Catholic Church. Liturgy & Ritual. Antiphonal. Dominican.

Libretto nel quale si co[n]tengon[o] le antifonette del te[m]po, &, de Sa[n]ti, ta[n]to alla Mag[nificat] e B[e]n[edictu]s come sopra psalmi di vespro, e laudi.

Italy, c. 1575-1600.

8vo (148 x 110 mm.). MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [ii], [89]p. In a single Humanistic hand in red and brown inks, two columns, writing frame c. 110 x 90 mm., ruled in red ink, music in French square notation in black ink on four-line red ink staves, four staves per page, red rubrics.

Near-contemporary gilt calf over wooden boards (worn, spine and front panel brusquely restored), outer and inner rule frame borders, corner fleurons, ST. DOMINIC WITH A BOOK AND A STALK OF LILIES in the center of the panels, two brass catches and one clasp, all edges gilt.

            This pocket antiphonal was compiled, bound, corrected and annotated in an unidentified Dominican convent in Italy. It contains the verses and music for the evening and morning Office for the standard liturgical year and for major feasts and Saints’ days, with additional chants for Lauds, Vespers and Nocturnes. The antiphons are indicated only by their incipits (sometimes a single word) and the corresponding melody, with heavily abbreviated rubrics. NEARLY EVERY PAGE BEARS ERASURES AND EMENDATIONS.
            AT LEAST A DOZEN LEAVES ARE PALIMPSESTS, their original 15th-century text detectable under UV light.
            In good condition (contemporary repair to a natural vellum flaw made prior to writing, old blank marginal minor repairs to the last three leaves), bold inscription di s[an] d[omenico] cantorato (i.e., belonging to the choir at St. Dominic’s) on a front flyleaf.

Item #02293

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