 mm. Lower voices no indentation of text or music.
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 sometimes

Copying of text and music

Language(s) French, Latin
Higlighting none
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text all voice parts normally
Music
Colour(s) of notation brown
Colour of notation folios all
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note normally round, but sometimes angular up to alomost complete rhomboid shape (esp. f. 95-101), but all by same scribe
Monophonic notation present
Intonations, occasionally, square notation as black breves
Level of calligraphy fair
Level of calligraphy note low to medium
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signes-de-renvoi Rare
Line fillers Folios Note
few many substantially extended final notes, but not obviously functioning as line-fillers
Later changes Folios
Some additions on blank spaces or pages. The codex grew over time, possibly by putting together separate quires and adding music in the gaps thus created
Text
Types of script cursive (humanistic)
Types of script size position Italian cursive
Level of calligraphy fair,
low to medium, very variable. Some texts possibly in different hand
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts yes
occasionally
Text repetitions few
rare, even in Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Abbreviations very many
frequent
Non underlaid vocal text additional
9r, 13r-14r, 18v-19r
Liminary text Occasional composer ascriptions, titles, indication of liturgical function over staves. Voice designations as simple large capitals (S, T, A, B) in left margin, rarely written out. Occasional Tacet inscriptions, reduced voice designations ('Duo" etc.), performance instructions either above or in staves
Later changes Some texts seem added later where originally only incipit, possibly by different hand

Decoration

Level of Decoration poor
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials normally calligraphic , calligraphic with decoration Simple capitals, some with very modest penwork or small faces, either in indent (D, A) or below stave in front of text
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
occasionally decorative final long