A 13th century parchment manuscript containing 142 folios, in format Ma is the smallest of the four principal sources containing the music of the Notre Dame school. Anglès distinguishes 3 copyists: A f. 1-3v, B f. 5-24v and C f. 25-142. The two fragments at the bottom of f. 2 and at the top of f. 3v appear to be 14th century additions.

LudwigR placed the ms chronologically after W1 and F and before W2, and divided the ms into six large sections as follows : I, f. 1-4, a binio containing a conductus, a motet and 2 textless voices ; II, f. 5-24, 2 quinios containing 2 four-part motets and 3 four-part organa; III, f. 25-65, 5 quaternios with an added leaf f. 61, containing 22 two-part conductus; IV, f. 66-106, 5 quaternios with an added leaf f. 105, containing 20 two-part conductus and 8 motets; V, f. 107-122, 2 quaternios containing 10 two-part conductus, a motet and a three-part In seculum; VI, f. 123-142, 2 quinios containing 8 two-part conductus and 23 motets, the majority without T, some with Mot only and some with Tr and Mot only.

It is noteworthy that Ma does not place motets and conductus in separate fascicles.

The last fascicle is scarcely legible in some places due to the effect of humidity.

Bound in parchment in the 18th century

square Notre Dame

There are generally 8 or 9 five-line but also 10 four and five-line red staves per page. Staves have been ruled throughout, though ff. 4-4v, 22-24v and 140-142 are blank.

Initials are written in blue or black on a red background, though they are not infrequently missing. The large initial F on f. 25 suggests that this may have been the beginning of the manuscript originally.

parchment

RISM B/IV 1: A 13th century parchment manuscript meas. 166 x 115 mm. and containing 142 folios. The present pencil foliation was added at t.r.r. by Wilhelm Meyer in 1907. 3 extra folios were added to the ms at each end when it was bound in parchment in the 18th century. Anglès distinguishes 3 copyists: A f. 1-3v, B f. 5-24v and C f. 25-142. The two fragments at the bottom of f. 2 and at the top of f. 3v appear to be 14th century additions. Fol. 4-4v, 22-24v and 140-142 are blank, though staves have been ruled throughout. There are generally 8 or 9 five-line but also 10 four and five-line red staves per page. In format Ma is the smallest of the four principal sources containing the music of the Notre Dame school, though the margins were cut down a little during binding. The notation is the typical square type of the Notre Dame school, and initials are written in blue or black on a red background, though they are not infrequently missing. The large initial F on f. 25 suggests that this may have been the beginning of the manuscript originally. Till it was transferred to the Biblioteca Nacional in 1869, Ma was the property of the Chapter of Toledo Cathedral, and it probably originated in Toledo if not in the cathedral itself. Anglès is quite definite about the Spanish origin of the codex. Riaño was the first to mention the ms in his Critical and Bibliographical Notes on Early Spanish Music (1887), 46 and Dreves published most of the texts together with two pieces of music in Analecta hymnica XX-XXI (1895). Aubry gave a complete description of the ms in 1907 and Ludwig was able to make use of Meyer's investigations for LudwigR. He placed the ms chronologically after W1 and F and before W2, which seems correct. He divided the ms into six large sections as follows : I, f. 1-4, a binio containing a conductus, a motet and 2 textless voices ; II, f. 5-24, 2 quinios containing 2 four-part motets and 3 four-part organa; III, f. 25-65, 5 quaternios with an added leaf f. 61, containing 22 two-part conductus; IV, f. 66-106, 5 quaternios with an added leaf f. 105, containing 20 two-part conductus and 8 motets; V, f. 107-122, 2 quaternios containing 10 two-part conductus, a motet and a three-part In seculum; VI, f. 123-142, 2 quinios containing 8 two-part conductus and 23 motets, the majority without T, some with Mot only and some with Tr and Mot only. The last fascicle is scarcely legible in some places due to the effect of humidity. It is noteworthy that Ma does not place motets and conductus in separate fascicles.

This information is reproduced here by kind permission of the publishers. It is COPYRIGHT and copying/reproduction of any of this content without permission may result in legal action.