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 21

Manuscript type: partbooks (complete set)

RISM siglum: I-Bc 21

DIAMM Source Key: 1392

Image repositories: Gaspari Online

Folio(s): All folios

Date: c. 1525

Dating as proposed in Rifkin 1973 and confirmed by Fenlon/Haar 1980.

Location of origin: Florence, Italy

Provenance

In the 17th century in the possession of Giuseppe Rasimus (Rasino) in Ravenna and/or Monte Cassino (inscription on f. 1v of discantus: 'Est S. Vitalis de Rav.[enn]a ad usum Rev. mi P.[atris] D. Josephi de Rav.[enn]a / Abbatis Cassin.[ensis] 2741'). Subsequently acquired by Padre Martini.

Artists/Scribes

Person: Masacone, Gianpiero
Person type: scribe
Location of origin: Florence, Italy
Note: Copied by the same scribe as US-Cn M91 (the 'Newberry-Oscott partbooks' and also I-Fd 4, 11, 27 and 28 (Rifkin). A later hand has added a textless piece at the end of each book.

Bibliography

Fenlon/Haar 1980

Basis for description: original

Bologna, Italy, Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna, MS Q 21, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper (with parchment)

Number of leaves: D: i + 117 + i; A: i + 112 + i; T: i + 126 + i; B: i + 115 + i

Format: oblong

Page dimensions: 128-129 x 188-191

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: f. 2v: Heraldic emblem surrounded by circle canon (different one in each book).

Index / Table of Contents: D, ff. 113r-114v: alphabetical index, written by main scribe, corresponding to Roman numerals above individual pieces

Other devices: 1. Original numbering of pieces in top margin, I-LXX. 2. modern pencil foliation top right.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking never
Ruled grid always,
single line to 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
light brown ink always
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
reddish brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always music indented over 1 stave to accommodate initials, variously
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
none always
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
no separate text always

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Italian
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
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy high
Later changes Folios
Additions by later hand at end
Text
Types of script cursive (humanistic)
Level of calligraphy high
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts yes
two lines of a repeated phrase, rarely
Text repetitions fairly many
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
penned initials always calligraphic , calligraphic with grotesque heads, flourished Moderately ornate cadels, one line, some filled in with penwork or more rarely with grotesque faces