The Grammatica of Donatus, with musical notation only on the flyleaf and endpaper (fols. 1 and 21), which together constitute an original bifolio of the treatise. Leaf 1 recto and verso (flyleaf) and leaf 2 recto (endpaper) bear works from the Notre Dame School; leaf 2 verso preserves a previously unknown Italian Ballata in offset. Compared to the previously known versions, the Notre Dame works are remarkably restrained.

modern; box with leather spine. 19th century; grey paper over pulp boards. The yellow-brown spine bears the following title in gilt letters: "DONATI || GRAMMATICA || M.S. MEMB." Paper flyleaves belong to this binding.

modal square notation and black full mensural, Notre Dame, French Ars Nova (f. 21)

Notation of the flyleaves suggests the later 13th century, for, as in the treatise of Anon. IV, c.o.p. ligatures are employed. There is no separation into organa for the mass and organa for the office. The two categories appear here side by side, and melismas are shortened to a degree which again confirms a late date for the source. There are also typical Notre Dame notational traits.

10 red systems with alternating 5 (Duplum) and 4 (tenor) lines per page (Leaf 1r / v and 2r); 7 black five-line staves (sheet 2v)

Modern foliation 1-20

red and black initial for incipit and red initials (corpus); red-blue initials for the texts.

parchment

The codex belonged at one time to the fabulous collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps, where it had the number 23928, only one of many numbers it has been given.

RISM B/IV 2: A 13th century parchment manuscript meas. 227 x 157 mm. and containing 1+21 folios. The corpus, f. 1-20, is numbered in 19th century pencil at t.r.r. Preceding and following the two unnumbered folios which I have called f. 1 and 21 are one unnumbered paper flyleaf at each end belonging to the 19th century binding of grey paper over pulp boards. The yellow-brown spine bears the following title in gilt letters: “DONATI || GRAMMATICA || M.S. MEMB.” The codex belonged at one time to the fabulous collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps, where it had the number 23928, only one of many numbers it has been given. The corpus is a Latin treatise on grammar attributed to Donatus. It is written in a semi-Gothic script with red initials, black as well for the incipit initial. At the top of f. I a 17th or 18th century hand wrote “Donati Grammatica”, a 13th century hand “yhs” at the top of f. 1 (the same hand as the corpus), a 15th century hand “yhs” at the top of f. 20, and a slightly later hand the Salve, regina at the bottom of f. 18. The musical importance of this codex is two-fold, and resides in the flyleaves f. 1 and 21 which originally served as a binding for the ms corpus. They once formed a complete bifolio, and were doubtless the outer leaves of a fascicle devoted to the two-part organa of the Magnus liber organi. The notation suggests the later 13th century, for, as in the treatise of Anon. IV, c.o.p. ligatures are employed. Moreover, there is no separation into organa for the mass and organa for the office. The two categories appear here side by side, and melismas are shortened to a degree which again confirms a late date for the source. The typical Notre Dame notational traits appear here: black square notes, 10 red five- or four-line staves per page (four for the T), and red-blue initials for the texts. A surprise, however, is the late musical addition on f. 21v. It is a trecento Ballata written about 1400 in the French Ars Nova notation and rhythm of tempus imperfectum cum prolatione perfecta. There are 7 five-line staves per page, and the staves may be written in slate pencil. Brown ink is used throughout the piece.

RISM BIV/3: 13./14. Jh.; 20 Blätter Pergament + ein Pergament-Doppelblatt als Vorsatz- und Nachstoßblatt, 225 x 155 mm. Moderne Foliierung von f. 1-20. - Einband: modern; Karton mit Lederrücken.

Diese Handschrift des 13. Jh. enthält die Grammatica des Donatus. Musikalische Notation findet sich nur auf dem Vorsatz- und Nachstoßblatt, die zusammen ein ursprünglich als Einband des Traktates dienendes Doppelblatt bilden. Während Blatt 1 recto und verso (Vorsatzblatt) und Blatt 2 recto (Nachstoßblatt) wohl noch im 13. Jh. mit Werken der Notre Dame Schule beschrieben worden sind, enthält Blatt 2 verso eine vermutlich um 1400 notierte, bisher unbekannte italienische Ballata. Schriftspiegel: 159 x 102 mm. Blatt 1r/v und 2r zeigen je Seite 10 rote Systeme mit abwechselnd 5 (Duplum) und 4 (Tenor) Linien mit modaler Quadratnotation. Auf Blatt 2v befinden sich 7 schwarze Fünfliniensysteme mit schwarzer Mensuralnotation. Die Notre Dame-Stücke zeigen gegenüber den bisher bekannten Fassungen bemerkenswerte Kürzungen.

[Translation] 13th-14th century, 20 parchment leaves + a double sheet of parchment as the flyleaf and endpaper, 225 x 155 mm. Modern foliation 1-20. - Binding: modern; box with leather spine.

This 13th Century manuscript contains the Grammatica of Donatus. Musical notation is found only on the flyleaf and endpaper, which together constitute an original bifolio of the treatise. Leaf 1 recto and verso (flyleaf) and leaf 2 recto (endpaper) were probably written in the 13 Century, with works from the Notre Dame School. Leaf 2 verso was probably written in 1400, and preserves a previously unknown Italian Ballata in offset. 159 x 102 mm. Leaf 1r / v and 2r have 10 red systems with alternating 5 (Duplum) and 4 (tenor) lines per page with modal square notation. On Sheet 2v are 7 black five-line staves with black mensural notation. The Notre Dame works are remarkably restrained compared to the previously known versions.

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.