1.This paper is dedicated to Anne D. Hedeman.
2.This paper is a narrow slice of a broader study, yet to be published, which considers
Florence Bibliotheca Mediceo-Laurenziana Pluteo 29.1 [FI as a whole, interpreting its
illuminations, not as separate images, but as a cycle on music's proper place in education and in
society.. Ideologically, this theme incorporates the conflicts between the Aristotelians and the
defenders of Neoplatonism; historically, it involves the conflicts within the Parisian educational
system between the Cathedral circle and the University. For a broad, but up to date overview of
this topic see: The Cambridge History of Later Medieval Philosophy, Norman Kretzman,
Anthony Kenny, Jan Pinborg, eds., (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982) chapters 2-4
and 6; Bowen, James. A History of Western Education (New York: St. Martin's Press,
1975): vol. 2, chapters 3 and 4. See also Rashdali, H. The Universities of Europe in the
Middle Ages, Revised edition, F. M. Powicke and A.B. Fanden, eds. 3 vols. (Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1936): vol. 1, 334-344; Kibre, Pearl. Scholarly Privileges in the Middle
Ages. Medieval Academy of America Publications 72 (Cambridge, Mass., 1962): 92 ff.
3.Branher Robert, 'The Johannes Grusch Atelier and the Continental Origins of the
William of Devon Painter,' Art Bulletin (March, 1972): 24-30. See also Ibid,
Manuscript Painting in Paris During the Reign of Saint Louis (Berkeley: University of
California, 1976).
4.Critical Latin text: Reckow, Fritz. Der Musiktraktat des Anonymus 4. Beihefte
zum Archiv fiir Musikwissenschaft 4 (1967): 46. English Translation: Yudkin, Jeremy, The
Music Treatise of Anonymous IV; A New
page 51
Translation Musicological Studies & Documents 41 (1985): 40. For a brief synopsis see
Hoppin, Richard. Medieval Music (New York: Norton, 1978): 217.
5.Husmann, Heinrich. "The Origin and Destination of the Magnus liber organi,"
Musical Quarterly 49 (1965): 311-50.
6.Other Manuscripts include: Wolfenbüttel 677 (olim Helmst. 628) [W1];
Wolfenbüttel 1099 (olim 1206) [W2]; Madrid, BN MS 20486 [Ma]; On the edicts see:
Handschin, Jacques. "Zur Geschichte von Notre Dame" Acta Musicologica 4 (1932): 5-17, 49-55, 104-5.
7.Payne, Thomas B. "Associa tecum in patria: a Newly Identified Organum Trope by
Philip the Chancellor," Journal of the American Musicological Society XXXIX (1986):
247-252. Payne demonstrates that a piece sung at another church, St. Eligius in Paris, by the
canons and vicars of the cathedral on that church's patron's feast (Feb. 1) finds its proper place in
the liturgical sequence of Florence's magnus liber copy.
8.Firenze, Bibliotheca Mediceo-Laurenziana, Pluteo 29.1, see: Luther Dittmer, ed.,
Medieval Musical Manuscripts vols. 10-11 (New York: Institute of Medieval Music,
1967). This is a facsimile of the entire manuscript, except empty folia; the reproduction is in
black and white and of poor quality, but it is the only common source for all the illuminations.
For color (frontispiece only), see also plate V in Seebass, Tilman. "Lady Music and Her
Protégés; from Musical Allegory to Musicians' Portraits," Musica
Disciplina XLII (1988): 23-61 (on F, 27-30 and plate V).
9.For example, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, s.v.
Boethius; Besseler, Heinrich. Die Musik des Mittelalters und der Renaissance, (Potsdam,
1931): plate 1.
10.Critical Latin text: Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus. De institutione
musica, ed. G. Friedlein (Leipzig, 1867) English Translation: Boethius, Anicius Manlius
Severinus. Fundamentals of Music. Calvin M. Bower, trans., Claude Palisca, ed., (New
Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1989): 9-10. (further citation will refer to this
translation)
11.Critical Latin text: Martianus Capella, De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii, ed.
James
page 52
Willis, Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et
Romanorum Teubneriana (Leipzig: BSB B.G. Teubner Verlagsgesellschaft, 1983). English
Translation: Stahl, W., Johnson, R., Burge, E.L., Martianus Capella and the Seven Liberal
Arts, 2 vols., I: "The Quadrivium of Martianus Capella' (New York & London, 1971),
II: 'Martianus Capella's 'The Marriage of Philology and Mercury', (New York & London,
1978).
12.Martianus describes her both as having appointed the planets their particular tones
which produce the celestial harmony and as holding in her hand a mobile of miniature, golden
musical instruments.
13.Seebass, Tilman. "Lady Music and Her Protégés; from Musical
Allegory to Musicians' Portraits," Musica Disciplina XLII (1988): plates I-VIII.
14.Boethius. The Consolation of Philosophy, trans. W.V. Cooper (Chicago:
Gateway Editions, 1981): 34. "There appeared standing over my head a woman's form, whose
countenance was full of majesty, whose eyes shown as with fire and in power of insight
surpassed the eyes of men, whose color was full of life, whose strength was yet intact though she
was so full of years that none would ever think that she was subject to such age as ours. One
could but doubt her varying stature, for at one moment she repressed it to the common measure
of a man, at another she seemed to touch with her crown, the very heavens: and when she had
raised higher her head, it pierced even the sky and baffled the sight of those who looked upon it.
Her Clothing was wrought of the finest thread, by subtle workmanship brought to an indivisible
piece. This she had woven with her own hands as I afterwards did learn from her own showing.
Their beauty was somewhat dimmed by the dulness of long neglect, as is seen in the smoke-grimed masks of our ancestors. On the border below was inwoven the symbol pi, on that above
was to be read a theta. And between the two letters there could be marked degrees, by which, as
by the rungs of a ladder, ascent might be made from the lower principle [practical] to the higher
[theoretical]. In her right hand she carried books, in her left was a scepter brandished."
15.Masi, Michael. "A Newberry Diagram of the Liberal Arts," Gesta XI/2
(1972): 52-56. "Philosophia in trono coronata sedens, et pedibus duorum regum, colla calcans
super dextro genu librum; in sinistra sceptrum tenet. A dextris eius stat mulier hunc versum
tenens: qui contemplantur celestia me venerantur; a sinistris eius alia mulier cum hoc versu: hi
qui sectantur mundana mihi famulantur."
page 53
16.Proverbs 8: 15-16, New American Bible translation. [Vulgate--15. per me reges
regnantet legum conditores iusta decernunt 16. per me principes imperant et potentes decernunt
iustitiam] All translations are NAB or my own from the Vulgate.
17.Again, the translation is NAB with the exception of the word, "architect." There is
considerable equivocation among the English translations on this verse: KJV reads, "as one
brought up with him"; RSV reads, "like a master workman," but adds in a note, "another reading
is little child"; NAB gives, "craftsman," and adds in a note, "furnishing God with the plan, as it
were, for creation." Our main concern as medievalists, however, is what the Latin Bible said, and
the Vulgate reads, "cum eo eram cuncta conponens." I have substituted the word "architect" for
the sake of clarity in the present context, because in the Middle Ages, and in its art, the customary
way of conceptualizing this function of the godhead was explicitly as an architect. As a
justification, I would point out that, in Wisdom 9, Solomon, while praying to God for aid in
building the temple, is clearly asking for Wisdom in the role of architect. The analogy between
Proverbs 8:30 and Wisdom 9 is stronger than the word "craftsman" or even "master craftsman"
will allow.
18.Furthermore, her crown, in accordance with Boethius' description, touches the
heavens; the analogy between architectural vaults and the vaults of heaven was a common one.
The artist of F depicted the phrase, "she seemed to touch with her crown, the very heavens,"
while the Notre Dame sculptor used the next phrase, "and when she had raised higher her head, it
pierced even the sky," for his rendition; the wavy lines signify the sky and her head, sans
crown, is also thus explained.
19.Only two elements present in the Munich image are missing from Florence: the kings
and the book. I would suggest that these elements were excluded for compositional and thematic
reasons. The necessary posture of each woman, turning to her left to imply her interaction with
the adjacent frames would make holding a book on her knee, especially her right knee, awkward
if not impossible. The kings, furthermore, would take up too much space and would not relate to
the musical subject at hand.
20.New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, MS. 638, fol lr. Facsimile & commentary:
Cockerell, Sydney C. ed. A Book of Old Testament Illustrations of the Middle of the
Thirteenth Century.
page 54
Sent by Cardinal Bernard
Maciejowski to Shah Abbas the Great, King of Persia, Now in the Pierpont Morgan Library at
New York (The Roxburghe Club: Cambridge University Press, 1927): plate 1 (described
p.77).
21.For example, Vienna, Austrian National Library, codex 1179, fol. 1. [A color
reproduction is easily accessible on the front cover of: Gimpel, Jean. The Cathedral
Builders, (New York: Harper & Row, 1980)]
22.Boethius, Fundamentals, 51.
23.Boethius, Fundamentals, 50.
24.Schrade, Leo. "Philosophy in the Music of Boethius," Musical Quarterly
XXXIII (1947): 188-200.
25.Gushee, Lawrence. "Minstrels," New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. "The troubadour Giraut Riquier ... suggested that street entertainers [including
instrumental musicians] should be called bufones; that he who could comport himself
among the rich with cortesia and ciencia in playing instruments and singing songs
... made by others should be called juglor, that he who could make (trovar) words
and melody should be called trovador."
26.The musical culture, that is, of Paris c. 1245. Another problem with Seebass'
conclusion is the equation between this image and European musical culture generally. The
iconography may only relate to a very localized situation (and I tend to believe this is the case),
so that at present we cannot say more than this with any degree of confidence.
27.Just as laws are established to suppress crimes, so defenses are mounted to suppress
threats. Perhaps an even closer analogy to our own century can be found in the reaction against
Rock & Roll during the 1950s; the Encyclopedia Brittanica 1954 yearbook makes
the following assessment of the music then rising to prominence in 'white" music markets: "The
rock 'n' roll school in general concentrated on a minimum of melodic line and a maximum of
rhythmic noise, deliberately competing with the artistic ideals of the jungle itself." By contrast,
Chuck Berry was gaining renown with lyrics like, "Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll, deliver me from the
days of old" and "Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news" which operate on the premise
of overthrowing hallowed, but constricting traditions.
