IIIF manifest
Manuscript in two distinct sections: section I (ff. l'-22) copied by one music scribe, two text scribes; section II (ff. 22'-36) by different scribe, copying both music and texts. The original owner was previously thought to be Louis d'Orléans, later King Louis XII (LitteMR), perhaps associated with Anne of Brittany (KellML, LitteMR); more recently the likely original owner has been identified as Anne de Beaujeu (Anne of France) and her husband Pierre de Bourbon, with the date of preparation of the ms suggested to be between 1488-1491 (UrkevWB). It probably came to England at a fairly early date, perhaps in 16th century. Eventually incorporated in Old Royal Library, which passed to newly founded British Museum in 1757.
GB-Lbl Royal 20 A. xvi
British Library, London, England
manuscript of polyphony: c. 1483-8 / c. 1488-91
| Archive | British Library, London, England (GB-Lbl) |
|---|---|
| Shelfmark | Royal 20 A. xvi |
| Surface | Parchment |
| Numbering System | Foliation |
| Measurements | 232 x 165 mm |
| Other Identifiers |
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| Notations |
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| Copyists |
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| Relationships |
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| Provenance |
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| Contents | Contains 28 compositions, 27 from 8 composers, 1 is anonymous. |
General Description
Binding
Modern covers of red leather on wooden boards, tooled in gold with border, English royal arms, and date 1757.
Notation
black void mensural
Date
Ca. 1483-8 (section I); 1490's (section II). Decoration on f. 3' added ca. 1499 (LitteMR), more recently rejected (UrkevWB).
Foliation
Modern pencil foliation, 1-36, omits single blank folios following f. 1 and f. 3 (all folios after f. 36 have blank staves only); older (but still modern) pencil foliation, 20-66, crossed out.
Decoration
Section I has painted initials, miniatures, and borders in gold, black, red, and blue; decorations probably by Jean Colombe (ca. 1435-ca. 1493) or his workshop. Decoration on f. 3' previously linked with Anne of Brittany, which would have been added after manuscript had left Colombe's hands (LitteMR); but this link has more recently been rejected (UrkevWB). Section II has no decoration, but space left for ornamented initials.
Surface
Parchment
DIAMM Note
We are grateful to Dr Nicolas Bell for providing us with an updated bibliography for this MS.
Census Catalogue of Music Description
This information is reproduced here by kind permission of the publishers. It is COPYRIGHT and copying/reproduction of this content without permission may result in legal action.
28 French secular pieces
(A. Agricola)-10 + 2?, (A. Agricola/Compère)-1, (A. Agricola/Hayne van Ghizeghem)-1, Bouvel-1, (Compère)-1, Crespieres-1, (Fresneau)-1, Hayne van Ghizeghem-5 + 1?, (Hayne van Ghizeghem/Ockeghem)-1, Josquin/(A. Agricola)-1, (Ockeghem)-1, anon-1
i + ii + 46 + ii + i parchment folios, 232 x 165. Modern pencil foliation, 1-36, omits single blank folios following f. 1 and f. 3 (all folios after f. 36 have blank staves only); older (but still modern) pencil foliation, 20-66, crossed out. Modern covers of red leather on wooden boards, tooled in gold with border, English royal arms, and date 1757. No index. Manuscript in two distinct sections: section I (ff. l'-22) copied by one music scribe, two text scribes; section II (ff. 22'-36) by different scribe, copying both music and texts. Section I has painted initials, miniatures, and borders in gold, black, red, and blue; decorations probably by Jean Colombe (ca. 1435-ca. 1493) or his workshop, except decoration relating to Anne of Brittany (f. 3'), probably added after manuscript had left Colombe's hands (LitteMR). Section II has no decoration, but space left for ornamented initials.
Ca. 1483-8 (section I); 1490's (section II); decoration on f. 3' added ca. 1499 (LitteMR). Copied in France. The original owner was probably Louis d'Orléans, later King Louis XII (LitteMR); manuscript also associated with Anne of Brittany (KellML, LitteMR). Probably came to England at a fairly early date, perhaps in 16th century. Eventually incorporated in Old Royal Library, which passed to newly founded British Museum in 1757.
We are grateful to Dr Nicolas Bell for providing us with an updated bibliography for this MS.
6v
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‡ denotes primary source study
Urkevich, Lisa Ann. 2012. The Wings of the Bourbon: The Early Provenance of the Chansonnier London, British Library, Ms. Royal 20 A. XVI. Journal of the Alamire Foundation, Vol. 4/1: pp. 91-113. Notes: contents list; discussion; concordances (partial); bibliography.
Urkevich, Lisa Ann. 1997. Anne Boleyn, a music book, and the northern Renaissance courts: Music manuscript 1070 of the Royal College of Music, London. University of Maryland, College Park, PhD diss. Pages: Appendix 1.
Brown, Howard Mayer. 1987. Florence MS Magl. IXI. 164, Facsimile reproduction, with introduction. Renaissance Music in Facsimile. Garland.
Litterick, Louise. 1980. Performing Franco-Netherlandish secular music of the late 15th century. Early Music, 8: 474-85. Notes: contents list (partial); transcriptions (partial); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.
Litterick, Louise. 1976. The Manuscript Royal 20. A. XVI of the British Library. New York University, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Notes: physical description; contents list; concordances; texts; transcription; efacsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.
Atlas, Allan W. 1975-6. The Cappella Giulia Chansonnier (Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, C. G.XIII.27). Musicological Studies, vol. 27. Brooklyn. Pages: I, 56ff, passim. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); mention of MS; discussion.
Kellman, Herbert. 1970. Musical Links between France and the Empire, 1500-1530. Paper read at the Annual Meeting of the American Musicologica] Society, November 1970, . Notes: physical description; mention of MS; discussion.
Hewitt, Helen Margaret (editor). 1967. Ottaviano Petrucci: Canti B Numero Cinquanta Venice, 1502. Monuments of Renaissance Music, vol. II. Chicago and London. Pages: 13, 80, 82. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); facsimile (partial); texts (partial); additional bibliography.
Lerner, Edward R (editor). 1961-70. Alexandrí Agricola: Opera Omnia. Corpus mensurabilis musicae, vol. 22. Neuhausen nr. Stuttgart: American Institute of Musicology. Pages: IV, xix-xx; V, v-ff. 3-11, 23-4, 26-7, 50-1. Notes: contents list (partial); concordances (partial); transcriptions (partial); texts (partial).
Picker, Martin. 1960. The Chanson Albums of Marguerite of Austria: Manuscripts 228 and 11239 of the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Bruxelles. University of California at Berkeley, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Pages: I, 360-1. Notes: physical description; contents list (partial); concordances (partial).
Hughes, Dom Anselm. 1953. Catalogue of the Musical Manuscripts at Peterhouse, Cambridge. Cambridge. Pages: II, 127-8; III, 368. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list.
Warner, Sir George F, and Julius P Gilson. 1921. Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King's Collections. London. Pages: II, 357. Notes: physical description; contents list; incipitsst of contents (partial).
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Julia Craig-McFeely
Monday, 2 September, 2024
Images & item links now working
Clemens Goldberg
Tuesday, 15 February, 2022
image link added
Lisa Urkevich
Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Description changed to reflect changed view of ownership etc. Revised ownership info also reflected in 'relationships' info; the old link with Anne of Brittany marked 'uncertain' rather than deleted altogether (reflecting changed description). Bibliography updated.
Jonathan Tribe
Saturday, 5 January, 2019
Incorrect ownership corrected.
DIAMM, 2016
Monday, 23 January, 2017
NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. General Description; Binding Note; Notation Note; Date Note; Foliation Note; Decoration Note; Surface Note; DIAMM Note
Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music 1400-1550
Monday, 23 January, 2017
NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. Census Catalogue of Music Description