Aesthetics of a Southern French manuscripts: the tropes in the Saint Maur manuscript

The discovery of the Saint Maur manuscript, a gradual-troper-sequentiary of the early 13th century written in Aquitanian notation and used at Saint Maur of Gers (Southern France), represents an exceptional finding. Not only does it stand as the sole surviving gradual of 13th-century Southern France, but it also serves as the only evidence of the cult of Saint Maur in southern France and transmits nine unica tropes and sequences.
 

Among all its contents, the manuscript’s unica tropes constitute a rich source of information. In particular, the responsory trope collection for Christmas and Epiphany is noteworthy for its significance: the presence of tropes underlines – as usual – the relevance of some of the most joyful feasts of the year by extending the length of the responsories. Simultaneously, these tropes introduce an aesthetic dimension at the end of each of the three Matins nocturns, influencing the overall perception of the office. In addition, their existence raises several questions: Were these tropes conceived as a cohesive set and created intentionally at the same time? Do they exhibit shared aesthetic traits? How do they relate to preexisting material? Through the analysis of these unique responsory tropes, this study aims to uncover new insights, identifying aesthetic features that may reveal regional stylistic tendencies from this specific historical period. 

Dr. des. Cristina Alís Raurich is a historical keyboard player, researcher, and medieval music specialist. After studies in Barcelona and The Hague she completed a Master’s degree in Medieval and Renaissance keyboard instruments at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, followed by a joined doctorate at the University of Würzburg. She is currently Research assistant at ICCMU, Madrid. https://cristinaraurich.cat/