MS in Latin on vellum, Italy, ca. 1000, 1 partial f., 24x15 cm, single column, (21x11 cm remaining), 11 lines remaining in Carolingian minuscule, 12 lines of Toscana diastematic (heightened) staffless neumes with the C clef indicated for each line, initial A in red filled with yellow and green wash, smaller red initials, some uncial, filled with yellow.

Provenance: 1. J. Voerster Collection, Stuttgart (-1993); 2. Bernard Quaritch Ltd., London.

Commentary: A very early example of the use and indication of the clef. "Clefs were first systematically used in functional liturgical MSS of the 11th century" (David Hiley in Grove's Dictionary, 1980, vol. 4, p. 473). Concerning the hymn, cf. U. Chevalier: Repertorium Hymnologium, no 295, where the piece is said to date from the 10th c. Toscana neumes are heavily influenced from Beneventan neumes. The main differences are in the epiphonus and the cephalicus.

MS in Latin on vellum, Bologna, Italy, 11th c., 1 f., 31x21 cm, 2 columns, (27x19 cm), 34 lines in an archaistic Carolingian minuscule of 2 sizes, headings in red, Bologna diastematic ( heightened) staffless neumes, 9 initials in red or marked with red, of these 2 5/6-line initials "I", a Maltese type cross.

Provenance: 1. Bernard Rosenthal Collection, San Francisco, I/196 (1966-1987); 2. Quaritch Cat. 1088(1988):39.

Commentary: Location and dating is difficult. Marvin Colker suggests France; John A. Emerson suggests Beauvais, Senlis or Soissons, both 12th c. Bologna region 11th c. is suggested by K.D. Hartzell, cf. Vat. lat. 4770 or Angelica 123 for similar notation. Bologna notation and North Spain notation have many neumes in common, present here, while the pes, clivis and torculus present here are distinctively North Spain notation. .

Provenance: 1. Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino (ca. 1150-); 2. Sotheby's 22.6.1993:14.

Commentary: The Vigil is of St. Benedict himself, the founder of Montecassino in 530. Though on a much smaller scale, the interlaced initial is of very high quality and can be compared with those in the Montecassino Breviary dated 1153, now J.P. Getty Museum MS. Ludwig IX.1. (Virginia Brown: A second new list of Beneventan manuscripts (III) p. 317; in Medieval studies, vol. 56 (1994).) A decisive advance in the development of notation was made when the scribe drew a horizontal red line to represent the pitch F, and grouped the neumes about the line. In time a second line, usually yellow, was drawn for C'. This invention of the staff made it possible to note precisely the relative pitch of the notes of a melody, and freed music form its hitherto exclusive dependence on oral tradition. It was one of the most important events in the history of music. (D.J. Grout: A History of Western music. London 1962, pp. 55-56.)

See also MS 055, Missal, Italy, early 12th c.

MS in Latin on vellum, North Spain, 2nd half of 11th c., 1 partial f., 8x13 cm, part of 1 column, (8x13 cm remaining), 3 lines in Carolingian minuscule, 4 lines of Catalan neumes on a single-line red F staff, a large, 7x7 cm, initial A in blue and red with red flourishing.

Context: Inserted in the Le Moine palaeography handbook, MS 1275/01.

Provenance: 1. Cathedral of Toul, Lorraine (2nd half 11th c.-1761); 2. Pierre-Camille Le Moine, archivist and secretary of the cathedral of Toul (1761-1789); 3. M. le baron de Tremont, no. 1253; 4. M. Marchant, Saint-Mihiel; 5. François-Jean Baptiste Noël, Nancy, no 6205 (-1856); 6. Bruce Ferrini, Akron, Ohio.

Provenance: 1. Bernard Rosenthal Collection, San Francisco, I/4(?) (until 1987); 2. Quaritch cat. 1147(1991):46.

Provenance: Provenance: 1. Bernard Rosenthal, San Francisco.

Provenance: 1. James Thomlinson; 2. English college or cathedral library (until ca. 1920-30); 3. Anthony Birdsall, Birdsall and Son, Northampton ( from ca. 1920-30); 4. Bernard Quaritch Ltd., London.

Commentary: 16th-17th c. pen-trials, and a note "After many combates the minde waxeth fainte and dull".

Provenance: 1. J. Voerster Collection, Stuttgart (-1993); 2. Bernard Quaritch Ltd., London.

Provenance: 1. Theodor Ackermann, München (1984); 2. Bernard Rosenthal, San Francisco.

Provenance: 1. Dr. Fritz Zeileis, Linz, Austria (-1992); 2. Jörn Günther, Hamburg.

Provenance: 1. Erik von Scherling, Leiden, Rotulus 7: 2539, 2551, 2564; 2. Maggs Bros., London.

Provenance: 1. Sotheby's 19.6.1990:3.

Commentary: The Cantorinus is a very rare liturgical book. It was formed in the 14th or 15th c. after the Tonary. It is the booklet containing the musical (not liturgical) classifications of the Gregorian antiphons and responsories with addition of the soloists' songs. In "Tête de Marteau" notation the notes are shaped like hammer heads.

MS in Latin on vellum, France, ca. 1400, 1 partial f., 13x10 cm, 1 of 2 columns, (13x10 cm remaining, column width 10 cm), 5 lines in a formal Gothic book script of medium grade, 4 lines of square notation on a 4-line red staff with C clef, headings in red, single red vertical red bounding lines, 1 red initial, a large, 3x3 cm, initial U in gold and blue, patterned in white, purple and black.

Context: Inserted in the Le Moine palaeography handbook, MS 1275/01.

Provenance: 1. Cathedral of Toul, Lorraine (ca. 1400-1761); 2. Pierre-Camille Le Moine, archivist and secretary of the cathedral of Toul (1761-1789); 3. M. le baron de Tremont, no. 1253; 4. M. Marchant, Saint-Mihiel; 5. François-Jean Baptiste Noël, Nancy, no 6205 (-1856); 6. Bruce Ferrini, Akron, Ohio.

Commentary: The text of the famous hymn to St. John the Baptist is attested from about 800. In the 11th c. Guido of Arezzo named the notes of the musical scale after the opening syllables of each line: Ut - Re(sonare) - Mi(ra) - Fa(muli) - Sol(ue) -La(bii). The syllables were by chance distinctive, and operated by reference to a textual order. In addition the first 6 lines of the hymn's melody began successively on the degrees of the scale c - a. The present MS has the same text, but a different musical setting.

Binding: Siena, Italy, mid 15th c. blindstamped calf over wooden boards, sewn of 3 cords, lower cover inset with contemporary Siennese painting of St. Maria Magdalene holding her jar of ointments, finely painted in colours and gold within pink border (once covered with horn), in the style of Guidoccio Cozzarelli (1450-1495) or by Andrea di Niccolo or his school. 5 brass bosses.

Provenance: 1. Augustinian Hermetical Convent of Santa Maria Maddalena, Siena (ca. 1450-1782 or later); 2. Richard Bladsworth Angus (emigrated to Canada in 1857); 3. Sotheby's 26.11.1985:99; 4. H.P. Kraus, New York. Deaccession May 2010.

Commentary: Contemporary accounts of how to perform medieval music are rare, and important for our understanding of how we shall perform it today.

See also MS 198, Antiphonal, Germany, 1430