PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Brussels, Belgium, Bibliothèque Royal Albert 1er/Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert I, MS IV.1274

Manuscript type: partbook (single)

RISM siglum: B-Br IV.1274

DIAMM Source Key: 4054

Image repositories: Belgica

Folio(s): Altus partbook (All folios)

Location of origin: Bruges, Belgium

Provenance

Altus partbook from a set of of four manuscripts. Superius is B-Br IV 90, Tenor in B-Tv 94 The Bassus partbook is missing. Bought from antiquarian bookseller C. Van Loock (Brussels) in January 1996.

Basis for description: high-quality image

Brussels, Belgium, Bibliothèque Royal Albert 1er/Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert I, MS IV.1274, Altus partbook (All folios)

Physical description

Material: parchment

Number of leaves: ii + 15 + ii

Format: oblong

Page dimensions: 85 x 110

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Modern foliation pencil top right, A-B, 1-15, C-D
2. Original quire signatures ink in left margin on recto pages, a1-a8 (= 2-9)

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking often,
not clear how pricks relate to ruling
Ruled grid none visible
Ruling pattern fairly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
none always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
single rarely 1r Actual indent for the top line of f. 1r; elsewhere for beginnings of pieces music and text indented over ruled staves to accommodate initial
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
left below voice parts as part of grid rarely
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
no separate text always

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Flemish, French
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one or two texts 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
Text
Types of script cursive (bastarda)
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text black
Multiple texts yes
4r-v
Text repetitions very few
Abbreviations few
Non underlaid vocal text none

Decoration

Level of Decoration very high
Decoration miniature frequency Folios Size position Description Discrepancies
always in outer margins on every page, sometimes over and around notated music.
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials always calligraphic , calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads