Cistercian Antiphoners for Morimondo Abbey

Cistercian Antiphoners from Morimondo Abbey – CTHS – N. A. Lat. 1410-1412 – Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris, France)

Cistercian Abbey of Sancte Marie de Morimondo, Milan (Italy) or Morimond Abbey, Parnoy-en-Bassigny (France) — Ca. 1175

One of the most significant sources for the liturgical chants of the Cistercian Order in the 12th century: three related antiphoners for the Cistercian Abbey of Sancte Marie de Morimondo in the Diocese of Milan

  1. An antiphonary is a liturgical book used by a choir and contains antiphons or short chants used in the liturgy

  2. Although antiphonaries vary from region to region, this specimen adheres to the General Roman Calendar

  3. This manuscripts contain chants for the sanctorale as well as the temporal

Cistercian Antiphoners for Morimondo Abbey

  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (2)
Description
Cistercian Antiphoners for Morimondo Abbey

The three manuscripts, preserved under the signature NAL 1410-1412 in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, are among the best and oldest witnesses of the medieval antiphoners used by the Cistercian Order. An antiphonary is a liturgical book used by a choir containing antiphons or short chants performed at various parts of the liturgy and varied from region to region in the Middle Ages. One of the manuscripts is specifically intended for the Sanctorale, one of the two main cycles of the liturgical year according to the General Roman Calendar, another for the Temporale. The Sanctorale consists of fixed feasts such as Christmas and saint's days, while the Temporale, as its name suggests, consists of movable feasts such as Pentecost. These wonderful examples of this genre were created around 1175 either directly in the Cistercian abbey of Sanctae Mariae de Morimondo in the diocese of Milan or in its mother house in Morimond, France.

Cistercian Antiphoners for Morimondo Abbey

Created in the third quarter of the 12th century, the Cistercian Antiphoners for Morimondo Abbey in the Diocese of Milan is a complementary series of antiphoners that together constitute a wonderful example of this important genre of medieval music manuscripts with staff notation. It is a complete manuscript that has had two small folios inserted into it at a later date and was rebound in the 16th century. Liber sancte mariae de morimundo mediolan[ensis] dioccesis is written twice on fol. 202v of NAL 1412, although not in the main hand of the manuscript so it is assumed that this too was added later. Diferenciae are identified by both a letter and a number. The letter indicates the pitch on which the formula ends; if more than one formula ends on that pitch, a number is assigned arbitrarily to distinguish them. The foliation used in the index is that given in the manuscript by a modern hand in the top right corner of the folios. Its tonary, an index listing various items of Gregorian chant by their incipits according to the Gregorian mode or tonus of their melodies within the eight-mode system, is one of the most complete sources that is very close to those used in Cistercian foundations in Austria, Germany, and Poland.

Morimondo Abbey

Morimondo Abbey was a Cistercian monastery located about 20 kilometers southwest of Milan and its original brick structure, built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles, still stands today. Founded in 1134 as a daughter house of Morimond Abbey near Dijon, its name means “die to the world”. The abbey soon attracted various patrons and postulants from all social classes and as a result numerous vocations were practiced at Morimondo. Activity flourished in the abbey’s scriptorium, which not only supplied their own library but also supplied books to two daughter houses. This manuscript was presumably created while Morimondo was under the leadership of Abbot Rogerio (d. 1195). Construction of the abbey was completed in 1296 after being delayed. This was both due to disputes with the clergy of a nearby village as well as various attacks on the abbey as it became entangled in wars between Pavia and Milan: Frederick Barbarossa (1122–90) and his troops looted Morimondo in 1161, it was attacked by Pavian troops in December of 1237, in which various monks were killed, and another attack by imperial troops occurred in 1245. At its height, the community included 50 monks and 200 lay brothers but is a museum today.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Zisterziensische Antiphonalien für die Abtei Morimondo
Antiphonaire Cistercien
Antiphonaires cisterciens du XII e siècle
Origin
Italy
Date
Ca. 1175
Style
Language
Facsimile Editions

#1 Un Antiphonaire Cistercien pour le Sanctoral, XIIe siècle: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions latines 1412

CTHS – Paris, 1999

Publisher: CTHS – Paris, 1999
Commentary: 1 volume by Claire Maître
Language: French
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Complete reproduction of the original document N. A. Lat. 1412.
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €
(under 1,000€)

#2 Un Antiphonaire Cistercien pour le Temporal, XIIe siècle: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, NAL 1411

Commentary: 1 volume by Claire Maître
Language: French
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Complete reproduction of the original document N. A. Lat. 1411.
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €
(under 1,000€)
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