La notazione 'italiana' del Trecento

Abstract

'Italian' notation – in opposition to 'French' notation, that rather should be called 'international' – in the present paper is delimited to notation using a punctus divisionis continuously. All Trecento sources exhibiting this feature are explored with regard to the use and meaning of the notational signs within the divisio. On the basis of two new concordances to the Rossi Codex, the variability of 'Italian' notation, as a phenomenon existing from its beginning, is displayed. Criteria such as applying the principle of via naturae, the downward stemmed semibrevis, the implementation of new notational signs as those featuring a diagonal stem on the left side, or the direction of the flags of semiminimae lead to the identification of temporal and regional distinguishable or even individual notational practices.