GB-Ob MS. Lat. liturg. d. 20 (Worcester fragments)

Bodleian Library, Oxford, England

Codex fragment (polyphony), removed from host manuscript: 3rd quarter 13th century

Archive Bodleian Library, Oxford, England (GB-Ob)
Shelfmark MS. Lat. liturg. d. 20 (Worcester fragments)
Surface Parchment
Numbering System Foliation
Format portrait
Measurements vol. 1 (280 x 200 mm) = f 1-22; vol. 2 (330 x 220) = f. 25-33,;vol. 3 (280 x 200) = f. 23-24,;vol. 4 (280 x 200) = f. 36-39; vol. 5 (320 x 220) = f. 34v-35
Other Identifiers
  • RISM: Worc
Notations
  • English mensural
External Links
External Authorities
Provenance
  • England
Contents Contains 34 compositions, 34 are anonymous.
General Description

An attempt to piece together the extant flyleaves forming the Worcester fragments; the reconstructions in DIAMM (below) update this attempt. In Lat. liturg. d. 20, original leaves from volumes in Oxford are combined with photographs of those which are preserved in Worcester Cathedral Library, Additional MS 68 (this source also bears the siglum Worc) and British Library Add. MS 25031. The majority of leaves in the Oxford source are photographs.

The factitious manuscript was assembled between 1925 and 1952 as follows: Worcester, fragment x (2 leaves), London, British Museum, Additional 25031 (4 leaves),Worcester xxxi (1 leaf), Worcester xxviii (4 leaves), Oxford, Bodleian Library, Auct.F.inf.i. 3 (8 leaves), Worcester xi (2 leaves), Oxford, Bodleian Library, Hatton 30 (1 leaf), Oxford, Bodley 862 (6 leaves), Worcester ix (1 leaf), Worcester xxxv (6 leaves, formerly in Oxford, Magdalen College, MS 100), Worcester xiii (4 leaves).

Dittmer thought these leaves came from at least 2 volumes and perhaps 5, as follows: vol.1 (280 x 200 mm.) = f. 1-22, vol. 2 (330 x 220 mm.) = f. 25-33, vol. 3 (280 x 200 mm). =f. 23-24, vol. 4 (280 x 200mm.) =f. 36 to 39, vol. 5 (320 x 220mm.) = f. 34v-35. EECM57's reconstruction (followed by DIAMM) places the original leaves in Lat. liturg. d. 20 in two groups: ff. 12-19 & 22 are part of 'Worcester 1;' (the 'motet book'), and ff. 23-25, 28 & 34-35 are part of 'Worcester 2' (the 'large-format volume') - qq.v.

The contents consist of 77 compositions, namely Kyrie Tro, Tondelli, organum-motets and conductus. Generally in three parts, but also for two or four. Concordances are rare, thought there are some.

Images here are for the original leaves in Lat. liturg. d. 20 only.

JCM, 2011 & DIAMM 2020
Liminary Note

there is the beginning of a letter from Stephan, archbishop of Arles, to the inhabitants of the city and see of Worcester on f. 9

JCM, 2011
Notation

longs and breves, and the lozenge-shaped notes of the so-called English mensural notation

JCM, 2011
Ruling

9-12 red or brown five-line staves per page

JCM, 2011
Foliation

Only vol. 1 has a medieval foliation at t.m.r. in Roman numerals.

JCM, 2011
Foliation

12-19v, 22-25v, 28 r+v, 34-35v (34 is a part leaf pasted to the remaining stub of the bifolium completed by 35: they are pulling apart (or may have been pulled) and music is visible on the stub as well as the partially obscured verso of 34)

JCM, 2011
Decoration

red-blue initials

JCM, 2011
Surface

Parchment

JCM, 2011
RISM Description

RISM B/IV 1: This factitious manuscript is an attempt to piece together the extant flyleaves forming the Worcester fragments of polyphonic music dating from c. 1300. Since more than half of these leaves are preserved in Worcester, Cathedral Library, Additional ms 68, for which reason this source also bears the siglum Worc, the majority of leaves in the Oxford source are represented by photographs. The ms was put together between 1925 and 1952. The complete arrangement of leaves is as follows : Worcester, fragment x (2 leaves), London, British Museum, Additional 25031 (41eaves),Worcester xxxi (1 leaf), Worcester xxviii (4 leaves), Oxford, Bodleian Library, Auct.F.inf.i. 3 (8leaves), Worcester xi (2 leaves), Oxford, Bodleian Library, Hatton 30 (1 leaf), Oxford, Bodley 862 (6 leaves), Worcester ix (1 leaf), Worcester xxxv (6 leaves, formerly in Oxford, Magdalen College, ms 100), Worcester xiii (4 leaves). According to Dittmer, these leaves actually come from at least 2 volumes and perhaps 5, as follows: vol.1 (280 x 200 mm.) = f. 1-22, vol. 2 (330 x 220 mm.) = f. 25-33, vol. 3 (280 x 200 mm). =f. 23-24, vol. 4 (280 x 200mm.) =f. 36 to 39, vol. 5 (320 x 220mm.) = f. 34v-35. Only vol. 1 has a medieval foliation at t.m.r. in Roman numerals. For better orientation the incipits are listed with the numbers of the edition in DittmerWF in square brackets before the number of the fragments in question. Then follows the present foliation of the source, together with any old foliation in brackets. It will be noticed that Worcester xxxv and ix belong with Bodley 862, but, in order to keep the fragments independent of one another, Worcester xxxv and ix follow the Bodleian leaves instead of forming a unit with it. The notation is on 9-12 red or brown five-line staves per page and may be in English mensural notation or the continental long-breve type. Initials are red, blue or both. Full details of the present measurements of each leaf are given in DittmerWF, 14f. The contents consist of 77 compositions, namely Kyrie Tro, Tondelli, organum-motets and conductus. Generally in three parts, they may be for two or four. Concordances are rare, but there are some. The British Museum leaves have not been removed from the parent ms, which was acquired in 1863. Interestingly enough, there is the beginning of a letter from Stephan, archbishop of Arles, to the inhabitants of the city and see of Worcester on f. 9. Other fragments which do not belong with the present series may be found in the Worcester ms Additional 68, and these are discussed under that heading.

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.

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Sets

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‡ denotes primary source study

‡ Summers, William John, and Peter M Lefferts (editors). 2016. English 13th-Century Polyphony (EECM 57). Pages: pp. 32-39 & plates 179-309. Notes: physical description, contents, bibliography.

Sanders, Ernest H. 2001. Worcester Polyphony. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 560-563.

Sanders, Ernest H, and Peter M Lefferts. 2001. English Polyphony, 1270-1400, The Worcester Fragments. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 878-879.

Thomson, Rodney. 2001. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Medieval Manuscripts in Worcester Cathedral Library.  Woodbridge, Suffolk, & Rochester, NY: D.S. Brewer, for the Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral. Pages: xlvi, 167-8.

Thomson, Rodney. 2000. Newly Discovered Fragments of Music at Worcester Cathedral: A Preliminary Account. Interpreting and Collecting Fragments of Medieval Books: Proceedings of The Seminar in the History of the Book to 1500, Oxford 1998, 89-95. London: Red Gull Press.

Wibberley, Roger. 2000. Ave virgo mater dei: towards a Reconstruction. Plainsong and Medieval Music, 9: 41-49.

Malyshko, Olga E. 1998. Three Newly-Discovered Fragments at Worcester Cathedral: Another “Magnus Liber Organi” Flyleaf. Scriptorium, 52: 66-88.

Caldwell, John. 1994. Worcester-Fragmente. Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart,  Bärenreiter.

Losseff, Nicky. 1994. The Best Concords: Polyphonic Music in Thirteenth-Century Britain.  New York: Garland. Pages: 148-156.

Büttner, Fred. 1990. Klang und Konstruktion in der englischen Mehrstimmigkeit des 13. Jahrhunderts: Ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der Stimmtauschmotetten in den Worcester-Fragmenten.  Tutzing. Pages: 188-191.

Crocker, Richard L. 1990. XIV. Polyphony in England in the Thirteenth Century. The New Oxford History of Music, II: The Early Middle Ages to 1300, edited by Richard L Crocker, 679-720. Oxford.

Lefferts, Peter M. 1983. The Motet in England in the Fourteenth Century. Columbia University, New York, Ph.D. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub/29/(Accessed: 4 June 2019).

Wibberley, Roger. 1977. English Polyphonic Music of the late-thirteenth and early-fourteenth centuries: a reconstruciton, transcription and commentary. University of Oxford, DPhil thesis, 2 vols.

‡ Dittmer, Luther A. 1960. Publications of Mediaeval Musical Manuscripts VI: Oxford Latin Liturgical D 20, London Add. Ms. 25031, Chicago Ms. 654 App. Publications of Mediaeval Music Manuscripts, vol. 6.  Brooklyn: Institute of Mediaeval Music.

Apfel, Ernst. 1959. Studien zur Satztechnik der mittelalterlichen englischen Musik. 2 vols. Pages: chapter 1 and opening of chapter 2 up to p. 63.

Dittmer, Luther A. 1959. Publications of Mediaeval Musical Manuscripts V: Worcester Add. 68, Westminster Abbey 33327, Madrid Bibl. Nac. 192. Publications of Mediaeval Music Manuscripts, vol. 5.  Brooklyn: Institute of Mediaeval Music.

Harrison, Frank Llewellyn. 1958, second ed. 1963. Music in Medieval Britain.  London: Routledge. Pages: 132ff.

‡ Dittmer, Luther A (editor). 1957. The Worcester Fragments: A Catalogue Raisonné and Transcription, s.l. Musicological Studies and Documents, vol. 2.  Neuhausen nr. Stuttgart: American Institute of Musicology. Pages: introduction.

Dittmer, Luther A. 1957. The Dating and the Notation of the Worcester Fragments. Musica Disciplina, 11: 5-11.

Dittmer, Luther A. 1957. Auszug aus The Worcester-Music-Fragments.

Dittmer, Luther A. 1954. An English Discantuum Volumen. Musica Disciplina, 8: 19ff. Pages: 29ff.

Dittmer, Luther A. 1953. Binary Rhythm, Musical Theory and the Worcester Fragments. Musica Disciplina, 7: 39-57.

Levy, K J. 1951. New material on the early motet in England. A Report on the Princeton MS. Garrett 119. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 4: 220-239.

Handschin, Jacques. 1949. The Summer Canon and its Background. Musica Disciplina, 3: 55-94, volume 5 (1951), 65-113. Pages: II, 66ff.

Bukofzer, Manfred F. 1944. "Sumer is icumen in": A Revision. .

Reese, Gustave. 1940. Music in the Middle Ages: With an introduction on the music of ancient times.  New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Hughes, Dom Anselm. 1928. Worcester Mediaeval Harmony of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries.  Burnham: Plainsong and Mediaeval Music Society.

Ludwig, Friedrich (editor). 1926-9. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke, 1-3.  Leipzig: Publikationen älterer Musik. Pages: II, 34, 62.

Besseler, Heinrich. 1925. Studien zur Musik des Mittelalters: I. Neue Quellen des 14. und beginnenden 15. Jahrhunderts. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 7: 167-252. Pages: I, 219ff.

Ludwig, Friedrich. 1923. Die Quellen der Motetten ältesten Stils. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 5: 185-222, Vol. 5 (1924) 273-315. Pages: 191, 274.

Floyer, J K, and S G Hamilton. 1906. Catalogue of Manuscripts Preserved in the Chapter Library of Worcester Cathedral. Pages: 110-111, 159-163.

Wooldridge, Harry Ellis, and H V Hughes (editors). 1897 and 1913. Early English Harmony from the 10th to the 15th Century. 2 vols. London: The Plainsong and Medieval Music Society.

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Monday, 23 January, 2017

NB: Migrated from old site. Credit for notes may not be completely accurate. RISM Description