Here is a very beautiful illuminated antiphonary from Bern, Switzerland, created in approx. 1485 to 1490 A.D.

Most of the square neums shown here are the single note punctum type but there are also several of the two and three note groups: podatus, clivis and torculus.

Source: Estavayer-le-Lac, Paroisse catholique Saint-Laurent, Volume I, f. 1r – Antiphonarium lausannense, pars hiemalis (vol. I) (https://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/psle/0001a)

From the Liber Usualis, here is a chart showing us the correct interpretation of a podatus neum:

There are several of these in the illuminated manuscript above. Can you find them?

Here’s an up close of one:

This two-note neum can be found on the fourth stave directly below the ornamental initial. It would be read as D, G. (An in-depth tutorial post coming up on clefs soon!)

Here is the Liber Usualis conversion chart for the clivis:

This is another two-neum group but as you can see, it’s descending. It’s helpful to remember that the clivis descends like a staircase while the podatus ascends like a ladder.

What appears to be a neum in the upper left hand corner is actually a C clef. They look a bit like square note neums too but you can distinguish them by their location: at the very beginning of the staff, just like today’s clefs.

The clivis is below and to the right. Considering that the clef designates the top red line as C, you can easily figure out the clivis notes.  Here, they’re F, E.

Torculus neums are groups of three notes that are drawn as one graphic unit. They don’t have a triple time feel however; play (or sing) them in equal time, almost with a flowing feel.

This group of torculus neum notes appears in the middle of the second staff. The notes are read as A, B, A.

There are more complex neums to be explored in an upcoming post.

For now, here’s some background on the very beautiful illuminated manuscript that we used as our study piece for today:

This volume is part of an antiphonary in three volumes that was produced in duplicate for the liturgy of the Collegiate Church of St. Vincent in the city of Bern shortly after the college’s founding in the years 1484/85. The manuscript contains the entire winter portion of the Temporale, of the Sanctorale and of the Commune Sanctorum according to the liturgy of the Diocese of Lausanne.

The book decoration with miniatures for numerous initials is attributed to the Master of the breviary of Jost von Silenen, an itinerant artist who was active in Fribourg, Bern, Sion and later in Ivrea and Aosta. He got his name from a breviary in two volumes that was created around 1493 for the Bishop of Sion, Jost of Silenen (1482-1496).

(source: Estavayer-le-Lac, Paroisse catholique Saint-Laurent, Volume I, f. 1r – Antiphonarium lausannense, pars hiemalis (vol. I) (https://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/psle/0001a)

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