The presentation manuscripts produced by Petrus Alamire, which rate among the most precious music books of their time, have been investigated thus far essentially as vehicles of music, or in some cases of visual art. Less attention has been paid to them as actual books, that is, as objects constructed through different communicative codes. This is all the more surprising, given that in these manuscripts the musical text goes hand in hand with very conspicuous decorative apparatuses and visual devices.Taking as a point of departure recent studies on late medieval book culture, in this article I investigate these manuscripts as books. I begin with some general considerations concerning music manuscripts at the time of Alamire, and then analyse some features of his presentation manuscripts and their possible reasons. I focus especially on decorative apparatuses and visual devices, and on the interaction between them and the musical texts they surround. The results of this analysis lead to some considerations on the dynamics and cultural significance of these manuscripts as books and, specifically, as music books. In conclusion, I consider the potential relevance of my interpretation for larger issues concerning the uses and meanings of luxury music manuscripts in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The Listening Gaze: Alamire’s Presentation Manuscripts and the Courtly Reader

BORGHETTI, VINCENZO
2015-01-01

Abstract

The presentation manuscripts produced by Petrus Alamire, which rate among the most precious music books of their time, have been investigated thus far essentially as vehicles of music, or in some cases of visual art. Less attention has been paid to them as actual books, that is, as objects constructed through different communicative codes. This is all the more surprising, given that in these manuscripts the musical text goes hand in hand with very conspicuous decorative apparatuses and visual devices.Taking as a point of departure recent studies on late medieval book culture, in this article I investigate these manuscripts as books. I begin with some general considerations concerning music manuscripts at the time of Alamire, and then analyse some features of his presentation manuscripts and their possible reasons. I focus especially on decorative apparatuses and visual devices, and on the interaction between them and the musical texts they surround. The results of this analysis lead to some considerations on the dynamics and cultural significance of these manuscripts as books and, specifically, as music books. In conclusion, I consider the potential relevance of my interpretation for larger issues concerning the uses and meanings of luxury music manuscripts in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
2015
Petrus Alamire; Renaisance music; Music manuscripts; Franco-flemish polyphony
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/700571
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