PRoMs - The Production and Reading of Music Sources

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

Manuscript: Basel, Switzerland, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, MS F IX 25 a-d

Manuscript type: partbooks (complete set)

RISM siglum: CH-Bu F.IX.25a-d

DIAMM Source Key: 1968

Image repositories: E-manuscripta

Folio(s): All folios

Date: 1500-1510

Location of origin: Basel, Switzerland ; Rheinfelden, Switzerland

Provenance

Written in Basel or Rheinfelden (nr. Basel); not part of the Amerbach collection, possibly from a local church or monastery (Kmetz 1988, 89)

Bibliography

Kmetz 1988, 88-97

Basis for description: high-quality image

Basel, Switzerland, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, MS F IX 25 a-d, All folios

Physical description

Material: paper

Number of leaves: D: i + 22 + i; A: i + 22 + i; T: i + 18 + i; B: i + 22 + i

Format: upright

Page dimensions: 155 x 110

Quire structure: Text version

Title page / Frontispiece: Voice designation on the outside of each wrapper by main scribe: 'Discantus', 'Altus', Tenor', 'Bassus'

Other devices: modern pencil foliation.

Page details (zoom):

Preparation and Copying

All folios

Preparation

Disposition of Voice Parts Key

Pricking often
Ruled grid always
Ruling pattern highly regular
Staves omitted from grid never
Incomplete staves never
Note very irregular vertical spacing of staves
Medium and colour of grid Frequency Folios Note
fold always single fold left and right
Colour of staves Frequency Folios Note
brown always
Ruling medium Frequency Folios Note
single rastrum always
Indentation for initials Frequency Folios Note
none always Music and text indented over ruled staves at beginning of pieces/movements, but no initials executed.
Extra space between voice parts Frequency Folios Note
none always
Space provided for separate text Frequency Folios Note
provided, in dedicated space rarely Empty ruled stave at the beginning of a new pieces with title of that piece
Adhoc adaptation Frequency Folios Note
partial additional staves rarely
notation and staves extended into margin occasionally
notation extended into margin sometimes

Copying of text and music

Language(s) Latin
Order of Copying music first
always
Presence/absence of text Voice part Frequency Folios Note
fully texted with one text all voice parts sometimes
partially texted with one text all voice parts sometimes
Music
Colour(s) of notation brown
Type(s) of notation void mensural
Type of notation note teardrop-shaped notation
Monophonic notation absent
Level of calligraphy poor
Non verbal performance instructions Folios Note
signa congruentiae occasionally
Line fillers Folios Note
none
Text
Types of script cursive
Level of calligraphy poor
Colour(s) of text brown
Multiple texts no
Text repetitions none
Abbreviations many
Non underlaid vocal text none
Liminary text Composer names and mass titles at the beginning of every piece Canonic inscriptions

Decoration

Level of Decoration very poor