Routledge - Music and Performance in the Book of Hours

Explore the musical foundations of the late Middle Ages with this scholarly study from Routledge. This book examines the musical content found within books of hours, which served as the most popular and widespread guides to prayer during this era. By looking at various musical genres and sections with musical implications, the text provides a detailed look at the sound world of fifteenth-century France. Drawing from dozens of extant manuscript sources, the research offers a comprehensive overview of how these handbooks functioned for liturgy and devotional prayer. Readers will find insights into how scribes used specific cues for the articulation of sacred plainchants. This work is an essential resource for those studying the intersection of music, performance, and religious devotion in historical manuscripts.