Cantoral de Missas de todo del año - illuminated Latin music book
We are pleased to announce that this unique item has been sold to Princeton University and will be studied and investigated by their library staff and students.
This manuscript music book is a compilation from different earlier books, and the styles of writing and illumination are not the same throughout - the leaves at the back are larger than those of the main part of the book. We have identified three distinct styles on the book.
The notes added to the volume are in Spanish. There is a list of contents at front in Spanish, and a second directory near the center of the book where the second style of production begins.
This transcription at the head of the first contents sheet is courtesy of Virginia Blanton, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
"Para el canto de las Misas de los Santos que no se hallan en el Cantoral de todo el año, se tendra presente: Que puéden estar, o en el fin de aquel Libro, o en otro de Años de Visperas o en el que nuevam, se ha formado Num(ero). del margen significa el del Libro en que se halla, y in no se le senala ofso ? num(ero). se halla todo en el. El num(ero) solo señala el Cuerpa del Cantoral. Yerna C con el num(ero) señala el fol(io) del Comun No se pone mas que Intisitor., All(elui)as y Commuandas ? que es lo que con ? se canta en esta ?ela."
The leaves are about 66 cm or 26 inches tall. The book weighs 75 pounds. There are approximately 320 leaves (640 pages).
The book was purchased about 30 years ago from an antique dealer in the Hudson Valley area of upstate New York. The book dealer who bought it decided to not break it up for leaves, but didn't do anything else with it. It has sat in a wooden box since then and this is the first it has seen the light of day in decades. It is new to the market.
We have found two illustrations in the second section with the date 1585, and one with the date 1586. You will find them in the Miscellaneous group of photos.
We wonder if it is somehow associated with Mexico, given that the table of contents emphasizes both the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and her Apparition to S. Diego. Also in the table is mentioned the Nuestra Señora de Lorelo; there is a Lorelo in Baja California. What might date the table of contents as fairly recent is the inclusion of S. Francisco Caraciolo. Although he lived in the 1500's and was beautified in 1769 he wasn't canonized until 1807.
Have a look at some photos:
Miscellaneous Leaves from the latter half of the book
Sample Photos
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Photo 19
