MS 11: Gradual of Saints (Weiss Antiphoner, Syracuse Gradual)

Inital

Description

MS 11, also known as Syracuse Gradual, or the Weiss Antiphoner after donor Barbara Weiss, is an extremely large (55 x 39.5cm) and well-used Dominican Gradual of Saints, probably originating in Castile, Spain, and can be dated to the period of 1484-ca.1524. It consists of 148 leaves (and 10 flyleaves), 156 which are parchment and 2 paper leaves added at a later period. The text is in Latin but marginal notations appear in Spanish. The text is in Gothic script and the music is in Black Square Gregorian notation on 5-line red staves. Although the binding is not the original, it is contemporary to or older than the main text. The boards are covered with vellum, and the spine with suede, while clasps, corner guards, bosses, and brass plates (added later) ornament the binding.

The MS , which is now a 1 volume Gradual of saints, probably was part of a complete Gradual which also included a Temporale. The text as it now appears includes the Sanctorale; commons of the apostles, martyrs, confessors, & virgins; and votive masses. The liturgy combines elements from the Mozarabic rite, Roman/Gregorian use, and the Dominican tradition. The chant represents a transitional stage between the original Gregorian tradition and the revisions of Humbert de Romans.

Artwork consists of decorative initials and marginal designs of varying degrees of ornamentation and uses abstract and geometric patterns and red and blue colors.


Index of Selected Images from MS 11

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f.3v, "Dominus secus mare galile..."

f.3v (alternate image), "Dominus secus mare galile..."

f.3v, detail of initial

f.55r, "In medio ecclesie aperuit..."

f.55r (alternate image), "In medio ecclesie aperuit..."

f.55r, detail of initial

f.81v, "Mihi autem nimis honrati sunt amici tuis..."

f.81v, detail of initial

f.145r, detail of initial

Binding


Detailed Multilevel Description

Index of Medieval Manuscripts
Image Links and descriptions
Shelfmark MS 11, Syracuse University Library, Department of Special Collections.
Nickname Weiss Antiphoner; Syracuse Gradual
Composite MS? No. Except there are folio additions added at a later period.
Total Folios ff. iii + 148 + vii.
Outer Dimensions 55 x 39.5 cm.
Physical Issues/Binding Not the original binding, based on evidence of the pages which were trimmed to fit into this binding, but may be contemporary or even older. Boards, measuring 62 x 40.5 cm., are covered with vellum and spine is covered with suede. Clasps, corner guards, bosses ornament binding. Brass plates were added at a later date to attach clasp binds to bindings. Manuscript shows evidence of repair elsewhere in sewn patches, etc.
Provenance Barbara Weiss.
Bibliography Catalano, George. "A Dominican Gradual of Saints, circa 1500." The Courier 27, no. 2 (fall 1992): 3-31. -- Catalano, George. "A Dominican Gradual of Saints in the George Arents Research Library of Syracuse University." Master of Music in Musicology Thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [sic] 1991 [correct date is 1993]. -- Harden, Jean. "The Weiss Antiphoner." Paper for IST 509, History of Recorded Information, Syracuse University, July 17, 1990.
Notes (Manuscript Level) Inside the front cover is a bookplate of the Syracuse University Libraries, George Arents Research Library (Department of Special Collections) indicating that this MS was a gift of Barbara. Coat of arms appearing three times in the MS provide evidence of original ownership belonging to a Dominican institution in Spain.Dimensions based on the largest folio size (main text). Boards actually measure 62 x 40.5 cm.
Source(s) Catalano, George. "A Dominican Gradual of Saints, circa 1500." The Courier 27, no. 2 (fall 1992): 3-31. -- Catalano, George. "A Dominican Gradual of Saints in the George Arents Research Library of Syracuse University." Master of Music in Musicology Thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [sic] 1991 [correct date is 1993]. -- Additional information from catalog description and observations of Jennifer Casten.
Inputter/Reviser Jennifer Casten
Part Number Pt. I, paste-down, front flyleaf with "Ave stella matutina", paper bifolio; Pt. II, main text; Pt. III, seven added leaves.
Support Parchment/Paper. (156 parchment leaves, 2 paper leaves).
Span of Folios for Part Pt. I, i-iii; Pt. II, 1r-72v , [+ 2 unmarked folios] , 73r-146v; Pt. III, 147r-154v (f. 152=blank; f. 153 is a fragment).
Country Spain. Based on coat of arms, presence of St. Leander of Seville in the Sanctorale and celebration of his feast in the Mozarabic usage, and its similarity to a mid-sixteenth-century antiphonal sold at Sotheby’s of London, 1980.
Region Probably Castile.
Document? No.
Dated? Yes.
Date 1484 -ca. 1524. The earlier date is based upon the inclusion of St. Leonard de Noblac whose feast was approved by the Dominican order in 1484. The later date is based upon the feast of St. Antoninus, canonized in 1524, whose feast does not appear in the original text of the MS but was added later in the margin.
Layout Single column, six staves of music per page. Lettering in black and red (for rubrics or enlarged capitals). Liturgical divisions appear at the bottom margins of rectos.
Script Gothic.
Music Black square Gregorian notation on 5-line red staves.
Representational Decoration This MS consists of decorative initials and marginal design employing abstract and geometric detailed pattern and interlace work, using red and blue colors. The more elaborately decorated initials are set in a square background of a tile-like pattern. Examples of major decoration can be found on f. 3v, "Dominus secus mare galile"; f. 55r, "In medio ecclesie aperuit"; f. 81v, "Mihi aute[m] nimis honorati sunt amici tuis"; and f. 145r, [a large initial, the size of which is about _ of the whole page, and in a style different from the other artwork]. Decoration appears to be the artwork of more than one artist.
Other Decoration Ornamentation is primarily around capitals. Abstract designs or floral/foliage/vine designs extending slightly into the margins. Capitals may be blue and red painted with interlace patterns and flourishes, may be set in a square frame or background with or without flourishes, or may be black with some calligraphic enhancement.
Notes (Part Level) The manuscript is foliated in lowercase Roman numerals and was probably done not by the main scribe(s) but was added by a different hand contemporaneous with the rebinding and cross-indexing. Foliation begins with "i" which corresponds to actual folio number 4. (The folios referred to in this document follow the Roman numeral assignation, but present them as arabic numerals instead, e.g. i=1. Other lowercase Roman numerals refer to flyleaves. For example, Catalano assigns "1v" to the folio beginning with "Ave stella matutina," a flyleaf and later addition that has been referred to as folio "i" herein. See "Span of Folios for Part."). The folio assigned as "i" in this MS was not originally at the beginning of the Gradual in its complete form.This MS may have been originally one part of a complete Gradual that contained both the Gradual of Saints and Temporale, which was later divided into two volumes, the Gradual (now the present volume) and the Temporale.Glosses appear in the margins either as explanatory comments or notes, or later additions for observances of the saints’ feast days (e.g., St. Cajetan, f. 55v).The primary descriptive information on this manuscript, including dating and localization, are derived from the Catalano sources cited above.
Span of Folios for Text Ave stella matutina: ff. i; Gradual: 1r-146v; Later additions: 147r-152v (+ blank page and fragment).
Supplied Title Dominican Gradual of Saints.
Incipit "Alleluia" on f. 1r; and "Asperges me domine..." on f. 1v.
Language(s) Latin; with marginal notations in Spanish.
Notes (Text Level) Text as it now appears consists of Sanctorale, commons of the apostles, martyrs, confessors, and virgins, and votive masses. The liturgy for the text contains elements from the Mozarabic rite, the Roman/Gregorian use, and the Dominican tradition. The chant represents an intermediate stage between the original Gregorian tradition and the revisions made under Humbert de Romans.

Citations

Catalano, George. “A Dominican Gradual of Saints, circa 1500.” The Courier 27, no. 2 (fall 1992): 3-31.

Catalano, George. “A Dominican Gradual of Saints in the George Arents Research Library of Syracuse University.” Master of Music in Musicology Thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [sic] 1991 [correct date is 1993].

Harden, Jean. “The Weiss Antiphoner.” Paper for IST 509, History of Recorded Information, Syracuse University, July 17, 1990.