A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Sistine Chapel, Archives of the

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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
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3715556A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Sistine Chapel, Archives of the


​SISTINE CHAPEL, Archives of The. For centuries past the jealousy with which these archives have been guarded by the Capellani Cantori Pontificii, their official custodians, has led to the circulation of many mysterious reports concerning them. All the trustworthy information we formerly possessed on the subject is contained in a few scattered notices in the works of Adami[1] and Baini;[2] and this amounted to little more than the certainty that they contained a priceless collection of works by the Ecclesiastical Composers of the 15th and 16th centuries. A large proportion of these treasures was, however, destroyed by fire, during the sack of Rome in 1527.[3] Again, between the years 1678 and 1688, further havoc was made, through the carelessness of the then 'protettore,' Cardinal Rospigliosi, after whose death, in 1688, it was found that numberless title-pages, and other portions of the finest MSS., had been stolen, for the sake of the miniatures and illuminations with which they were adorned.[4] Between the years 1721 and 1724, the greater number of volumes in the collection were rebound, and 'restored' by order of Pope Innocent XIII. Some volumes may possibly have been preserved by this process; but the operation was performed with such carelessness, that works, and parts of works, were bound together at random, only because they happened to correspond in size, while the edges were so ruthlessly cut down, that, in many cases, clefs, initial letters, and composers' names were completely cut away. Finally, during the occupation of Rome by the French revolutionary soldiers, in 1798, a certain 'citoyen' Mesplet, who was nominated 'Commissaire des Beaux Arts,' took possession of the keys, but was recalled before much harm had been done; and, though the volumes were soon afterwards removed to a room used for the breeding of poultry, and placed in the custody of the hen-wife, Baini found them, after the departure of the French, much less injured than could have been reasonably expected.[5]

Until within the last few years, this was all that we knew, in connection with the archives. But all doubts are now removed. By permission of Pope Leo XIII, Dom. Fr. Xav. Haberl, Director of the School of Church Music at Regensburg, began, in the year 1883, an exhaustive critical examination of the Archives, and, after continuous study, has published a complete bibliographical and thematic catalogue of the Collection,[6] containing a mine of information entirely new to the public.

From this most valuable work we learn that the collection contains 269 numbered volumes, and many others not numbered, mostly in large folio, written on vellum, or thick hand-made paper, bound in white or brown leather, with heavy clasps of steel or brass, and adorned with magnificent illustrations by the great masters of the 15th and 16th centuries. The MSS. date from the year 1458, to the end of the Polyphonic period; and the voice-parts are generally arranged on opposite pages, in the form called Cantus lateralis.[7] Of the numbered volumes, 224 are in MS. and 45 printed. In 26 volumes the music is Gregorian. Among the printed works, are six volumes published by Petrucci[8] (Nos. 235–238), the twelve volumes of Masses, and nearly a complete set of the other works, by Palestrina, published during his life-time and that of his son Igino. Compositions by Palestrina are also continued in 61 of the MS. volumes, which include 44 Masses, 104 Motets, Improperia, Lamentationes, Miserere, and Magnificat.

A few volumes in the collection are of special interest.

No. 22 contains the earliest copy of the Missa Papæ Marcelli in existence. When the three Masses written by Palestrina in 1565 were submitted for approval to the Commission of Cardinals, it was ordered that copies should be made of them, for preservation in the archives, and, that the Missa Papæ Marcelli should be ​transcribed in letters of extraordinary size.[9] The three masses are now bound together, in the volumes in question; but, when this was 'restored,' in 1724, some other works were bound up with them. The present contents of the volume are—

No 22. (a) Missa, En donleur et tristesse. Noel Baudouyn.
⁠(b) Missa (dated 1568), Robledo.
⁠(c) Missa, in Modes III and IV (now known as 'Illumina oculos meos'). Palestrina.
⁠(d) Missa Papae Marcelli. Palestrina.
⁠(e) Missa, in Mode VII. Palestrina.
⁠(f) Missa, Ultimi miei sospiri. Il Rosso.


Vols. 205–206[10] contain Palestrina's 'Improperia,' and 12 settings of the 'Miserere'; one, by an anonymous author, and the remainder by Dentice, Fr. Guerrero, Palestrina, Teofilo Gargaro, Fr. Anerio, Fel. Anerio, Giov. M. Nanini, Rugg. Giovanelli, and Gregorio Allegri—the last-named work being the famous composition sung, with so much effect, at Rome, during Holy Week.[11] The Miserere of Bai, sung, for many years, in alternation with that of Allegri, is continued in Nos. 203–204.[12]

The following is the list of Composers—many of them otherwise altogether unknown—whose works are contained in the MS. volumes.

N.B. Names without any distinguishing mark are attached to MSS. only; names marked †, to printed works only; names marked *, to both.

Agost. Agazzari; Alex. Agricola*; Greg. Allegri; Christ. Ameyden; Fel. Anerio; Fr. Anerio; Jo. Animuccia†; Arcadelt; Ch. d'Argentil; Tomm. Bai; Gius. Baini; Noel Baudouyn; Hotinet Barra; Ph. Basiron; Jo. Beausseron; Ant. Bencini; Jo de Billhon; Jo. Biordi; Ant. Brumel*; Jo. Brumen; Jo. Brunet; Ant. Busnoys; Ginus Angelus Capponius; Firmin Caron; Carpentrasso* (= El. Genet); Ott. Catalani; Pet. Certon†; Jo. Certori†; Ant. Cifra†; Claudin* (= Cl. de Sermisy); Clemens non papa; Clibano; Loyset Compere; Jo. Consilium; Barth. del. Cort; J. P. Colonna†; Pet. Cotin†; Giov. Costanzi; Arc. Crivelli*; Fabr. Dentice; Josquin Despres*; Ant. Divitis; De Domarto; Josquinus Dor; G. Dufay; Fr. Durante; Eloy; Eustachius de monte regali; La Fage; Vinc. Faugues; Giov. Batt. Fazzini; Ferabosco; C. Festa*; Ant. de Fevin*; Robinet de Fevin; Fr. Foggia; Foliot; Mathurin Forestyn; Fornarino; Fremin; Fresneau; Fr. Guerrero; Jo. Gallus; Theo. Gargari; Ant. Gardane†; Gascongne; Gaspar (Qy. Werbecke); Jo. Ghisellin†; Rug. Giovanelli; Vinc. de Grandis: Fr. Guerrero; Geo. de la Hele†; Hesdin; C. Heyns; J. de Hillanas; Jachet* (Qy. = Jachetto, Jaquet); Maitre Jehan (Qy. de Ferrara); N. Jomelli; Isaac; Jac. de Kerle†; Stef. Lando†; L'heritier; Orl. de Lassus†; Fr. de Layolle†; Alfons. Lobo†; Alex. Lonk; Jo. Lupi*; Lupus;† Tib. Massaino†; Maylard; Curtius Mancini; Tiburtius Mancini; Luca Marenzio; Agost. Martini; Jo. Martini; A. Michot; Vinc. Misonne; Rinaldo da Montagnana†; Cl. Monteverde; Christoph. Morales*; Pet. Moulu*; Jo. Mouton*; Romulo Naldi; Giov. Mar. Nanini; Jos. de Nebra; Jac. Obrecht; Flam. Oddus; Jo. Okeghem; Ortiz; M. de Orto; Pet. Parl. Paciotti†; Jo. Petr. Al. Palestrina*; Dom. Pane*; Fr. Parisius; Jo. Parvi; Pasquin; Vinc. Pellegrini†; Penet; Jo. le Petit; Philippon; Loyset Pieton; Pintelli; M. Pipelare*; Pasquale Pisari; Guil. Prevost†; Prioris; Lorenzo Ratti; (Jean) Regis; Jean (Richafort*); Melchior Robledo; Roselli†; Il. Rosso; Petrus, (Person or Perisson) de la Rue*; Jusquinus de Sala; Jo. Sarton†; Balth. Sartori; A. Scarlatti; Barth. Scobedo; Scribano; Sermisy (vide Claudin); Ph. Siciliani; Andr. de Silva; Matt. Simonelli; Fr. Suriano†; Pet. Ant. Tamburini; Jo. Tinctoris; Bern. Vacqueras; Jo. alla Venture; Ph. Verdelot; Jo. Viardot; Vincenet; Phil. Vitali; T. L. Vittoria*; P. de Villiers†; Laur. de Vorda; Adr. Willaert*; Jo. Wreede. Brugensis; Jul. Zacchini; Annib. Zoilo.

(Some few modern Composers have also presented their works to the Library; among others, Adrien de la Fage, and Gaetano Donizetti.)

Besides the volumes of music, the archives contain a vast mass of documents relating to the history and management of the Papal Choirs, which are not noticed in Haberl's otherwise exhaustive catalogue.


  1. ↑ 'Osservazioni per ben regolare Il Coro del Cantori della Cappella Pontificia,' per Ant. de' Rossi (Roma, 1711).
  2. ↑ Memoria storico-critiche della vita e delle opere di G. P. da Palestrina', da Guiseppe Baini (Roma, 1828).
  3. ↑ Baini, in op. cit. Tom. ii. p. 310, Note 631.
  4. ↑ Ib. ii. 810, note.
  5. ↑ Baini, i. 278, note 379.
  6. ↑ Bibliographischer und thematischer Musik-katalog des Päpstlichen Kapellarchives im Vatican zu Rom. von Fr. Xav. Haberl (Leipzig, bei Breitkopf & Härtel, 1888).
  7. ↑ See Part-Books, vol. iv. p. 739a.
  8. ↑ See Part-Books, vol. iv. p. 739b.
  9. ↑ Baini, Tom. i. p. 230. See also, vol. II. p. 637a.
  10. ↑ Baini's description of these two famous volumes differs materially from that given by Haberl. He describes them as Nos. 150–151; and, among other differences, mentions a 'Miserere' by C. Festa, and another, by Sante Naidini. There can, however, be no doubt that the volumes are the same. (See Baini's 'Memorie,' Tom. II. pp. 194–197, note 577.)
  11. ↑ See also vol. II. p. 336.
  12. ↑ Ib.
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