ID 1053143
Lot 29 | Beneventan neumes
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
Gradual, with Tropes, in Latin, manuscript on vellum [Southern Italy, mid-12th century]
A leaf from a Beneventan Gradual with neumes arranged around a single horizontal red line: the origins of the musical staff.
One leaf cut in two pieces, c.310 x 216mm, 11 lines written in Beneventan minuscule in brown ink, neumes arranged around a single red line, written in a darker ink, large initial 'T' of interlacing design filled with red-brown and yellow wash, smaller initials and rubrics (recovered from a binding and consequently cropped and somewhat worn). Bound in grey buckram at the Quaritch bindery.
Provenance:
(1) Otto Ege (1888-1951). From his collection sold at Sotheby's, 26 November 1985, lot 41.
(2) Bernard Quaritch Ltd., Bookhands of the Middle Ages IV: Beneventan Script, cat.1128 (1990), no 14. Acquired in May 1988.
(3) Schøyen Collection, MS 72.
Text:
The text contains the Mass for the Dedication of a Church.
Script and music:
The script has an uncalligraphic appearance, and the initial 'T' is crudely rendered. The constant intrusion of the Carolingian minuscule 'a' (for example line 1, 'aula tonantis'; line 2, 'fundata'; line 8 'vocabitur' etc.) indicates that the parent manuscript was copied in a centre on the periphery zone. A decisive advance in the development of notation was made when the scribe drew a horizontal red line to represent the pitch F, and grouped the neumes about the line. In time a second line, usually yellow, was drawn for C. This invention of the staff made it possible to note precisely the relative pitch of the notes of a melody, and freed music from its hitherto exclusive dependence on oral tradition. It was one of the most important events in the history of music. See D.J. Grout, A History of Western Music, 1962, pp.55-56.
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview |
| ||||||
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | ||||||
Buyer Premium | see on Website | ||||||
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.