Mediaeval Musical Relics of Denmark

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ... (Karlsruhe Libr. 4 CCIX). The manuscript, (54 folios), includes a large collection of sequences and hymns in Gothic choral notation, upon a system of 5 (not 4) lines. It dates from the 14th century, and is thus the junior of the "Liber daticus" by a hundred years. The sequence "Alleluia nunc decantet" begins folio 13 recto. The melody is the same as ours, though with slight variations. We observe the influence of a newer time in several respects; amongst other evidences, we see that the old Mixolydian ending, b--c without the leading-tone, manifestly begins to incommode the ear, and is changed, usually to the progression a--c, sometimes to a--b--c. It is a matter of interest that we find Notker's sequence melody in the Codex from Reichenau. Between the cloister there and the adjacent St. Gall cloister, (the birthplace of this sequence), there existed an intimate connection during the whole of the Middle Ages. LIBER SCOL/E VIRGINIS PARCHMENT-CODEX. UNIV. LIBR. LUND, SCANIA. H. L. a) fol. 5 THIS Codex (30 x 22 cm) in ancient, worm-eaten leathern binding, dates from the 14th century, and has suffered greatly from misuse, as well as from the wear and tear of time. There remain but 14 leaves of it, consisting of parchment folios with notes, and 6 paper leaves inserted more recently (16th century). This inconsiderable fragment, however, is of great historic interest because it comprises so many sequences with their melodies from different periods of the Middle Ages, amongst others the music to the renowned sequence, "Missus Gabriel de celis". The author acknowledges his indebtedness to Dr. Tobias Norlind, of Lund, for calling his attention to this important Codex. Judging its contents collectively, it appears to have been appertinen...