Add MS 29987 is a

mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...

Tuscan musical

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

dating from the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century, held in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

in London. It contains a number of

polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice ( monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ...

Italian

Trecento The Trecento (, also , ; short for , "1300") refers to the 14th century in Italian cultural history. The Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Italian Renaissance or at least the Proto-Renaissance in art history. The Trecento was als ...

madrigals, ballate, sacred

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

movements, and

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the preeminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to the Eng ...

s, and 15 untexted monophonic instrumental dances, which are among the earliest purely instrumental pieces in the Western musical tradition. The manuscript apparently belonged to the de' Medici family in the fifteenth century, and by 1670 was in the possession of Carlo di Tommaso Strozzi; it was in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

from 1876, where it was catalogued as item 29987 of the Additional manuscripts series. It is now in the British Library.

The manuscript

The manuscript appears to have belonged to the de' Medici family of the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flor ...

in the fifteenth century – the first folio has the de' Medici

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

in red, gold, blue and green; these are in the "augmented" form granted by

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...

in 1465, with the arms of France in the upper central ball. By 1670 it was in the possession of Carlo di Tommaso Strozzi. On 8 April 1876 it was acquired by the

from the antiquarian bookseller

Bernard Quaritch Bernard Alexander Christian Quaritch ( ; April 23, 1819 – December 17, 1899) was a German-born British bookseller and collector. The company established by Bernard Quaritch in 1847 lives on in London as Bernard Quaritch Ltd, dealing in rare ...

; it was catalogued as item 29987 of the Additional manuscripts series. It is now in the British Library. The manuscript measures approximately , and consists of 88

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

leaves in 11 quaternio gatherings. There are six flyleaves at the front, one from 1957, three from 1876 and two from the seventeenth century, of which the first has a list in the hand of Carlo di Tommaso Strozzi of the composers represented; two flyleaves at the back date from 1876 and 1957. The binding in half leather is from 1957, over older thick wooden boards. Add 29987 is a part of a larger manuscript of at least 185 pages, as the surviving leaves were originally numbered 98–185. The pages are ruled with eight five-line staves in red, and the music is written in full (black)

mensural notation Mensural notation is the musical notation system used for polyphony, polyphonic European vocal music from the late 13th century until the early 17th century. The term "mensural" refers to the ability of this system to describe precisely measur ...

, with only occasional use of void ("white") notes and red colouration. It is carelessly written in one principal and several other scribal hands; the musical text is corrupted in many places by a later hand, which altered the rhythms and added inappropriate rests. The exact date of the manuscript remains uncertain; estimates range from the late fourteenth century to about 1425. The music dates from 1340–1400; one piece, number 118, is clearly of later date, and numbers 115–117 may also be somewhat later than most of the others. The geographical origin of the manuscript is equally uncertain; it is thought to be either Tuscany or

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

. The titles of two of the instrumental pieces, "Isabella" and "Principio di virtù", may suggest a connection to

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

, which was ruled between 1400 and 1402 by

Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Duchy of Milan, Milan (1395) and ruled that late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò V ...

; Visconti was, through his marriage to

Isabella, Countess of Vertus Isabella of France (1 October 1348 – 11 September 1372) was a French princess and member of the House of Valois, as well as the wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who after her death became Duke of Milan. Life Born in Bois de Vincennes, Isabella ...

, the comte de Vertus, or, in Italian, the Conte di Virtù. However Visconti was also Duke of Milan, and the manuscript may thus be connected with that city.

The works

Add MS 29987 contains 119 pieces of music; however, three of them are copied twice, so there are 116 different pieces. Of these, 45 are ballate, 35 or 36 (if a fragment is counted) are madrigals, 15 are instrumental pieces under the general title of "istampitta" or estampie, 8 are cacce and 3 are virelais. There are also a

and a "Chançonete tedesce" or ''canzonetta tedesca'', and 7 liturgical works,

kyrie ', a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of ('' Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the ( ; ). In the Bible The prayer, , "Lord, have mercy" derives from a Biblical phrase. Greek , ...

, gloria,

credo In Christian liturgy, the credo (; Latin for "I believe") is the portion of the Mass where a creed is recited or sung. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed or the Apostles' Creed are the primary creeds used for this purpose. History After the ...

antiphon An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are usually taken from the Psalms or Scripture, but may also be freely compo ...

, two

sequences In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is call ...

and a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

; the last piece is untexted, but may be a madrigal. Forty-three of the pieces, including all the instrumental works, are ''unica''. Eighty-two of the pieces, all but one of them polyphonic, can be attributed to their composers, either because the composer's name is given in the manuscript or by comparison with other sources. Half of these are by either Francesco Landini (29) or Niccolò da Perugia (12 and a fragment). There are seven works by Jacopo da Bologna, five by each of Bartolino da Padova, Giovanni da Cascia and Lorenzo da Firenze, and three by each of Bonaiuto Corsini, Donato da Cascia, Gherardello da Firenze and Vincenzo da Rimini. Andrea da Firenze, Jacopo Pianelaio da Firenze, Paolo da Firenze, Rosso de Collegrana and Thomas de Celano are each represented by a single piece. There is one ballata by Guglielmus and Egidius de Francia, and a madrigal by Guglielmus alone.

List of contents of the manuscript

The 119 pieces in the manuscript are:

Recordings

The following discs contain some of the instrumental dances found in this manuscript: * ''Landini e la musica fiorentina – Secolo XIV'', Ensemble Micrologus, dir. Patrizia Bovi ( Opus 111, OP 30 112) * ''Istampitta – Musiques de fête à la cour des Visconti en Italie à la fin du XIVe siècle'', Alla Francesca, dir. Pierre Hamon, Carlo Rizzo ( Opus 111, OP 30 325)
Contains three ''salterelli'', the ''Lamento di Tristano'' and the ''istampitte'': ''Isabella'', ''Tre Fontane'', ''Principio di virtù'' and ''In Pro''. * ''Landini and Italian Ars Nova'', Alla Francesca, dir. Pierre Hamon (Opus 111, 60-9206).
Contains the ''istampitta'' ''Belicha''. * ''Tristan et Yseut'', Alla Francesca, dir. Pierre Hamon and Brigitte Lesne (Zig-Zag Territoires, ZZT 051002), 2005.
Contains the ''Lamento di Tristano''. * ''Troubadours – Trouvères – Minstrels'', Studio der frühen Musik, dir. Thomas Binkley ( Teldec)
Contains a ''salterello'' and the ''Chançonete tedesche'' Nbs 1 and 3. * ''Llibre Vermell – Robin et Marion'', Studio der Frühen Musik, dir. Thomas Binkley (Teldec)
Contains the ''trotto'' * ''Estampie: Instrumentalmusik des Mittelalters'', Studio der Frühen Musik, participants in the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, dir. Thomas Binkley ( EMI Electrola LP 1C 063-30 122), 1974; (reissued on CD 8 26491 2), 2000. Contains the Istanpitte ''Ghaetta'', ''Parlamento'', ''Belicha'', ''Isabella'', and ''Principio di Virtu'', together with the ''Lamento di Tristano/Rotta'', ''La Manfredina/Rotta'', and one ''Salterello'' * ''The Art of Courtly Love'', Early Music Consort of London, dir. David Munrow ( Virgin Veritas)
Contains the ''istampitta'' ''Tre Fontane'' * ''Early Music Festival'', Early Music Consort of London, dir. David Munrow (

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

, 2 CD), 1998.
Contains the ''istampitta'' ''Ghaetta'', the ''Lamento di Tristano'', ''La Manfredina'', the ''trotto'' and a ''salterello''. * ''Lamento di Tristano'', Capella de Ministrers, dir. Carles Magraner (CDM), 2003.
Contains the ''istampitte'' ''Belicha'', ''Chominciamento di gioia'', ''Ghaetta'', ''In pro'', ''Isabella'' and ''Parlamento'', the ''Lamento di Tristano'', ''La Manfredina'' and three ''saltarelli''. * ''Narcisso speculando'', Mala Punica, dir. Pedro Memelsdorff ( Harmonia Mundi), 2002.
Contains the ''istampitta'' ''Isabella'' * ''Danses, Danseryes'', Musica Antiqua, dir. Christian Mendoze (Disques Pierre Verany)
Contains the ''Lamento di Tristano'', ''La Manfredina'', the ''trotto'' and two ''saltarelli''. * ''La Lira d'Esperia'',

Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish Conducting, conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol ...

and Pedro Estevan ( Auvidis Astrée).
Contains the ''istampitta'' ''In pro'', the ''Lamento di Tristano'', ''La Manfredina'', the ''trotto'' and two ''saltarelli''. * ''Music for a Medieval Banquet'', The Newberry Consort, dir. Mary Springfels (Harmonia Mundi)
Contains the ''istampitte'' ''Cominciamento di gioia'', ''Principio de virtù'' and the ''trotto'' * '' Futuro antico I'',

Angelo Branduardi Angelo Branduardi (born 12 February 1950) is an Italian folk music, folk/folk rock singer-songwriter and composer who scored relative success in Italy and European countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Greece. Early and ...

( EMI), 1996.
Contains a Salterello, the Lamento di Tristano and La Rotta * ''

The Lady and the Unicorn ''The Lady and the Unicorn'' () is the modern title given to a series of six tapestries created in the style of ("thousand flowers") and woven in Flanders from wool and silk, from designs (" cartoons") drawn in Paris around 1500. The set is o ...

'', John Renbourn (

Transatlantic Records Transatlantic Records was a British independent record label. The company was established in 1961, primarily as an importer of American folk, blues and jazz records by many of the artists who influenced the burgeoning British folk and blues boom ...

), 1970.
Contains adaptations of the ''Trotto'', ''Saltarrello'', ''Lamento Di Tristan'' and ''La Rotta''. * ''Chominciamento di gioia: Virtuoso Dance Music from the Time of Boccaccio's Decamerone'', Ensemble Unicorn (

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records, which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

), 1994.
Dedicated solely to this manuscript; contains adaptations of the ''Chominciamento di gioia'', ''Lamento di Tristano'', ''La Rotta'', ''Belicha'', ''Tre fontane'', ''Parlamento'', ''Principio di virtú'', three ''salterelli'', ''Trotto'', ''Isabella'', ''Ghaetta'', ''In pro'', and ''La Manfredina'' with its ''Rotta''. * ''A Dance in the Garden of Mirth: Medieval Instrumental Music'', The Dufay Collective ( Chandos Records CD, CHAN 9320), 1994. Includes ''Ghaetta'', ''Belicha'', ''Isabella'', ''Trotto'', and two ''salterelli''.

References

External links