A late 11th-early 13th century parchment manuscript, the component parts of which were bound together in 1245. Until recently only nos. 1, 4, 6,11 and 13 were considered polyphonic, but according to Stäblein, 8 other pieces must be added though the harmonies are not always ideal in some of these. Score notation is used in nos 4, 6 and 13 only. Other pieces look like monodies, but are really written in separate voice parts.

The most important and oldest part of the manuscript (dated 1096-1099) runs from f. 32-118 and contains two main sections: f. 32-62v and 63-118. The first of these sections contains principally versus and Benedicamus Tro; the second, Epistle and Ordinary Tro and an important sequentiary. Folios 119-148 contain 13th century votive offices for the B.M.V., initially on red four- or five-line staves, in contrast to the older parts of the codex which use Aquitanian point notation on a single dry-point guide-line which may have no clef. A Proser from St. Martial takes up f. 149-228 and dates from the end of the 12th century.

Aquitanian point

iv + 235 parchment + ii paper + iv parchment

RISM B/IV 1: A late 11th-early 13th century parchment manuscript rneas. 183 x 140 mm. and containng 235 folios + 2 paper flyleaves and 4 parchment ones at each end. The most important and oldest part (dated 1096-1099) runs from f. 32-118 and contains two main sections: f. 32-62v and 63-118. The first of these sections contains principally versus and Benedicamus Tro, the second Epistle and Ordinary Tro and an important sequentiary. Chailley feels this second section is important because it establishes that f. 32-118 were written in all probability for an abbey dependent on Cluny and only later came to Saint Martial. It would appear that these pages were presented to the library of St. Martial by one W. la Concha shortly after 1200: in fact, his Proser forms f. 9-31v of StM-A. Another Proser from St. Martial takes up f. 149-228 and dates from the end of the 12th century, while f. 119-148 contain 13th century votive offices for the B.M.V. Here red four- or five-line staves are used at first, in contrast to the older parts of the codex which use Aquitanian point notation on a single dry-point guide-line which may have no clef. In spite of the lack of stave-lines or clefs, the Aquitanian neumes are remarkably diastematic. Until recently only nos. 1, 4, 6,11 and 13 were considered polyphonic, but according to Stäblein, 8 other pieces must be added though the harmonies are not always ideal in some of these. Score notation is used in nos 4, 6 and 13 only. Other pieces look like monodies, but are really written in separate voice parts. The component parts of StM-A were bound together in 1245. The present 18th century binding is of blue morocco with gilt tooling on the spine and cover. Probably the ink foliation at t.r.r. dates from the same time.

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