The Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Library

The Monastic Manuscript Microfilm LibraryAuthor(s): Julian G. PlanteSource: Notes, Second Series, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Sep., 1968), pp. 12-14Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/894142 .

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THE MONASTIC MANUSCRIPT MICROFILM LIBRARY

BY JULIAN G. PLANTE

In the spring of 1964, with the generous support of the Louis W. and Maud Hill Family Foundation of St. Paul, Minnesota, and other friends, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, initiated a program to microfilm all manuscripts dating before 1600 still preserved in European monastic libraries. The aim of this undertaking is to assemble these manuscripts in a single center, which, in so doing, will secure the pres- ervation of these documents against damage, loss, or destruction by depositing a microfilm copy in an institution other than that possessing the original, and at the same time make this body of manuscript material available to scholars and students.

To date, nearly 11,000 codices have been photographed from twenty- seven monastic libraries, representing such communities as Augustinians, Benedictine, Cistercian, Dominican, Franciscan, and Premonstratensian, and one castle library-all in Austria. Every branch of the medieval trivium and quadrivium is represented in this vast collection of material. Musical manuscripts quite naturally enjoy a prominent position. Pre-

liminary examination reveals that the collections forming the Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Library (MMML) already contain numerous manuscripts concerned with liturgical and secular music of the medieval period. Thus the scholar will find works regarding the musical aspects of the Divine Office and the Mass and works dealing with the secular forms of medieval music.

As an example of MMML's vast store of primary material available to scholars and students of medieval music, the great number of theoretical and applied musical treatises presently catalogued in the collection is listed below and can serve to introduce interested parties to this great source of untapped musical material. This preliminary list has treatises from the monastic libraries of Gbttweig, Heiligenkreuz, Herzogenburg, Klosterneuburg, Kremsmiinster, Lambach, Lilienfeld, Melk, Neukloster, Reichersberg, St. Florian, St. Polten, Schligl, Schottenstift, Seitenstetten, and Wilhering. The list gives the title of the manuscript, the vernacular and, in parenthesis, the Latin names of the monastic house, the codex number, the folio or page numbers, and the identifying number in the MMML collection.

The author, who is on the faculty of St. John's University, is Curator of MMML. Professor Plante's address is: Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Library, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321.-Ed.

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Musical Treatises in the Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Library

Alcuinus. De usu Psalmorum. Schiagl (Pla. gensis): Cod. 97 (456a. 30), Saec. 15, f.8a-8b. MMML: 2956.

Augustinus. Tractatus in cantica graduum, i.e. Psalmos 119-155. Lilienfeld (Campilili- ensis): Cod. 171, Saec. 13, 132f. MMML: 4465.

Berno, abbas Augiensis. Liber de musica qui inscribitur Tonarius. Melk (Mellicen- sis): Cod. 950 (710 N 5), Saec. 14, f.113a- 126b. MMML: 1747. Brevis Instructio ad cantum choralum. Seitenstetten (Seitenstettensis): Cod. 74, Saec. 17, 22f. MMML: 889. De musicca informatio. Kremsmiinster (Cremifanensis): Cod. 312, Saec. 15, f.210b- 212b. MMML: 299. De musicis tropis et monochordo. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 1916 (552 K 24), Saec. 15, p.44-50. MMML: 2201. De speciebus de semitoniis. Melk (Melli- censis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, p.21-24. MMML: 1853.

Epigramnmata (grammatica,dialectica, rhe- torica, arithmetica, geometria, muswa, astronomica). Lilienfeld (Campililiensis): Cod. 137, Saec. 14, f.146a-146b. MMML: 4435. Excerptorium de semitoniis. Melk (Melli- censis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, p.1- 20. MMML: 1855.

Expositio Hymnorum. Kremsmiinster (Cre- mifanensis): Cod. 185, Saec. 14, f.88a-117b. MMML: 174. Expositio Hymnorum. Kremsmiinster (Cre- mifanensis): Cod: 299, Saec. 14, f.127a- 196b. MMML: 284. Expositio totius Psalterii cum canticis, symbolo Athanasio. Schiagl (Plagensis): Cod. 19 (823. 228), Saec. 14, 251f. MMML: 4308. Fundamenta seu Principia cantus choralis. Seitenstetten (Seitenstettensis): Cod. 297, Saec. 15, 308b-338b. MMML: 1074. Joannes Geuss. Serno de ludo choreae et instrunmentorum musicalium (incomplete). Klosterneuburg (Claustroneoburgensis): Cod. 482, Saec. 15, f.233a-240a. MMML: 5457.

Aagister Rudoiphus. Tractatus de distan- tiis tonorum. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, p.40-98. MMML: 1853.

Musiklehre. In lateiniswher Sprache. Her- zogenburg (Herzogenburgensis): Cod. 555, Saec. 15, 1Sf. MMML: 3285. Nicolaus de Dulcano, Ord. Coelest. Ars planae musicae, et alia ad musicwm per. tinentia. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, p.103. MMML: 1855. Notae Musicae. Kremsmiinster (Cremifa- nensis): Cod. 312, Saec. 15, f.214b-215a. MMML: 299. Notae mustcales. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, p.99-102. MMML: 1853.

Opusculum de re musica bro novellis. Schiagl (Plagensis): Cod. 164 (816a. 176), Saec. 15, f.186a-218b. MMML: 3172.

Prologus antiphonarium quod cystercien- sis eanunt eccle. Incipit: Humislis abbas clarevallis omnibus. Heiligenkreuz (San- crucensis): Cod. 20, Saec. 13, f.la-4a. MMML: 4565.

Summa Magistri Johannis Beleth de eccle- cia,sticis officis et de festis sanctorum. Kremsmiinster (Cremifanensis): Cod. 118, Saec. 13 et 14, f.lb-57a (neumes on f.57a). MMML: 104.

Symbolum Apostolorum cum notis musicis. Kremsmiinster (Cremifanensis): Cod. 71, Saec. 14 et 15, f.111. MMML: 60. Incipit tonale. discipulus. Incipit: Quid est tonus? Heiligenkreuz (Sancrucensis): Cod. 20, Saec. 13, f.220b-223b. MMML: 4563. Tractats fiber den Orgelbau aus denm XIII Jahrh. (fragment). Sankt Florian (San Florianensis): Cod. XI, 35, Saec. 13. MMM- L: 2290. Tractatulus de cantu mensurali, metrie compositus. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 950 (710 N 3), Saec. 14, f.204b-212a. MMML: 1747.

Tractatulus de cantu mensurali seu figura. tivo. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 950 (710 N 3), Saec. 14, f.188b-204b. MMML: 1747.

Tractatulus de musica. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 950 (710 N 3), Saec. 14, f.222b-229a. MMML: 1747. Tractatulus metricus de arte musica. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 950 (710 N 3), Saec. 14, f.212a-221a. MMML: 1747.

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Tractatulus de monochordo. Melk (Melli- Tractatus de musica. Incipit: Musica et censis): Cod. 950 (710 N 3), Saec. 14, f.221a- motus vocum. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 222b. MMML: 1747. 1094 (424 H 42), Saec. 15, f.201b-216a. Tractatulus quidam de musica, artis sci- 1847 entia. Melk (Mellicensis): Cod. 950 (710 N Tractatus de musica. Heiligenkreuz (San-

3), Saec. 14, f.127a-183a. MMML: 1747. crucensis): od. 213, Saec. 12-13, f.143b- 144b. MMML: 4753.

Tractatus de musica. G6ttweig (Gottwicen- Tractat de musica metricus. Melk (Mel- Tractatus de musica metricus. Melk (Mel- sis): Cod. 514 (460), Saec. 16, f.194a-225b. licensis): Cod. 1099 (417 H 34), Saec. 15, MMML: 3767. p.25-38. MMML: 1853. Tractatus de musica. Lambach (Lamba- Versus de musica. Kremsmunster (Cremi- censis): Cod. Chart. 285, Saec. 14, f.112a- fanensis): Cod. 312, Saec. 15, f.207. MMML: 117b. MMML: 664. 299.

The above preliminary list does not include the musical codices of such recently-filmed collections as Admont, two collections from Graz (Zentralbibliothek der wiener Franziskanerprovinz and the Dominikaner- kloster), the castle library of Burg Kreuzenstein bei Leobendorf, Michael- beuern, four collections from Salzburg (Museum Carolino-Augusteum, Abtei Nonnberg, Erzabtei Sankt Peter, and Universititsbibliothek), two collections from Vienna (Dominikaner Kloster and Mechitaristenkon- gregation). Furthermore, the continuance of the microfilm project will doubtless add many more musical manuscripts to the MMML collection, creating an even greater opportunity for scholarly study in this field. Current plans include the filming of the remaining collections in Austria: Fiecht, St. Paul in Krnten, Oesterreichische Nationalbibliothek, and Stams; in Switzerland, the collections at Einsiedeln, Engelberg, and St. Gall; and in Spain, the manuscript holdings of Montserrat, Samos, and Silos. The project will then be continued elsewhere, where monastic manuscript collections are no longer preserved intact but are scattered in various libraries, both public and private. Upon completion of the Euro- pean phase, it is hoped that work in the Near East and Mediterranean areas will be initiated.

Clearly, then, the present collections forming MMML already provide a great store of primary source material for the student of medieval music, and as the project continues an even greater amount of material in this field will become available. A preliminary list of musical items, more complete than the single list of musical treatises presented above, can be made available on request to scholars for a fee of $2.00 (to cover Xeroxing, postage, and handling). Contractual arrangements do not allow the re- production of these microfilmed manuscripts for further dissemination, but MMML maintains a reading room in the newly-completed Alcuin

Library at St. John's University, in Collegeville, Minnesota, where facil- ities are available for scholars to study the manuscripts on microfilm. Inquiries are welcome and may be addressed to the curator. Speedy attention is assured.

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Documents

The Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Library