P-VV (Vila Viçosa) Biblioteca do Palácio Real A.M. A-004

Archive
P-VV (Vila Viçosa) Biblioteca do Palácio Real
Shelfmark
A.M. A-004
Siglum

P-VV A.M. A-004

Source type
Polyphonic book
Subcategory of source
Choirbook
Category
polyphony
Completeness
complete or nearly complete
Document type
manuscript
Main place of use
Vila Viçosa, Capela Ducal
Provenance
Vila Viçosa, Capela Ducal
Date
17th century
Cursus
unknown
Contents
Antiphons (2+1 incomplete), Benedicamus Domino (2), Hymns (2), Improperia (1), Masses (3), Motets (3+2 incomplete), Passions (2+2 incomplete), Responsories (2), Versicles (2 incomplete) (=24)
Type of script
Modern
Type of notation
Mensural (black)
Mensural (white)
Decoration

Cadel initials (in book II).

Inscriptions
Title page (fol. 2 of the modern foliation): ‘Hoc libro continentur fere / omnia, quae cantantur / a D[omi]nica in palmis / usque ad sabbathum / sanctum’ and, in later hand, the first line of an unfinished index: ‘Missas das D[oming]as e sextas f[ei]ras da / Quaresma e Asperges a fl. 1’
Condition of document

Good. Paper shows some staining due to use, especially on the fore-edge and bottom margins. Most of the folios were patched and reinforced by paper strips glued on the more fragile spots. Two folios are severely mutilated, missing their fore-edge half, with consequent significant loss of content (fols. 4 and 45 of modern foliation). Binding in good condition, with slight wearing and staining.

Page layout

Choirbook format. 413 × 281 mm

Foliation/Pagination

This volume is composed by two books of different origin, each with its own numbering. A third foliation, written in the 20th century by Manuel Joaquim (Joaquim, Vinte livros, 1953, 107), starts in the front endpaper and goes through both books. Original foliation: 78 fols. = 1 non-numbered folio (with music, added in the 19th century) + 1 non-numbered folio (index) + 19 numbered folios (book I) + 55 numbered folios (book II) + 1 back endpaper. Missing: book II, fols. 24-28 (not considered in Joaquim’s foliation). PEM follows Joaquim's modern foliation.

Gathering

Original gathering structure of each book is obscured by their rebinding. Current structure is as follows: Book I: first gathering unclear; 8 gatherings of 2 folios each; last gathering of 3 folios. Book II: 3 gatherings of 6 folios; 1 gathering of 5 folios, 5 folios lacking after this; 1 gathering of 2 folios; 3 gatherings of 6 folios; last gatherings unclear.

Watermarks

• Lily inscribed in circle topped by crown, 85 × 40 mm (fols. 14, 25)
No matches found for this design.

On the later-added folios (endpapers, fol. 1, patching of fols. 45 and 74): watermark composed by a shield with a hunting trumpet, topped by a crowned with lilies and with ‘1808’ beneath, measuring 128 × 44 mm (early 19th century). The design is identical to the one found here: http://memoryofpaper.oeaw.ac.at/marcosmus/marcosmus.php?id=30

Bindings

Plain parchment binding. Fabric ties still in use.

Remarks
This choirbook is made up of two books of different origin, each with independent foliation: book I (fols. 4-22 of the modern foliation) is comprised of music for Lent, mostly masses; book II (fols. 23-72), music for the Holy Week. Books copied by two separate hands in the 17th century. Book II’s hand is more conservative than Book I’s. A third, most likely contemporary hand added the two versicles on the last folio-verso of book II; musical annotation on same folio dates from the second half of the 18th century. Index on fol. 3, incomplete, written by an 18th-century hand. Pastedown and first folio added early 19th century (watermark with date ‘1808’). Former shelfmark: MJ 10 (marked ‘Livro nº. 10’ on label inside front cover, fol. [0v])
References

JOAQUIM, Manuel, Vinte livros de música polifónica do Paço Ducal de Vila Viçosa (Lisbon: Fundação da Casa de Bragança, 1953) [= Joaquim, Vinte livros, 1953], pp. 107-116 (Livro n.º 10)

ALEGRIA, José Augusto, Biblioteca do Palácio Real de Vila Viçosa: Catálogo dos Fundos Musicais (Lisbon: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 1973) [= Alegria, Catálogo, 1989], pp. 14-16 (A. Livros de música religiosa manuscrita, no. 4)

ALEGRIA, José Augusto, ed., Frei Manuel Cardoso (1566-1650), Livro de vários motetes, Portugaliae Musica, Série A, no 13 (Lisbon: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 1968) [= PM 13]

NELSON, Bernadette, programme notes for Holy Week at the Chapel of the Dukes of Braganza, A Capella Portuguesa/Owen Rees, CD (Hyperion, CDA66867, 1996)

RYAN, Michael, "Music in the Chapel of the Dukes of Bragança, Vila Viçosa", PhD diss. (University of London, 2001)

Museu-Biblioteca da Casa de Bragança, Vila Viçosa, Catálogo do Arquivo Musical (pdf), Secção A

Description author/s
Nuno de Mendonça Raimundo
Indexed by
Nuno de Mendonça Raimundo
Reviewed by
Bernadette Nelson