Compilation of 13 originally separate and mostly unrelated items, many of them single sheets used in the transmission of music. No.8 for instance can be shown from its readings to be the source for Kriesstein's 1540 Augsburg print of the same pieces.

Copied by 11 scribes. The scribe of #1 also wrote #1, #7-14 of MunBS 274a and parts of MunBS 1503b; the scribe of #3 also wrote #2 and #17 of MunBS 274a; the scribe of #4 and #7 also wrote #8 of MunBS 1503b and the music of ParisBNC 1408; Jean Michel was the scribe of #8; the scribe of #11 and #13 also wrote #16 of MunBS 274a; and the scribe of #12 also wrote #15 of MunBS 274a (Rifkin).

black void mensural

paper

1 German Passion (turba parts only), 7 motets, 6 French secular pieces, 3 Italian secular pieces = 17

Baston-1, (Beber)-1, Berchem-2, Clemens non Papa-1, Crecquillon-3, Crespel-1, Gombert-2, Jaquet of Mantua [Jacqueth; incorrectly attributed by modern hand to "Jaquet Berchem"]-1, Jhan of Ferrara-2, La Rue-1, Richafort-1, Rore-1

Modern compilation of 13 originally separate and mostly unrelated items. Modern pencil numbering of items, I-XIII (referred to below as #1-13); individual folios within each item designated by lower-case letters. Some items have additional foliation systems; see below. Now bound in three volumes—I: Items #1-4; II: #5-7; III: #8-13; each volume has modern covers of paper over cardboard and three modern paper flyleaves front and back.

Items #5, #6, #8, and #9 each consist of two pieces; each of the remaining items consists of one piece. Each folio within an item contains a different voice part. Most folios show signs of having been at one time folded vertically or horizontally or both.

(1): 1 paper folio, 248 x ca. 225. No original foliation. Staff height 13. One plain inked initial.

(2): 10 paper folios, 310 x 195. Modern foliation, 1-10. Staff height 13.5. No initials; voice designations and first letters of text in red ink.

(3): i + 5 paper folios, 274 x 194. No original foliation. Staff height 13.5. No initials or decoration.

(4): i + 5 paper folios, ca. 298 x 195 (modern folio measures 275 x 183). No original foliation. Staff height 14.5 on first original folio, 13.5 on remaining folios. Plain inked initials.

(5): i + 4 paper folios, ca. 182 x 255. No original foliation. Staff height 12.5. No initials or decoration.

(6): ii + 5 + i paper folios, ca. 180 x 255. No original foliation. Staff height 13.5. No initials or decoration.

(7): 7 paper folios, ca. 150 x 215. First and last folios are of different paper than other folios (see watermarks below); both leaves originally had blank staves only, but recto of first folio converted by a modern hand into title page for following piece. No original foliation. Music on rectos of 2nd-6th folios; versos blank. Staff height 13.5. One inked calligraphic initial.

(8): i + 5 paper folios, ca. 170 x 226 (modern folio measures 188 x 226). No original foliation. Staff height 12.5. Inked calligraphic initials.

(9): i + 4 paper folios, ca. 150 x 214 (modern folio measures 184 x 225). Modern pencil foliation, 1-4. Staff height 15. Plain inked initials.

(10): i + 7 paper folios, ca. 246 x 200 (first and third original folios measure 160 x 220; second original folio measures 112 x 212; modern folio measures 282 x 215). First and third original folios formerly had blank staves only, but recto of first folio converted by a modern hand into title page for following piece. Modern folio is also a title page for same piece; presently misbound between #12/13. No original foliation. Staff height 14. Small inked calligraphic initials.

(11): i + 4 paper folios, 305 x 207 (modern folio measures 187 x 222). No original foliation. Music on rectos; versos blank. Staff height 12.5. Plain inked initials.

(12): 7 paper folios, 305 x 228 (first folio measures 157 x 222; last measures 160 x 215). First and last folios originally had blank staves only, but recto of first folio converted by a modern hand into title page for following piece. No original foliation. Staff height 12 (14 on first and last folios). Inked calligraphic initials.

(13): i + 4 paper folios, 305 x 210 (modern folio measures 184 x 220). No originali foliation. Music on rectos; versos blank. Staff height 12.5. Plain inked initials.

Copied by 11 scribes—I: #1 (also wrote #1 and #7-14 of MunBS 274a and #11-13 and #16 of MunBS 1503b); II [= Ambrosius Beber—WallonM] : #2; III: #3 (also wrote #2 and #17 of MunBS 274a); IV: #4 and #7 (also wrote ParisBNC 1408 and #8 of MunBS 1503b); V: #5; VI: #6; VII: #8; VIII: #9; IX: #10; X: #11 and #13 (also wrote #16 of MunBS 274a); XI: #12 (also wrote #15 of MunBS 274a) (Rifkin).

Watermarks—#2: fleur-de-lis on crown, with initials "HH"; #4: goat; #7 (title page and last folio): similar to Briquet #1008; #7 (folios with music): generally resembles Briquet #8526ff; #12: Briquet #5079 (also found in #15 of MunBS 274a); #13: resembles Briquet #7086 (also found on #16 of MunBS 274a); no identifiable watermarks visible on other items.

Mid 16th century (#1, #3-13); ca. 1620 (#2). Some items probably copied in Augsburg (Rifkin); others apparently of French, Netherlandish, or Italian origin. Item #2 copied in Naumburg an der Saale, for presentation to Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony (CW). At least five items (#4, #7, #10, #12, #13) owned in 1822 by Jos. Mayer (inscriptions). All items probably later owned by the Dresden librarian and collector Carl Falkenstein (WallonM). Acquired by Robert Julien van Maldeghem (1810-93), probably at 1856 sale of Falkenstein's library; manuscript apparently served as source material for Trésor Musical. Purchased by J. B. Weckerlin for library of Paris Conservatory of Music at sale of van Maldeghem's books in 1894.