Manuscript: Brussels, Belgium, Bibliothèque Royal Albert 1er/Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert I, MS 9126

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: B-Br 9126

DIAMM Source Key: 1632

Image repositories: IDEM

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1504-1505

Produced for Philip the Fair and Joanna of Castile, after their marriage on 28 October 1496 and before Philip’s death on 25 September 1506. Philip briefly succeeded to the Crown of Castile upon the death of his mother-in-law Isabella on 26 November 1504. Coupled arms Burgundy-Habsburg and Spain, quartered (ff. 1v-2r) surmounted by the archducal crown of Austria, indicates a date before Isabella’s death. Josquin’s mass Hercules dux Ferrarie, written with its title changed to Philippus rex Castillie (f. 72v), indicates a date after Isabella's death. A dating between 1504 and 1505 seems most probable.

Location of origin: Brussels, Belgium ; Mechelen, Belgium

Provenance

1) Philip the Fair and Joanna of Castile (heraldic arms and their mottos Qui vouldra and Moy tout seul) (ff. 1v-2r). Two pieces personalised for Philip: Josquin’s Missa Hercules dux Ferrarie which reads instead Philippus rex Castillie (f. 72v) and Agricola’s motet Sancte Philippe Apostole (f. 170v), which survives in two other independent sources as Ergo sancti martyres (Fitch 2000, 6 and 12). 2) Hereditary library of the dukes of Burgundy, later called Bibliothèque de Bourgogne. 3) Confiscated by the French in 1794 but restored in 1815 (stamps of the Bibliothèque nationale de France on f. 1 and f. 180v). 4) In 1838, Bibliothèque de Bourgogne united with the newly organised Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique / Koningklijke Bibliotheek founded in 1837.

Brussels, Belgium, Bibliothèque Royal Albert 1er/Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert I, MS 9126, All folios

Physical description

Material: parchment

Number of leaves: i + 182 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 381 x 274

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Modern Arabic foliation in pencil top right: 1-8; 8bis-181.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking	never
Ruled grid	sometimes, Vertical bounding lines to the left and right.
Ruling pattern	fairly regular Ruled basically on a 9-stave grid, with staves unruled (or more rarely added) as required by the music.
Staves omitted from grid	often
Incomplete staves	rarely, 78v, 89v, 113r, 139v

Medium and colour of grid	Frequency	Folios	Note
lead point	occasionally	e.g. 6r-v
hard point	normally	e.g. 14r-v, 21r-v
Colour of staves	Frequency	Folios	Note
black	always
Ruling medium	Frequency	Folios	Note
single rastrum	always
Indentation for initials	Frequency	Folios	Note
triple	rarely	14v, 28v, 44v, 72v, 82v, 116v	At the beginning of Masses running from ff. 1v-134r (except for ff. 58v and 96v).
double	normally		staves 1-2 and 6-7, indentation for staves 6-7 usually less deep than for 1-2
single	often		stave 6 or 7 (instead of double indent 6-7)
Extra space between voice parts	Frequency	Folios	Note
empty ruled staves on grid	often
staves not ruled on grid	often
variable space, not on grid	occasionally
Space provided for separate text	Frequency	Folios	Note
no separate text	never
Adhoc adaptation	Frequency	Folios	Note
partial additional staves	rarely	121v, 125v, 177v

Copying of text and music

Language(s)	Latin
Higlighting	Some capital letters following large initials or rubrics highlighted in red.
Order of Copying	music first always

Presence/absence of text	Voice part	Frequency	Folios
fully texted with one text	all voice parts	normally
fully texted with two or more texts	tenor	rarely	84v, 85v
fully texted with two or more texts	discantus	rarely	56v
fully texted with two or more texts	contratenor	rarely	93r

Music

Colour(s) of notation	black red
Colour of notation note	<p>Some notes at the beginning of composition on f. 72v in red.</p>
Type(s) of notation	void mensural
Type of notation note	Last opening of Pierre de la Rue’s Magnificat (ff. 158v–159r) written in black coloration.
Monophonic notation	absent
Level of calligraphy	very high

Non verbal performance instructions	Folios	Note
signes-de-renvoi		Cross formed either by five dots linked through a horizontal and a vertical line (e.g. f. 21r), or as four rhombuses, often with a vertical line (e.g. ff. 39v–40r), or, on one occasion, as a simple diagonal cross (ff. 144v–145r), one in red and one in black ink. The two common shapes sometimes appear in combined form (e.g. ff. 74v–75r).
signa congruentiae		Signa congruentiae in form of three pyramidal dots ending in a loop appear occasionally (e.g. f. 12r). The one on f. 29r in the bassus in the middle of the second stave replaces the loop with a circle around a dot and may have special significance, perhaps to indicate some kind of canon.
repeat signs	84v, 85v, 87v, 93r	Vertical double bar with two dots to each side indicate that the part should be repeated once. On f. 93r, where the part needs to be repeated twice, the double bar is flanked by three dots to each side.
space-filler	41v	Towards the end of Pierre de la Rue’s Missa L’homme armé (ff. 28v–43r), one opening is left largely empty as all four voices are derived as a mensuration canon from only one which is notated. This occupies the space normally reserved only for the bassus on the recto. The preceding verso has been filled with a cross formed by ruling the first and eighth staves and adding two staves diagonally to fill the space between them (f. 41v).
Line fillers	Folios	Note
few	53v, 72v, 90v, 127r, 139r	Double vertical which ends the discantus has been extended in form of a series of tapering vertical lines.

Text 1

Types of script	display script
Types of script size position	For voice-names, mainly introduced by large initials at the beginning of voice-parts, and 'residuum' rubrics. For instructions written on empty staves or in empty spaces.
Level of calligraphy	very high
Colour(s) of text	black red instructions and voice-names sometimes in red (often strongly faded to brown)

Text 2

Types of script	cursive (bastarda)
Level of calligraphy	very high
Colour(s) of text	black red In red: A few capital letters following large initials or rubrics (ff. 15r, 142v, 143v, 147r, 156v, 164v and 178v); and cantus firmus texts normally in Tenor (e.g. ff. 14v, 44v, 82v, 96v, 116v, 160v, 162v)
Multiple texts	yes
Text repetitions	few
Abbreviations	few
Non underlaid vocal text	none
Liminary text	Composers' names as headers, once with title: [omitted on opening page because of painted borders, f. 1v], 'Rue' (f. 14v), 'Petrus de la Rue' (f. 28v), 'P. delarue' (f. 44v), 'P. De la Rue' (f. 58v), 'Josquin' (f. 72v), 'Josquin' (f. 82v), 'In myne zyn' and 'Allexander' (f. 96v), 'Allexander' (f. 116v), 'P. de la Rue' (f. 136v), 'Agricola' (f. 138v), 'Allexander' (f. 144v), 'P. de la Rue' (f. 148v), 'P delarue' (f. 154v), 'Josquin' (f. 160v), 'P. de la Rue' (f. 164v), 'De Orto' (f. 166v), 'Allexander' (f. 170v), 'Josquyn' (f. 172v), 'Barbireau' (f. 174v), 'Josquyn' (f. 177v), 'Josquin' (f. 178v).
Later changes	none

Decoration

Level of Decoration	very high

Decoration miniature frequency		Folios		Size position	Description	Discrepancies
rarely		1v, 2r		4 miniatures on opening page introducing the beginning of a four-voice part (ff. 1v-2r). First miniature on four staves; the following three miniatures on three staves. Upper miniatures with arched tops extended into the margins; lower rectangular miniatures within the justification.	Virgin and Child enthroned; inscribed on the frame 'Salve Regina' / Heraldic arms crested with a crown and surrounded by the collar of the Golde Fleece, accompanied with the initials 'P' and 'I' (f. 1v). Philip the Fair in prayer, introduced by the apostle Philip holding a staff with a small cross on it and a book / Joanna of Castile in prayer, introduced by Saint John the Baptist with the Lamb of God (f. 2r).	Size of miniatures differs due to irregular freehand ruling of staves and the presence of one rubric.
Decoration border frequency	Border type	Folios	Size	Position	Description	Discrepancies
rarely	None	1v, 2r	full borders		Decorated with the mottos Qui vouldra (Philip) and Moy tout seul (Joanna), coupled arms of Philip and Joanna (Burgundy-Habsburg and Spain, quartered) surmounted by the archducal crown of Austria but in the feminine form of Burgundy impaling Spain, elements of the collar of the Golden Fleece and the initials 'P' and 'I'.
Decoration initial type	Frequency	Folios	Initial type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
painted initials	never
initials planned	rarely	1v, 72r		Reserved space for small initial 'K'(yrie) in red ink at the beginning of the first opening left empty (f. 1v). Reserved spaces at the beginning of the contratenor and the bassus on f. 72r for large calligraphic initials with red rubrics for voice-names left empty (f. 72r).
penned initials	normally			Calligraphic initials decorate the manuscript throughout and introduce the first word of the discantus and the rubrics for the following voice-names. Elaborate initials appear at the beginning of the masses on ff. 2v–3r, 14v–15r, 28v–29r, 44v–45r, 58v–59r, 72v–73r, 82v–83r and 116v–117r (but not on ff. 96v–97r), and on the second opening of the first mass (ff. 2v–3r), which starts (on ff. 1v–2r) with miniatures and borders. The beginning of the masses is in general marked with initials for the discantus which are three staves high (ff. 14v, 28v, 44v, 72v, 82v, 116v), while those for the other voices (as well as those for the discantus on ff. 58v and 96v) are only two staves high. The first openings of the masses are furthermore highlighted by large indentations (except on ff. 96v–97r), which allow more space for extensive initials. The beginning of the Salve regina settings (ff. 136v–137r, 138v–139r), the Magnificats (ff. 144v–145r, 148v–149r, 154v–155r) and the motets (ff. 160v–161r, 164v–165r, 166v–167r, 170v–171r, 172v–173, 174v–175r, 177v–178r, 178v–179r) is more modest. The initials are less elaborate, they are in general only two staves, sometimes even only one stave, high, and the indentations are less generous. Similar initials of the same size decorate most other openings in the manuscript.	The large initials are mainly constructed of cadels which were drawn with a broad pen in dark ink. The more elaborate initials were furthermore decorated with motives such as banderols, acanthus leaves and heads of birds which were drawn with a thin pen in lighter ink. The same pen also served for further filigree cadels which also decorate the simpler initials. While the elaborate initials were completed with soft washes in green, blue and/or pink combined with yellow, the washes for simpler initials were reduced to yellow.
penned initials	rarely			The beginning of the Salve regina settings (ff. 136v–137r, 138v–139r), the Magnificats (ff. 144v–145r, 148v–149r, 154v–155r) and the motets (ff. 160v–161r, 164v–165r, 166v–167r, 170v–171r, 172v–173, 174v–175r, 177v–178r, 178v–179r) is more modest. The initials are less elaborate, they are in general only two staves, sometimes even only one stave, high, and the indentations are less generous. Similar initials of the same size decorate most other openings in the manuscript.	Two of the motets towards the end of the manuscript, De la Rue’s Gaude virgo (ff. 164v–166r) and Barbireau’s Osculetur me (ff. 174v–177r) include small plain letters instead of calligraphic initials after the first opening on ff. 165v and 175v. A small letter of this kind also fills the large space at the beginning of De Orto’s Ave Maria mater gracie (ff. 166v–170r). Similar letters were also used for the first opening of the manuscript (ff. 1v–2r), which received miniatures instead of initials.
penned initials	rarely	3r		Calligraphic initials decorate the manuscript throughout and introduce the first word of the discantus and the rubrics for the following voice-names. Elaborate initials appear at the beginning of the masses on ff. 2v–3r, 14v–15r, 28v–29r, 44v–45r, 58v–59r, 72v–73r, 82v–83r and 116v–117r (but not on ff. 96v–97r), and on the second opening of the first mass (ff. 2v–3r), which starts (on ff. 1v–2r) with miniatures and borders. The beginning of the masses is in general marked with initials for the discantus which are three staves high (ff. 14v, 28v, 44v, 72v, 82v, 116v), while those for the other voices (as well as those for the discantus on ff. 58v and 96v) are only two staves high. The first openings of the masses are furthermore highlighted by large indentations (except on ff. 96v–97r), which allow more space for extensive initials.	Two elaborate initials which introduce the contratenor and the bassus of the second opening on f. 3r differ from the main concept. They were not built up of cadels but were entirely drawn with the thin pen in light ink. The letter ‘C’ is shaped as a dragon which spits an (empty) scroll (the only zoomorphic initial in the manuscript). The second is formed by a long scroll which defines the letter ‘B’. (Only one other initial is similarly constructed through banderols, the initial ‘K’ at the beginning of the next mass on f. 14v, although bold cadels flank the stem of the letter to the left.)
Other decoration frequency		Folios	Other decoration type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
rarely		27r	end-symbol	On one occasion, the scribe marked the end of De la Rue’s Missa Sub tuum presidium (ff. 14v–27r) at the end of the text underlay in the bassus with a decorative end symbol which consists of a crossed double-loop (f. 27r).

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