| Trent, Castello del Buonconsiglio, MS 88 (now 1375) is a fifteenth-century manuscript of European sacred music. It is one of seven Trent codices, the last five of which were copied between 1455-1465. The main scribe of the last four codices was Johannes Wiser, who copied most of Trent 88. One part of the study examines the paleography of the manuscript and the role of Wiser, along with thirteen other scribes identified in the source, in the compilation process.;The occasions for which some of the twenty mass cyles were written are also examined. The O rosa bella Masses, for example, are probably related to the carrying of the Golden Rose at papal coronations. Other masses contain papal references, and along with paleographic and historical evidence, they may be linked with the coronation of Calixtus III in 1455.;Of the 297 compositions contained in Trent 88, about seventy-five percent remain anonymous. Through the study of the styles of the music, the styles of known composers, chant and text sources, concordances, and paleographic evidence, the national origins of much of the anonymous music has been determined. It appears that Trent 88 contains a large German repertory, consisting primarily of mass Ordinary music, and various minor liturgical compositions. These pieces give a clearer picture than previously known about the emerging German tradition, and show that one of the major influences was English music. The mass Proper music, on the other hand, is more likely Burgundian, judging from known composers of Propers, styles, and the traditional use of Propers at the chapels of Philip the Good for use within the Order of the Golden Fleece. |
