PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Bologna, Italy, Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna, MS Q 16 (olim 109)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-Bc 16

DIAMM Source Key: 1387

Image repositories: Gaspari Online

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1487-1510

Section A completed 1487 (inscription on f. 8': "finis / Do. 1487 / Marsilius"); second section added in 1490's (Fuller 1969) or 1500-10 (Pease 1966).

Location of origin: Naples, Italy ; Rome, Italy

Provenance

Manuscript was in the possession of Padre Martini in the 18th century; his signature and some comments in his hand appear on f. 3

Artists/Scribes

Person: Marsilius
Person type: scribe
Note: Scribe A, a certain Marsilius, copied the first and largest layer, through f. 127v, then added an index in a gathering placed at the front of the manuscript; he wrote "finis" at the end of the section he copied, on f. 127v, and also at the end of the index, on f. 8v. Scribes B and C added new pieces beginning on f. 128, then added titles of these to the index. Still later, three other scribes added single pieces on blank folios; these were not added to the index.

Basis for description: original

Bologna, Italy, Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna, MS Q 16 (olim 109), All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: i + 156 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 210 x 140

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: f. 1v: two coats of arms of the Marsili family (Bologna)

Index / Table of Contents: f. 2r-7v: alphabetical index, with later additions

Colophon: f. 126v: Finis.

Non-musical texts: f. 30: short musical treatise on blank ruled page
f. 149v-151v: music treatise 'Incipit regule cantu figuratu', but almost entirely mensural notation, very little verbal text

Other devices: Original foliation brown ink top right: i-xxxiiii, xxxiiii-cxii (= 14-126), continued by very similar hand cxiii-cxiiii, cxiiii-cxxv (= 127-136, 138-141), then later hand(s) cxxvi-cxxxvi (143-153), corresponding to hand(s) in index. i-cxxv mostly highlighted with yellow wash.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

1-126

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking never
Ruled grid always,
single line on left and right, no lines for text
Ruling pattern highly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point or lead point always all
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
light brown normally 8-13: black
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always No indented staves or music, initials 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
staves extended into margin rarely

Copying of text and music

Language(s) French, Italian, Latin, Spanish
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
provided with single incipit all voice parts normally
untexted all voice parts rarely
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note teardrop shape
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy high
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
pointers
signa congruentiae
signes-de-renvoi
Line fillers Folios Note
sometimes Repeat of final double barline, sometimes highlighted with yellow wash
Later changes Folios
musical treatise 'Prolacio tempus et modi'; over ruled staves 30r
short four-part composition by later hand on bottom 5 ruled staves, with added verbal text
Text
Types of script cursive (humanistic)
Types of script folios all
Level of calligraphy poor
Colour(s) of text dark brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions none
Abbreviations very few
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text "Tenor" rubric on most openings, large and ornate, above Tenor part usually over blank stave Occasional 'Duo' instructions Fol. 88v: composer ascription 'J. p.' above staves Fol. 100r: 'Missa de lamormi' above staves Occasional Canon instructions

Decoration

Level of Decoration fair
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
penned initials always calligraphic Before every voice, 1-2 lines; often also T for tenor rubric Often quite elaborate calligraphic initials, often with yellow wash
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
normally decorated letters elaborate calligraphic voice designation 'Tenor' on most versos, some with yellow wash
127-153

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking never
Ruled grid always,
single line on left and right, no lines for text
Ruling pattern highly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
hard point and lead point always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
light brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always no indented staves, music and text indented over 1 stave (rarely 2 staves) to accommodate initial
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 never
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
staves extended into margin rarely

Copying of text and music

Language(s) French, Italian, Latin, Spanish
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
provided with single incipit all voice parts normally
untexted all voice parts occasionally
Music
Colour(s) of notation black
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note rhomboid, sometimes rounded
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy high
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
pointers 128v-129r, 130v-131r, 142v-143r
Line fillers Folios Note
sometimes Repeat of final double barline, sometimes even three times, sometimes highlighted with yellow wash. Some highly elaborate final longs, final longs merging into final barline, ornaments after final barline, often highlighted with yellow wash (like initials)
Later changes Folios
149v-151v: Music treatise 'Incipiunt regulae cantu figurato' 152v-153r: Added piece in foru parts (DT|AB) on hand-drawn staves
Text
Types of script cursive (humanistic)
Types of script folios all
Level of calligraphy fair,
all
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions none
Abbreviations fairly few
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text 'Tenor' and 'Contra' rubrics on most openings, mostly with initials, somteimes separate above or besides stave

Decoration

Level of Decoration fair
Decoration initial type Frequency Folios Initial type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
initials planned occasionally
penned initials normally calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads, flourished 1 or 2 lines over ruled staves, music indented often quite elaborate and large
Other decoration frequency Folios Other decoration type(s) Size position Description Discrepancies
sometimes end-symbol Repeat of final double barline, sometimes even three times, sometimes highlighted with yellow wash. Some highly elaborate final longs, final longs merging into final barline, ornaments after final barline, often highlighted with yellow wash (like initials)