I-Fl MS Pluteus 29.1 (Medici Antiphoner, ('F'))

Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, Florence, Italy

manuscript of polyphony: 13th century

Archive Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, Florence, Italy (I-Fl)
Shelfmark MS Pluteus 29.1 (Medici Antiphoner, ('F'))
Image Availability The images on this record are linked using IIIF.
Surface Parchment
Measurements 232 x 157 mm
Other Identifiers
  • RISM: F
Relationships
External Links
Provenance
  • France
Contents Contains 863 compositions, 7 from 1 composer, 856 are anonymous.
General Description

A 13th century parchment manuscript containing 476 folios, F is the completest source for the music of the Notre Dame school. Chronologically its repertoire falls between those of W1 and Ma on the one hand and the rather later one of W2 on the other.

Attractive miniatures introduce the principal types of composition. There are no French motets, and even Latin motets are not largely represented in this enormous source of organa, clausulae and conductus.

The 27 extant gatherings contain: 1 (f. 1-13): 15 works for 4vv & 3vv; 2-3 (f. 14-67): 34 works for 3vv; 4-5 (f. 65-98) : 32 organa from the magnus liber organi de antiphonario, with 22 more pieces all for 2vv; 6-8 (f. 99 -146): 61 two-part organa from the magnus liber organi de graduali; 9-10 (f. 147-184): 462 two-part clausulae; 11-14 (f. 201-262): 59 three-part conductus and 2 four-part conductus-motets ; 15-21 (f. 263-380): 130 two-part conductus; 22 (f. 381-398): 26 three-part conductus-motets (25 in two-part score followed by the T + 1 in three-part score) ; 23 (f. 399-414) : 40 two-part and 3 three-part motets written in separate parts ; 24-26 (f. 415-462) : 83 monodic conductus; 27 (f. 463-476): 60 monodic Rondelli.

F came into the Laurenziana from Piero de Medici, father of the great Lorenzo ; this is clear from an entry on f. 476v : Liber Petri de Medicis. Although it has been in Italy for centuries, it is of French origin and, according to Delisle, has much in common with other French manuscripts from the reign of Philip the Fair (1285-1314) in both script and miniature work.

DIAMM, 2022
Extent

As it stands today, the manuscript lacks folios 48-64, 94, 185-200 and 255-256, in other words not merely odd pages but 2 complete fascicles as well.

DIAMM, 2022
Notation

Notre Dame notation. As compared with W1, F often employs a breve shape instead of a long in unison passages, while the opening tuning-note is written as a double long instead of 2 unison longs. This tuning-note is also frequently ornamented by a characteristic 7-8 appoggiatura to open.

DIAMM, 2017
Foliation

1-476 (following the red-ink, Roman numerals foliation at top of pages - and contemporary with the music and words) - there is also Arabic numerals ink-foliation in the bottom right corner under the music (which is the one followed by the host institution, used for its online images)

DIAMM, 2017 (rev. 2021)
Surface

parchment

DIAMM, 2017
RISM Description

RISM B/IV 1: A 13th century parchment manuscript meas. 232 x 157 mm. and containing 476 folios, F is the completest source for the music of the Notre Dame school. Chronologically its repertoire falls between those of W1 and Ma on the one hand and the rather later one of W2 on the other. Although it has been in Italy for centuries, it is of French origin and, according to Delisle, has much in common with other French manuscripts from the reign of Philip the Fair (1285-1314) in both script and miniature work. F came into the Laurenziana from Piero de Medici, father of the great Lorenzo ; this is clear from an entry on f. 476v : Liber Petri de Medicis. There is an old foliation at t.m.r. running from 1-355. This Roman numbering is completed by a modern ink foliation from 356-476. As it stands today, the manuscript lacks folios 48-64, 94, 185-200 and 255-256, in other words not merely odd pages but 2 complete fascicles as well. The ends of fascicles are empty except for the usual 12 red five-line staves. Four-line staves are employed as usual for T taken from plainsong in organa, clausulae and motets. Initials are red-blue, and attractive miniatures introduce the principal types of composition. There are no French motets, and even Latin motets are not largely represented in this enormous source of organa, clausulae and conductus. The 27 extant gatherings are disposed as follows: 1 (f. 1-13): 6 four-part works and 9 three-part clausulae; 2-3 (f. 14-67): 26 organa, 5 clausulae, 1 organum, 1 clausula, 1 organum, all à 3 ; 4-5 (f. 65-98) : 32 organa from the magnus liber organi de antiphonario, 7 Benedicamus, 8 Domino clausulae, 4 Benedicamus and 3 more organa, all à 2 ; 6-8 (f. 99 -146): 61 two-part organa from the magnus liber organi de graduali; 9-10 (f. 147-184): 462 two-part clausulae; 11-14 (f. 201-262): 59 three-part conductus and 2 four-part conductus-motets ; 15-21 (f. 263-380): 130 two-part conductus; 22 (f. 381-398): 26 three-part conductus-motets (25 in two-part score followed by the T + 1 in three-part score) ; 23 (f. 399-414) : 40 two-part and 3 three-part motets written in separate parts ; 24-26 (f. 415-462) : 83 monodic conductus; 27 (f. 463-476): 60 monodic Rondelli. As compared with W1, F often employs a breve shape instead of a long in unison passages, while the opening tuning-note is written as a double long instead of 2 unison longs. This tuning-note is also frequently ornamented by a characteristic 7-8 appoggiatura to open.

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Répertoire International des Sources Musicales
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Sets

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‡ denotes primary source study

Payne, Thomas B (editor). 2021. The Organa and Clausulae of the first five fascicles of MS I-Fl Pluteus 29.1. https://www.diamm.ac.uk/resources/music-editions/organa-and-clausulae-ms-i-fl-pluteus-291/.

‡ Ricci, Massimo Masani. 2002. Codice Pluto 29.1 della Biblioteca Laurenziana etc.  Edizioni Ets.

Davison, Archibald Thompson, and Willi Apel (editors). 1966. Historical Anthology of Music. Vol. I. Oriental, Medieval and Renaissance Music.  Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pages: nos. 28c-e (transcriptions of F 83, 89 and 91); also nos. 38-39 (transcriptions of F 734 and 658 after W1).

Dittmer, Luther A. 1959. Publications of Mediaeval Musical Manuscripts IlI: Eine zentrale Quelle der Notre Dame-Musik. Publications of Mediaeval Musical Manuscripts, vol. 3.  Brooklyn: Institute of Mediaeval Music. Pages: nos. A 4, 7, 18 and 20, B 2, 11 and 12, C 1-3 (transcriptions of F 876, 864, 871, 814, 823, 840, 826, 159, end of 156, 153 + 136).

Parrish, Carl. 1957. The Notation of Medieval Music. Pages: pl. XXIV, XXVIIb (facsimile of F f. 168 and 65).

Gennrich, Friedrich. 1956. Musica sine Littera: Notenzeichen und Rhythmik der Gruppennotation. Pages: nos. 2-3 (diplomatic facsimile of Fl, beginning and end), 4 (F 2), 5 (F 21, ending), 7 (F 133), 8 (F 50, Gloria), 9 (F 51, opening), 11 (F 32, Gloria), 12 (F 49), 16 (F 3), 21 (F 295), 22 (F 296), 23 (F 255), 24 (F 225), 25 (F 131 ending), 27 (F 372), 29 (F 112, ending), 30 (F 294), 31 (F156, part), 39 (F 627, part), 40 (F 629, part), 41 (F 633, part), 42 (F 634, part), 43 (F 640, part), 44 (F 643, part), 46 (F 644, part), 47 (F 632, ending), 48 (F 636, part), 49 (F 628, part), 50 (F 637, ending), 51 (F 641, ending), 52-53 (F 638, beg. and end), 54 (F 750, ending), 55 (F 690, ending), 56 (F 697, part), 57 (F 706A, part), 58 (F 703, ending), 60 (F 689, ending), 61 (F 692, ending), 62 (F 693, ending), 63 (F 694, ending), 64 (F 695, ending), 65 (F 696, ending), 66 (F 699, part), 67 (F 700, part), 68 (F 705, ending), 69 (F 732, ending), 70 (F 733, ending), 71 (F 758, opening), 72 (F 724, ending).

Hughes, Dom Anselm. 1954-60. New Oxford History of Music. Pages: 330 ff (transcription of F 656), 361f (part of F 109 after W1), 363ff(F 206, 208, 207, 209 after W1), 365ff (F 666 after W2), 390f (F 302 after W1).

Waite, W. 1954. The Rhythm of Twelfth Century Polyphony. Pages: appendix (complete transcription of the two-part organa in Wi = F 50, 51, 53, 54, 60, 61, 63, 74, 75, 78, 79 (next 3 organa not in F), 104, 106, 107, 109, 112, 113, 115-119, 121, 126, 127 131, 135-138, 159, 142-145, 147, 153-156, 158, 163, 151).

Handschin, Jacques. 1949-79. Conductus. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 1st Edition, 2: . Pages: 1622 (transcription of 1st strophe of F700).

Husmann, Heinrich. 1949-79. Florenz. D. Codex Bibl. Laurenziana plut. 29, 1. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 1st Edition, 4: . Pages: 407, 410, pl. 19-20 (facsimile of Ff. 147, 381, 1, 99 and 201).

Gennrich, Friedrich. 1948. Perotin's Beata viscera Marie virginis und die "Modaltheorie". Die Musikforschung, 1: . Pages: nos. 3-5, 7-12, 19 (diplomatie facsimiles of F 143, 435, 346, 29, 12, 48, 571-573, 850).

Apel, Willi. 1942. (4th ed., 1949). The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900-1600.  Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pages: pl. 46, 49, 51 and 52 (facsimile of Ff. 11-llv, 87v-88, 174v-175,164 + 88v-89); also p. 250f (facsimile of F 320 and 336).

Ellinwood, Leonard. 1941. The Conductus. Musical Quarterly, 27: 165ff. Pages: 194ff (transcriptions of F 665, 628 and 638).

Husmann, Heinrich. 1940. Die drei- und vierstimmigen Notre-Dame-Organa. Pages: organa nos. 1-9, 11,13-32 and clausulae nos. 1- 5, and 7-17 (transcriptions of F 47,16,1,17, 2,18-41, 49, 7, 14, 13, 43, 15, 3, 44, part of 128, part of 26, all 9, 11, part of 26, all 8, 48, 10, 45 and 42).

Reese, Gustave. 1940. Music in the Middle Ages: With an introduction on the music of ancient times.  New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Pages: pl. VI and p. 309f (facsimile and transcription of F 734).

Husmann, Heinrich. 1937. Die Motetten der Madrider Handschrift und deren geschichtliche Stellung. Archiv für Musikforschung, 2: 173ff. Pages: 20, 24f, 28, 29, 34 f and 37 (transcription of parts of F 117 and all F 3, 294, 875, 629, 790 + 779).

Rokseth, Y. 1935+1939. Les Polyphonies du XIVe siecle. 4 vols. Pages: (facsimile and transcription of all F works in Mo after that source).

Schmidt, Hans. 1933. 3 Benedicamus Domino-Organa. Pages: (transcription of F 40, 38 and 41).

Anglès, Higinio. 1931. El Còdex musical de las Huelgas. 3 vols. Pages: II—III (facsimile and transcription of all F pieces in Hu after this source).

Ficker, Rudolf von. 1930. Musik der Gotik: Perotinus, Sederunt principes. Pages: (transcription of F 2); GennrichI, 334f and 344 (facsimile of F f. 226-226v and f. 355); 326ff, 336ff, 342f (end of F 629 and all F 650 and 786).

Aubry, Pierre. 1908. Cent Motets du XIIIe siècle. 3 vols. Pages: I-II (facsimile and transcription of all F pieces in Ba after this source).

Wooldridge, Harry Ellis. 1901. Oxford History of Music I.  Oxford: Clarendon. Pages: I.

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Nicolas Sansarlat

Monday, 29 June, 2026

Corrected inventory at f.23-23v, replacing "Tous soulas / Bons amours / Ne me blameis" with the "Alleluia. Pascha nostrum" which is in the manuscript, extending to 24v.

Nicolas Sansarlat

Monday, 29 June, 2026

Inventory has a chanson/motet at f.25v (En mai quand rosier sont flouri / L'autre jour par un matin chevauchoie / Hé, resvelle toi) but the ms has the organum triplum "Crucifixum in carne". Inventory corrected.

isabel

Tuesday, 22 February, 2022

Java-free image link added

Emily Zazulia

Tuesday, 2 June, 2020

new image link added, to the Laurenziana digital collection, which does not require Java

Répertoire Internationale des Sources Musicales

Monday, 23 January, 2017

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