The manuscript Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Mus. 40616, is a so-called Vesperale according to the modern typology of liturgical books, i.e., a book containing chants for the celebrations of Lauds, Vespers, and the Horae Minores. The most remarkable features of the Berlin Vesperale pertain to its liturgical and musicological aspects, which reflect the customs of the Ambrosian monastic rite. The codex was written as early as at the beginning of the 16th century for the important monastery of St Ambrose in Milan, at a time when the Cistercians had replaced the Benedictine monks. By analysing these liturgical and musicological elements, this paper aims to shed light on a manuscript that has been largely neglected by modern scholars, yet deserves a prominent place in the rich history of Ambrosian liturgy.
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