David playing the carillon (bells)

  • David sonnant des cloches

Summary

: David playing the carillon (bells)

: Besançon, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Location type : Library

: Rouen, Normandy, France

: 15

: 1498 -1498

: Illumination

: Paper / Parchment

: Initiale

: David jouant des clochettes

: Breviary for de Charles de Neufchâtel


:
http://initiale.irht.cnrs.fr/decors/decors.php?id=11370&indexCourant=45&bloc_recherche_decor=none&bloc_resultats_decor=none&resetForm=1&page=1&ouvrageId=913
http://initiale.irht.cnrs.fr/decors/decors.php?id=11370


: Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo

Performer(s)
    • Performer information
    Type: musician

    Genre: male

    Performance-text relation: book, placed on a piece of furniture

    Posture: seated, raised arms

    Character quality or function: biblical character, aristocrat, king

    Comment: King David is sitting in a cathedral. The scene is delimited by two columns. There is an open book next to David-- he doesn't look at it.

    Instrument information
    Instrument : bell - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 111.242 )
    Type of bell: suspended bell(s)
    Number of bells: 7
    Tintinnabulum carillon: yes
    Accessory: hammer(s)
    Playing position: bells suspended in two sets, one on top of the other
    Playing method: beaten with two hammers


Isolated instrument(s)
    • Instrument information
    Instrument : harp - (Hornbostel-Sachs system: 322.21 )
    Forme generale: composite
    Nombre de cordes: 8
    Nombre de rosaces ou ouies: 2
    Forme des rosaces ou ouies: lettres C
    Position des mecaniques: autre
    Cle d accord: non


Number of performers: 1

Function of the sound: glorification

Reference to music theory and musical perfection: harmony

Context of the sound: ceremonial music

Comment: This illustration is found at the opening of Psalm 80. Psalm 80 describes glorification of Yahwee and his law (Ps 80, 1-6). The sound of King David's bells perhaps alludes to the leader of the cantors (Ps 80, 1). Honorius de Cantorbéry († 653) argued that the use of musical instrument in Old Testament ceremonies (Ps. 80) justifies the use of bells (and further, the organ) in Catholic liturgy (Commentarius in Ps 80, éd. Migne, Patrologia latina, t. 194, col. 500). While this literary antecedent may not be decisive, it reinforces the analogy between the often depicted bells of the psalm 80 and the ceremonial dimension of the divine praise by King David.

Chromatic: Instrument-object (crown)

Mathematical: instrument-objet : number of bells-number of pearls (crown), 7

Comment: The harp is used as an emblem to identify King David. The harp and the crown are in the same color: gold. We can see 7 bells and 7 pearls on the crown.