Manuscript: Florence, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, MS II.I.350 (olim Magliabechi XXXVI. 113)

Manuscript type: choirbook

RISM siglum: I-Fn 350

DIAMM Source Key: 1414

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1514-1521

C. 1520 (D'Accone 1963); according to Rifkin perhaps to be identified with a choirbook commissioned by the cathedral of Florence in 1514; probably completed by 1521: a note 'Canta adagio: 1521 fecit Angelus' (f. 83r) inscribed by the third scribe (of ff. 75v-77v); and surely completed before 1523: the date 1523 inscribed with the Medici crest (f. 57r).

Location of origin: Florence, Italy

Artists/Scribes

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: scribe
Location of origin: Florence, Italy
Note: Written mainly by two scribes, responsible for both text and music respectively (ff. 1r-61r and 61v-65r, 78r-90v), with a section by a third scribe (ff. 75v-77v) who wrote his name 'Angelus' on f. 83r. ff. 65v-77r include additions by later hands.

Person: Anonymous, Anonymous
Person type: artist
Location of origin: Florence, Italy
Note: Decorated by two artists:ff. 1r-65r, 78v-90v and ff. 75v-78r.

Florence, Italy, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, MS II.I.350 (olim Magliabechi XXXVI. 113), All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: iii + 90 + ii

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 395 x 287

Quire structure: Text version

Other devices: 1. Old foliation on rectos top right, partially trimmed suggests 10 missing folios at the beginning.
2. Modern foliation pencil on rectos bottom left, 1-90

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking	none visible
Ruled grid	always
Ruling pattern	highly regular
Staves omitted from grid	never
Incomplete staves	never

Medium and colour of grid	Frequency	Folios	Note
brown ink and hard point	always		Justification lines in dark brown ink; text lines in hard point.
Colour of staves	Frequency	Folios	Note
dark brown	always
Ruling medium	Frequency	Folios	Note
triple rastrum	normally		Pages ruled (from top) in units of 3 + 3 + 3 + 1
straightedge	rarely	86v, 87r, 87v, 88r	Added staves only.
single rastrum	normally		Pages ruled (from top) in units of 3 + 3 + 3 + 1
Indentation for initials	Frequency	Folios	Note
none	always
Extra space between voice parts	Frequency	Folios	Note
empty ruled staves on grid	sometimes
Space provided for separate text	Frequency	Folios	Note
no separate text	always
Adhoc adaptation	Frequency	Folios	Note
made for complete additional staves	rarely	86v-88r
notation and staves extended into margin	rarely	39v, 66v-67r, 68r, 75v, 78v, 79v-80r, 82v,
notation extended into margin	rarely	63v, 66v-68r, 79v, 81v, 85v, 87v

Copying of text and music

Language(s)	Latin
Order of Copying	music first always

Presence/absence of text	Voice part	Frequency	Folios
fully texted with one text	all voice parts	normally	1r-65r, 68v-90v
untexted	all voice parts	rarely	67v-68r
fully texted with one text	all except bassus	rarely	66v-67r
untexted	bassus	rarely	66v-67r

Music

Colour(s) of notation	red brown
Colour of notation note	<p>Dark brown, almost black ink. Notation in red (ff. 83v-85r).</p>
Type(s) of notation	void mensural
Type of notation note	rhomboid-shaped noteheads; ff. 68v-74r teardrop-shaped
Monophonic notation	absent
Level of calligraphy	high

Non verbal performance instructions	Folios	Note
end symbol		End symbols common throughout.
signa congruentiae		Signa congruentiae, some.
Line fillers	Folios	Note
occasionally
Later changes	Folios
Music added to blank staves (ff. 70v-71r)

Text 1

Types of script	textura
Types of script folios	1-65, 75-
Level of calligraphy	high
Colour(s) of text	red brown Dark brown, almost black ink, with some words and rubrics in red.
Multiple texts	no
Text repetitions	few
Abbreviations	fairly few
Non underlaid vocal text	none
Liminary text	'tacet': common '(ut) supra': common 'verte': common 'duo': 1v-2r, 5r, 16r-17r, etc.; perhaps added by a different hand 'secunda pars': 40v composer's name: 3v, 40v 'feria vi in parasceue': 3v 'feria quinta in cena domini, lectio prima': 83v-84r
Later changes	Final line of text of tenor 2 added in a 2nd hand (f. 13v). Corrected text pasted on a slip of paper (ff. 48v, 49v-50r). Erasure of text (ff. 53v, 56v-59r)., 13v, 48v, 49v-50r, 53v, 56v-59r

Text 2

Types of script	cursive (italic)
Types of script folios	65-74
Level of calligraphy	fair
Colour(s) of text	brown
Multiple texts	no
Text repetitions	few
Abbreviations	some
Non underlaid vocal text	none
Liminary text	'tacet': common '(ut) supra': common 'verte': common liturgical rubrics, some

Decoration

Level of Decoration	high

Decoration initial type	Frequency	Folios	Initial type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
penned initials	normally		calligraphic with decoration	Single-line initials at the beginning of voice parts.	Calligraphic initials with penwork decoration in dark brown ink.	Some initials in red (ff. 25v-26r, 32v-33r) or blue (ff. 33v-34r)
penned initials	occasionally		calligraphic with grotesque heads	Single-line initials at the beginning of voice parts.	Calligraphic initials with penwork decoration, including human heads in profile, in dark brown ink.
initials planned	rarely	68v-69r		Single-line initials planned at the beginning of voice parts: notation indented on staves.
Other decoration frequency		Folios	Other decoration type(s)	Size position	Description	Discrepancies
often			end-symbol		End-symbols decorated with penwork decoration in brown and red ink. Final note of piece can also be decorative and extended.

PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

Provenance