Manuscript: Barcelona, Spain, Biblioteca de Catalunya, M. 454

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: E-Bbc 454

DIAMM Source Key: 1530

Image repositories: Biblioteca de Catalunya

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1500–1534

Gathering A: 1500–1510; Gathering B: 1505–1519; Gathering C: 1520–1525; Gathering D: 1525–1534.

Gathering A: fol. 73r–137v, 179r–181bisv; Gathering B: fol. 21r–59v; Gathering C: fol. 3r–20v; 60r–65v; Gathering B+C 66r–72v, 138r–144v, 145r–154v; Gathering C+D: fol. 155r–178v; 183r–191v

Location of origin: Catalonia

Barcelona, Spain, Biblioteca de Catalunya, M. 454, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: iii + 190 + iii

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 295-298 x 208-212

Quire structure: Text version

Index / Table of Contents: Incomplete index on f. 2v.

Other devices: Modern foliation 1-190; original foliation 2-12, 15-138, 138bis-180, 180bis-190, [191], five leaves missing: ff. 1, 2, 13, 14 and one between f. 119 and f. 120, three unfoliated modern flyleaves.
Original foliation is used here, in keeping with online facsimile, in upper recto: ii-xii, (ff. xiii-xiv missing), xv-cxxxviii (same number used twice), cxxxviii-clxxx, clxxxbis, clxxxi-cxc, final folio unfoliated.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking	normally, Pricking for justification lines often visible in lower margin (upper margin for folios copied upside down); pricking for uppermost line of each stave visible in outer margin from ff. 2-72, 138-190 (lowermost line of stave for upside folios).
Ruled grid	often
Ruling pattern	variable On certain folios, the ruling is very haphazard, e.g. f. 73r, 82r - a rastrum was used, but a rule wasn't. Ruling pattern (e.g. number of staves, justification lines) varies over course of mansucript.
Staves omitted from grid	never
Incomplete staves	occasionally, 4r-11v, 139r-142v, The final stave is incomplete, stopping shortly before the grid end. It appears that in these two cases (ff. 4r-11v (centre of quire 1) and 139r-142v (the centre of quire 16)) the folios were copied upside down, as there is no indent on the first stave as is typical elsewhere, i.e. these are not intentionally incomplete staves, but rather staves indented for the first initial, placed upside down.
Note	Size of music-text area on f. 137r-v: 212 x 154 mm

Medium and colour of grid	Frequency	Folios	Note
brown ink	sometimes	74-136	primarily found in ff. 74-136
hard point	often	1-73, 137-190	primarily found in ff. 1-73, 137-190
Colour of staves	Frequency	Folios	Note
dark brown	always
Ruling medium	Frequency	Folios	Note
single rastrum	always
Indentation for initials	Frequency	Folios	Note
single	normally		no indentation on 4r-11v, 73r-v, 82r-v, 139r-142v (4r-11v, 140r-142v: first stave indented, but quire upside down, so now the final stave stops before end) single stave and notation indented on all other folios: first stave indented on each page: 2r-3v, 12r-71r, 72r-v, 138r-178v, 182r-190v first and sixth stave indented on each page: 74v-81v, 83r-137v, 179r-181v sixth stave indent filled in free hand: 83v-84r, 85r, 86r, 91v, 92v-93r, 100v, 102v, 113v, 114v, 117r, 118v, 129r, 134r, 179r-v. all indents filled in free hand: 106v-107r first indent filled in free hand: 169v
Extra space between voice parts	Frequency	Folios	Note
empty ruled staves on grid	always
Space provided for separate text	Frequency	Folios	Note
not in dedicated space	always
Adhoc adaptation	Frequency	Folios	Note
other	occasionally		sixth stave indent filled in free hand: 83v-84r, 85r, 86r, 91v, 92v-93r, 100v, 102v, 113v, 114v, 117r, 118v, 129r, 134r, 179r-v. all indents filled in free hand: 106v-107r first indent filled in free hand: 169v
partial additional staves	rarely	17r, 20v, 71v, 116r, 138v, 140r, 178r	drawn freehand
made for complete additional staves	rarely	68v	drawn freehand
notation extended into margin	sometimes
notation and staves extended into margin	sometimes		throughout, but particularly around ff. 106-116
staveline added	occasionally

Copying of text and music

Language(s)	Latin, Spanish
Order of Copying	music first normally

Presence/absence of text	Voice part	Frequency	Folios	Note
fully texted with one text	all voice parts	normally
provided with single incipit	all except tenor tertius	rarely	104v-105r, 120r-122r, 140v-141r
fully texted with two texts	all voice parts	rarely	18v-19r
untexted	all voice parts	rarely	144v-148r, 158r, 178v, 181rbis, 183v
fully texted with one text	all except altus	rarely	20v
untexted	altus	rarely	106v-107r
provided with single incipit	all except altus	rarely	106v-107r
provided with single incipit	all except discantus	rarely	24v-25r, 118v, 120r, 150v-151r, 157v-158r, 184v, 190r
untexted	all except discantus	rarely	25v-26r, 32v-33r, 35v-37r, 68r, 73v, 117v-118r, 138v-138rbis, 160v, 177v, 181r, 181vbis, 184r-185v
fully texted with one text	tenor	rarely	117r, 118v-119r
partially texted with one text	all except tenor	rarely	117r
provided with single incipit	all except tenor	rarely	26v-27r, 68v, 118v-119r
untexted	tenor	rarely	26v-27r, 50v-52r, 53v-54r, 68v
fully texted with one or two texts	all except tenor	rarely	50v-52r, 53v-54r, 181r
untexted	all except tenor	rarely	144r
partially texted with one text	all except bassus	rarely	28v-29r
partially texted with one text	all voice parts	rarely	23v-24r, 27v-28r, 37v-38r, 69r, 107v-108r, 120v, 143v, 182v	ff. 37v-38r: underlay completed/added by second hand to DTB
fully texted with one text	all except bassus	rarely	55v-56r
provided with single incipit	altus	rarely	20v, 31v-32r, 34v-35r
partially texted with one text	discantus	rarely	24v-25r, 159v-160v, 181r, 190v
partially texted with one text	altus	rarely	159v-160r
untexted	all except discantus and altus	rarely	31v-32r, 34v-35r
fully texted with one text	all except discantus and altus	rarely	159v-160r
provided with single incipit	discantus and tenor	rarely	33v-34r
fully texted with one or two texts	discantus and tenor	rarely	72v, 82v-83r, 149v-150r, 189v
untexted	bassus	rarely	28v-29r, 73r
provided with single incipit	all except discantus and bassus	rarely	73r
provided with single incipit	bassus	rarely	186r
untexted	all except discantus and bassus	rarely	186r
fully texted with one or two texts	discantus	rarely	68r, 73r-v, 117v-118v, 120r, 150v-151r, 152r, 157v-158r, 181vbis, 184r-185v, 186r, 190r-v
provided with single incipit	tenor	rarely	144r, 152r, 181r
untexted	all except discantus and tenor	rarely	33v-34r, 72v, 152r, 189v
provided with single incipit	all except discantus and tenor	rarely	82v-83r, 149v-150r	83r: bassus part completed by later hand
provided with single incipit	discantus	rarely	25v-26r, 32v-33r, 35v-37r, 73v, 138v-138rbis, 160r, 177v
partially texted with one text	bassus	rarely	55v-56r, 190r
fully texted with one text	altus	rarely	160r
untexted	all except discantus and altus	rarely	160r
fully texted with two texts	tenor primus	rarely	190r
untexted	tenor secundus	rarely	190r

Music

Colour(s) of notation	dark brown
Colour of notation note	<p>ink has substantially eroded paper in many places</p>
Type(s) of notation	chant (square), full mensural, void mensural
Type of notation note	black full mensural notation: 181v black square chant notation: 179r-180r void square chant notation: 180v all other notation: void mensural notation
Monophonic notation	present 179r-180v, black square chant notation: 179r-180r void square chant notation: 180v
Level of calligraphy	fair

Non verbal performance instructions	Folios	Note
end symbol		decorative final barline and note common in certain sections of the manuscript.
coronae		very frequent
pointers	181rbis
repeat signs	181r
signes-de-renvoi	88v-89r, 138v-139r, 169v-170r
signa congruentiae	4v, 50v-51r, 56r, 177v-178r, 181rbis, 190r
space-filler	57v	extended custos in middle of line
Line fillers	Folios	Note
occasionally	2r, 12r	extended final note
Later changes	Folios
music erased and rewritten	23v, 38r, 41r, 151v, 158v-159r
additions to blank staves	74r, 116v
pen trials	58v, 131r, 181r

Text

Types of script	cursive
Types of script size position	Underlaid text.
Types of script note	Numerous hands contributed to this volume, with varying degrees of cursivity and formality. Liminary text written in various positions, in a larger, more formal script than the underlaid text.
Level of calligraphy	fair, variable
Colour(s) of text	black brown dark brown
Multiple texts	yes 18v-19r, 180bisr-182v, 183v-186r, 189v-190v
Text repetitions	few
Abbreviations	some
Non underlaid vocal text	additional 20v, 148v-149r, 157v, 180bisr, 181r, 182r-183r, 189v, 190r-v, All written in blank staves, except f. 181r where it is written in the margin.
Liminary text	dates added: 'f. 25 1530' (f. 12r), '20 1532 faber' (f. 16v), '20 faber 1525' (f. 140r), '1532' (f. 162r), '1534' (f. 188r). Other liminary text: title (rare), composer ascription (common, usually verso), 'duo', 'tacet', 'ut supra', 'verte', 'secudna pars', 'faberdon', canon instructions, liturgical assignment, 'de primo/secundo tono', 'residuum'.
Later changes	pen trials, 2r, 190v-191r

Decoration

Level of Decoration	fair

Decoration miniature frequency		Folios		Size position	Description	Discrepancies
never
Decoration border frequency	Border type	Folios	Size	Position	Description	Discrepancies
never	None		None
Decoration initial type	Frequency	Folios	Initial type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
penned initials	rarely	82r, 106v-107r, 121v-122r, 141v-142v	calligraphic , calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads, decorated	Single stave high, placed before the stave for each voice (no indentation).	82r, 141v-142v: calligraphic letters 106v-107r, 121v-122r: simpler decorated letters
penned initials	rarely	105v-106r, 122v-135r	calligraphic , calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads	Single stave and notation indented for each voice part.	Larger calligraphic initials drawn over earlier, smaller ones.	105v-106r: only discantus has calligraphic initial with heads, all other voices have planned (not realised) initials.
penned initials	occasionally	83v-104r, 107v-116r	plain initials	First stave of each voice indented.	Simple initials in red ink.
penned initials	rarely	2r, 60v-61r, 66v, 74r-81v, 137v, 143r, 161v-162r, 175r	calligraphic , calligraphic with decoration, calligraphic with grotesque heads	Single stave and notation indented for first stave of each page.		Some red ink used ff. 74r-81v.
initials planned	often	12r-60r, 61v-66r, 67r-73v, 83r, 117r-118r, 135v-136r, 138v-138vbis, 143v-144r, 145r-161r, 162v-174r, 175v-190v		ff. 117r-118r, 135v-136r: each voice, single stave indented. all other folios: first stave of page indented.		105v-106r: only discantus has calligraphic initial with heads, all other voices have planned (not realised) initials.
penned initials	rarely	104v-105r, 118v, 120r, 136v-137r, 144v	decorated	104v-105r, 118v, 120r: single stave indented for each voice 136v-137r, 144v: single stave indented for first stave of page	104v-105r same ink as text and notation
Other decoration frequency		Folios	Other decoration type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
sometimes		2r-25v, 39v, 60v-70v, 107v, 128r, 190r [in particular in these folios]	decorative final long, end-symbol		decorative final long, sometimes flourished, sometimes decorated with heads
rarely		179r-v	littera notabilior		Small decorated initials and rubrics supplied in red to a section of monophonic chant.

PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

Provenance

Bibliography