F-DOU Ms 1105/3, fragment 74.4/1

Bibliothèque Marceline Desbordes-Valmore [former Bibliothèque Municipale], Douai, France

fragment: after 1373

Archive Bibliothèque Marceline Desbordes-Valmore [former Bibliothèque Municipale], Douai, France (F-DOU)
Shelfmark Ms 1105/3, fragment 74.4/1
Surface Parchment
Numbering System None / Unknown
Format portrait
Measurements 301 x 245mm
Notations
  • black full mensural
  • red mensural
External Links
Provenance
  • Flanders? Belgium?
  • Normandy? Northern France?
  • Liège? Belgium?
Contents 5 pieces from 2 composers
General Description

These four folios preserved in the Douai library contains fragments from a fourteenth-century music manuscript: one Gloria, two incomplete motets and two complete motets, all of them unica, with the exception of Multipliciter amando preserved in F-CH MS 564. Music, notated in black full mensural notation (with red coloration), is laid out in choirbook format. No information is known about the host volume(s) in which they were used as binding material.

Folio 1r: most likely the motetus of an incomplete Latin motet in praise of St John the Baptist. The melody is divided into two rhythmic patterns repeated three times each; the different mensurations of the two rhythmic patterns can be understood as a 2:1 diminution.

1v-2r: 3vv Latin motet with isorhythmic tenor on “Letificat iuventutem meam” with periodic upper-voice structure. Motetus on folio 2r is barely legible. Concordance in F-CH MS 564 (Chantilly codex).

2v-3r: 3vv, troped, Et in terra pax (Gloria) with a long melismatic “Amen” (47 perfect breves). The three voices are texted.

3v-4r: 4vv Latin motet with a solus tenor, with tenor “Ave Maria” (CAO 1539). Lower voices are homographic and alternate black and red notation; their mensuration and proportions are given in a Latin canon on folio 4r. The name of the composer, Frater Johannes Vavassoris, is encoded as an acrostic in the triplum text. The motetus text encodes the date of composition as an acrostic: 1373. The motetus text also encodes the “Ave Maria” prayer of the tenor as a telestic.

4v: most likely the triplum of an incomplete Latin motet in praise of St Lambert of Maastricht; ‘Sanctus Lambertus’ is quoted by an acrostic in the text.

Manon Louviot, 2020
Decoration

Simple penwork initials on ff. 2v-3; otherwise modestly or non decorated initials

Manon Louviot, 2020

4v

Click an entry to see more information about that item.

Folio / Pages Composition / Item title Source attribution Composers (? Uncertain)
1r O martir beatissime - Anonymous
Appears on: 1r
Genres: Motet
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c1
Voice Text: O martir beatissime in machaerunta humatus...
General Note

Only one, incomplete voice, probably the motetus of a three-voice Latin motet in praise of St John the Baptist. The melody is divided into two rhythmic patterns repeated three times each; the different mensurations of the two rhythmic patterns can be understood as a 2:1 diminution.

Item Bibliography

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, .

1v–2r Multipliciter amando et letando / Favore habundare huius / Letificat juventutem meam - Anonymous
Appears on: 1v–2r
Genres: Motet
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c1
Voice Text: Favore habundare...

Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: C2 and C1
Voice Text: Multipliciter amando et letando...

Voice: Tenor
Languages: Latin
Clef: c4
Voice Text: [none]
General Note

Latin motet with isorhythmic tenor on “Letificat iuventutem meam” with periodic upper-voice structure. the motetus on folio 2r is barely legible. IIn the second voice, the C2-clef was probably intended as a C1-clef, since the scribe used the upper ruling line as a stave line and never used the original first line of the stave.

Item Bibliography

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, .

2v–3r Et in terra pax [Gloria] - Anonymous
Appears on: 2v–3r
Genres: Gloria (et in terra pax), Mass Ordinary
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c2
Voice Text: Et in terra pax hominibus...

Voice: Tenor
Languages: Latin
Clef: c4
Voice Text: Et in terra pax hominibus...

Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c2
Voice Text: Et in terra pax hominibus...
General Note

Troped Et in terra pax (Gloria) with a long melismatic “Amen” (47 perfect breves). All three voices are texted.

Item Bibliography

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, .

3v–4r Ferre solet/ Ana theos de gracia/ Ave Maria/ Contratenor/ Solus tenor Frater Johannes Vavassoris
Appears on: 3v–4r
Genres: Motet
Source Attribution: Frater Johannes Vavassoris
Voice: Tenor
Languages: Latin
Clef: f3
Voice Text: Ave Maria…

Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c2
Voice Text: Ana theos de gracia...

Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c1
Voice Text: [F]erre solet cor gaudium...

Voice: Contratenor
Languages: none
Clef: f2
Voice Text: [none]

Voice: Solus Tenor
Languages: none
Clef: f2
Voice Text: [none]
General Note

Latin motet with a solus tenor, with tenor “Ave Maria” (CAO 1539). Lower voices are homographic and alternate black and red notation; their mensuration and proportions are given in a Latin canon on folio 4r. The name of the composer, Frater Johannes Vavassoris, is encoded as an acrostic in the triplum text. The motetus text encodes the date of composition as an acrostic: 1373. The motetus text also encodes the “Ave Maria” prayer of the tenor as a telestic.

Item Bibliography

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, .

4v Salus honor et gloria resonant me - Anonymous
Appears on: 4v
Genres: Motet
Voice: [no designation]
Languages: Latin
Clef: c1
Voice Text: Salus honor et gloria…
General Note

Incomplete; probably the triplum of a three-voice Latin motet in praise of St Lambert of Maastricht: ‘Sanctus Lambertus’ is quoted by an acrostic in the text.

Item Bibliography

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, .

Images © Bibliotheque Marceline Desbordes-Valmore [former Bibliothèque Municipale], Douai

denotes primary source study

Louviot, Manon. Forthcoming 2021. Uncovering the Douai Fragment: Composing Polyphony and Encoding a Composer in the Late Fourteenth Century. Early Music History, . Notes: physical description; contents list; texts (with English translations by Leofranc Holford-Strevens); facsimile (partial); mention of MS; discussion.

Meyer, Christian. 2016. Catalogue des manuscrits notés du Moyen Age conservés dans les bibliothèques publiques de France. Collections du Nord – Pas-de-Calais et de Picardie. Volume II: Chantilly, Douai, Laon, Lille, Saint-Omer, Saint-Quentin, Soissons, Valenciennes.  Turnhout: Brepols. Pages: 119. Notes: physical description (partial); contents list (partial).

Bouckaert, Bruno. 2007. Mémoires du chant. Le livre de musique d'Isidore de Séville à Edmond de Coussemaker.  Neerpelt/Lille: Alamire & Ad Fugam. Pages: 81 (n° 54, B. Haggh). Notes: physical description (partial); content lists (partial).

Dehaisnes, Chrétien. 1878. Catalogue général des manuscrits des bibliothèques publiques des départements. Tome VI, Douai. Notes: mention of the collection in which the fragment is currently preserved.

Coussemaker, Charles Edmond Henri de. 1852. Histoire de l'harmonie au moyen-âge. Pages: 210-11. Notes: mention of MS.

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Manon Louviot

Monday, 9 November, 2020

Full description, inventory and bibliography.

Dominque Gatte, 2011

Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. General Description; DIAMM Note