[Gradual]

[Gradual]

Gradual, presumably for the common of saints: for apostles, for a confessor bishop, for one martyr, for one martyred bishop. Specifically, the leaf contains: at the beginning, two communion chants the one immediately after the other and both for, inter alia, the common of apostles; an introit for the common of a confessor bishop (Sacerdotes tui domine induunt iusticiam); chants for the common of one martyr; an introit for a martyred bishop (Statuit ei testamentum pacis et principem fecit eum).

Parchment; f. 1 but significantly cropped the length of one side and across the top; now with 11 lines of text and their 4-line staves of music. Written in a formal gothic hand with variously long red horizontal lines connecting syllables of a single word when the music called for stretching out the sound; the musical notation in Hufnagelschrift. One plain red initial extending the height of one line of text and one set of staves (for the introit, Sacerdotes tui); smaller initials in alternating plain red or plain blue; lesser initials in the ink of the text with Elefantenr sel along the left side of ascenders, and with single red lines along the same left sides of ascenders.

Written in Germany during the 14th century. De Ricci states that the leaf was formerly used as a wrapper for deeds, presumably in reference to the long vertical fold towards one edge of the leaf that is pierced three times as if to hold binding thongs. Belonged to Louis Charles Elson (1848-1920) who was a professor of music theory and history at the New England Conservatory of Music from age 34 onwards; he had begun studying music with his mother, then went on to study in Leipzig; he composed songs, operetta and works for the piano, but mainly he studied and wrote on the history of music; he published in a number of Boston newspapers, and was the editor-in-chief of Modern Music and Musicians (1912; 20 vols.) and of the University Musical Encyclopedia (1912-14; 10 vols.), among the ca. 50 items that he published over the course of his life. The collection of medieval fragments of music that had belonged to Louis Charles Elson was acquired in 1924 by the Grosvenor Library in Buffalo NY; this library, together with the Erie County Library and the Buffalo Public Library merged in 1953 to form today's Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. An oval label in the uppermost left corner of the recto, "No. 7, Elson Collection."

Title from De Ricci.

Bibliography: De Ricci. Census, p. 1210, no. 7

Formerly classified as RBR MSS. C33M52 1200Z

[14th century]

2023-12-19

Louis C. Elson Collection. no. 7

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Text

image/jpg

1 leaf (fragment) of music ; 20.5 x 12 cm

parchment (animal material)

RBR Mss. C33G74 1300z

[Germany]

//eorum. Communio, Vos qui secuti estis me sedebitis super se[des, iudicantes duodecim tribus Is]rahel, dicit dominus. Communio, Amen dico vobis quod [vos qui reliquistis omnia et secu]ti estis me centumplum accipietis et vitam eternam [possidebitis. Introitus,] Sacerdotes tui domine induunt iustic[iam] . . . [Graduale, Inveni David ser]vum meum et in oleo sancto unxi eum ma[nus enim mea au]xiliabitur ei et brachium meum confor[tabit eum. Vers., Nichil p]roficiet inimicus in eo et filius inquitatis non [nocebit e]um. Alleluia. Elegit te. Offertorium, Veritas mea//