112 motets, 21 German sacred pieces, 2 French sacred pieces, 13 Italian secular pieces = 148
Bertani-1, Bertrand-2, A. Ferrabosco I-2, G. Ferretti-1, Händl -21, Harnisch-5, C. Hollander-1, Hoyoul-3, Kerle-1, Knöfel-1, Lassus [Orland.]-61, Lechner-6, Marenzio-2, Merulo-1, Philippe de Monte-2, Phinot-1, Prenner-2, Raselius-10, Regnart-5, Striggio-1, Utendal-11, Vaet-2, Vinci-1, Wert-2, Zanotti-1, anon-2
6 paper partbooks (DA-83 + i folios each, T-79, B-85 + i,Q-78 + i, S-51 + i), 309 x 198. Original ink pagination in upper left margins, beginning on first page with music in each book. Original numbering of pieces, I-CXLIV, excludes four pieces, not part of main corpus, copied at end of B book. Each book has section of blank folios at end (D: 6; A: 6; T: 2; B: 5; Q: 21; S: 20) and another section of blank folios between introductory pages at front and beginning of music. Original covers of beige paper over cardboard, with leather spines and leather ties. Front covers decorated with coat of arms of city of Regensburg, inscription "DODE-CACHORDUM VIVUM" (bottom), and voice designation (top).
Two original indices at beginning of D book. First index reflects organizational plan of main corpus: pieces grouped under 12 modes ("Dorius," "Hypodorius," "Phrygius," "Hypophrygius," . . . "Hypoionicus"), with two subdivisions ("Regularis" and "Transpositus") under each mode. Each of the resulting 24 subdivisions has six pieces, arranged in order of decreasing number of voices (two pieces for 6 voices, two for 5 voices, two for 4 voices). Second index lists pieces alphabetically by title.
Copied by Andreas Raselius, cantor of Gymnasium Poeticum in Regensburg 1584-1600. Staff height 13-14. Inked initials; attributions, text incipits, piece numbers, and number of voices in red ink (now faded to brownish-red). Watermarks: (1) coat of arms of city of Regensburg (generally resembles Briquet #1142-4); (2) generally resembles, but not identical to, Briquet #1242.
Title page on first folio of D: "DODECACHORDI / VIVI / in quo / DUODECIM MODORUM / MUSICORUM EXEMPLA DUODENA / sex, quinque et quatuor vocum / in utraque scala admodum / insignia / Singularis iudicio ac diligentia, partim ex / probatissimorum aetatis nostrae symphonetarum / monumentis recentioribus collecta, partim / recens composita sunt per / H. ANDREAM RASELIUM A / Gymnasij poetici SPC. Ratisp. / Cantorem / Mense Novembrij Anno M.D.XIC." Introductory pages in other books contain Latin poetry, a message from Raselius to his future successors at the Gymnasium, and dedicatory inscription by Raselius to Regensburg town council.
1589 (date on title page). Copied in Regensburg.
Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music 1400-1550