David playing bells, a psaltery and a harp, two angels playing vielle and portative organ

  • David sonnant des cloches, deux anges musiciens
  • David sonnant des cloches
  • Deux anges musiciens

Summary

: David playing bells, a psaltery and a harp, two angels playing vielle and portative organ

: Châteauroux, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Location type : Library

: Paris, Île-de-France, France

: 15

: 1414 -1414

: Illumination

: Paper / Parchment

: Initiale

: David jouant des clochettes ; Anges musiciens


:
http://initiale.irht.cnrs.fr/decors/decors.php?id=23406


: Daniela M

Performer(s)
  • Performer information
    Type: musician

    Genre: male

    Posture: seated

    Character quality or function: king, biblical character

    Instrument information
    Instrument : bell - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 111.242 )
    Type of bell: suspended bell(s)
    Number of bells: 6
    Tintinnabulum carillon: yes
    Accessory: hammer(s)
    Playing position: seated
    Playing method: played with hammers
  • Performer information
    Type: musician

    Genre: angel

    Posture: bust

    Instrument information
    Instrument : vielle - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 321.322-71 )
    Facture: carved out of a single block
    Number of rosettes soundholes: 2
    Shape of rosettes soundholes: letter Cs
    Position of the rosettes soundholes: facing toward each other <>
    Tuning key: no
    Playing method: Bowed
    Fingers on fingerboard: yes
    Part of bow: top third of bow
    Bow length: long
    Shape of bow: curved
    Sound box shape: oblong
    Back shape: flat
  • Performer information
    Type: musician

    Genre: angel

    Posture: bust

    Instrument information
    Instrument : organ - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 412.1-8 )
    Bore: conical
    Body: straight
    Bell: no bell
    Type of organ: portative
    Number of bellows: 7
    Playing mechanism: keyboard


Isolated instrument(s)
  • Instrument information
    Instrument : harp - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 322.21 )
    Forme generale: composite
    Cle d accord: non
    Colonne: courbe
    Forme de console: échancrée
    Col de cygne: oui
    Caisse de resonance: droite
  • Instrument information
    Instrument : psaltery - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 314.122.1 )
    Forme generale: composite
    Nombre de rosaces ou ouies: 4
    Forme des rosaces ou ouies: plusieurs trous
    Position des rosaces ou ouies: centrale
    Cle d accord: non
    Forme de l instrument: groin de porc


Number of performers: 3

Organization of visual space involving performance: arranged in vertical registers

Interactions between performers: 1 musician (294)-1 musician (295): body orientation, chromatic chiasmus

Comment: King David is sitting the back turned to the two angels represented in the margin. The angels are one above the other emerging from the flowers of the vegetable foliage of the marginal extension of the lettrine; They are turned on a different side. An angel wears a dawn of the same color as the throne of David, the other angel wears a dawn of the same color as David's coat.

Function of the sound: engenderment of the letter, glorification

Reference to music theory and musical perfection: harmony, interval

Context of the sound: angelic music, ceremonial music

Comment: David is represented as the author of Psalm 80 and he sounds many bells, producing harmonious intervals. Honorius de Cantorbéry († 653) argues that the use of musical instrument in Old Testament ceremonies (Ps. 80) to justifies the use of bells in the catholic liturgy (Commentarius in Ps 80, éd. Migne, Patrologia latina, t. 194, col. 500). This literary antecedent may not be decisive, but it reinforces the analogy that we can make between the bells played in the illustration of the psalm and a ceremonial dimension to King David's praise of God.