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A Fifteenth Century MS. Book of Vocal Music in the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

John Stainer
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Extract

The important book to which I desire to call your attention to-day belongs to a collection of upwards of 2,000 MSS., formed by a Venetian Jesuit of the name of Canonici, in the latter part of the last century. The Bodleian purchased this collection in its entirety in the year 1818. The liturgical MSS. which it contains are well known and have often been cited; and the whole of these Canonici MSS., as they are still called, have been carefully catalogued in the various classes to which they belong, such as Greek, Latin, Italian, miscellaneous, &c. But for some reason or other this particular MS. of music appears to have entirely escaped observation. It was in the “Miscellaneous” catalogue, under the following entry: “213. Codex Chartaceus, in folio, ff. 145. Saec. XV. Canticorum liber, precipue sacrorum, notis musicalibus necnon auctorum nominibus instructorum. Nomina scriptorum sunt.” Then follows a long list of names,∗ amongst which those of Binchois and Dufay at once arrested my attention.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Musical Association , Volume 22 , 1895 , pp. 1 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1895

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References

∗ See Appendix to this paper.Google Scholar

∗ Ce m'ont dit qui les escoutèrent (Haberl).Google Scholar

† Notable (Haberl).Google Scholar

∗ See Rousseau's Dictionary of Music. s.v., “Feinte.”Google Scholar

† See Ambros, “Geschichte der Musik,” ii., 177 seq. and 503 seq.Google Scholar

∗ Exceptions: One flat in all the parts, “Pour ce que veoir,” f. 18 v.; “Je donne à tous,” f. 77 v.; and “Bon jour, bon mois,” f. 44 v. No flat in cantus, two in tenor, and two in contratenor, “Belle veuillies,” f. 50 v. No flat in cantus, one in tenor, and two in contratenor, “Hélas, madame,” f. 33 v.Google Scholar

∗ See pp. xx, 15, 27.Google Scholar

∗ See, for instance, the commencement of Prosdocimus de Beldemandis' treatise “De musica mensurabili,” written in 1408 and printed in the third volume of Coussemaker's “Scriptores.”Google Scholar

† No better account of musica ficta can be found than Prof. Niecks' paper on “The sharp, flat, and natural,” read before this Association in March, 1890.Google Scholar

∗ The song “Or, pleust à Dieu,” begins in C minor and ends in G minor. The song “Je ne suy plus” begins in D minor and ends in G minor.Google Scholar

∗ We had a continuance of this tradition in England in our church music up to the end of the seventeenth century. Even Mendelssohn ends a portion of his Jubilate with a bare fifth, in order to give it a “Cathedral” character.Google Scholar

∗ The writer desires to express his sincere gratitude to Bodley's Librarian, E. W. B. Nicholson, Esq., M.A., for the facilities afforded him for examining this priceless MS. and also for much valuable advice and assistance in various other ways.Google Scholar