What follows is a concise description of the individual fields for each of the three main levels (Cycles, Motets, and Texts) into which the database is organised.
 

CYCLES

• The record ID starts with the letter C, followed by a two-digit progressive number and the title of the cycle. Cognate cycles share the same number, followed by a letter (see for instance C12a and C12b).
• Standardised composer: the standardised name of the composer is given as such when it is a sure and documented attribution, in square brackets when the attribution is accepted but there is no sure documentary evidence, in square brackets with an added question mark in brackets when the attribution is debatable.  
• Attribution notes: contains the diplomatic transcription of the attribution in the relevant sources and/or any additional information about the origin of the attribution. For attributions deriving from ANNALI 1885, notice that the lists of attributed compositions are given in that work without any explanation or comment.
• Cycle rubric: contains information about the presence of a cycle rubric in the relevant sources. A dash indicates that the cycle has no rubric.
• Cycle configuration hypothesis: concisely lists the main objective markers or the secondary literature items that lead to recognise the cycle as such.
• Cycle criteria: the tags listed under this heading (on the right) summarise at a glance the main criteria that characterise the cycle as such. By clicking on one tag, the user can see a list of all cycles that satisfy that criterion. For an explanation of the tags, see here.
• Reference source: identifies the source used for collecting data.
• Other sources: lists other sources that contain the cycle. A dash indicates that there are no such sources.
• Number of voices
• Signature: “-” = no flat in the signature; “b” = one flat in the signature; “bb” = two flats.
• Clefs: listed according to their shape (c, f, g) and position on the staff (1 = first line from below, etc.); angle brackets, as in <c3>, indicate that the clef is not visible in the source but it has been reconstructed; empty angle brackets, <>, indicate that a whole part is missing.
• Final: the modal final of the cycle.
• Devotional/liturgical association: indicates the possible association of the cycle with one or more liturgical feasts or devotional subjects.
• Description: a brief description of the defining characteristics of the cycle, summarising, if necessary, the relevant information provided at the level of “Motets" or “Texts".
• Modern editions: available editions are indicated in abbreviated form (for the complete reference, see User guide > Modern editions). A dash indicates that there is no known modern edition.
• Literature: lists the relevant literature dealing with the cycle.
• Discography: information about available recordings of the cycle is provided here as a mere reference, without any attempt at completeness.
• Further notes: all relevant information that does not belong in other fields is gathered together here.
• Motets in this cycle: the table contains information about the component motets and provides links to the corresponding records under “Motets in sources” (reachable by clicking on the motet incipit), “Master motets” (click on the motet ID, Mxxx), and “Texts” (click on the text ID, Txxx). A separate table is provided for each source that transmits the whole cycle. The component motets are listed according to their order in the source. Notice that the column “Attribution” contains in grey the attribution (if any) as given in the source (= field “Attributed to” of the corresponding Motet in source), in red the standardised composer (= field “Standardised composer” of the corresponding Master motet). 

MOTETS

Master motets [i.e. motets considered as abstract compositional entities] 

• The record ID starts with the letter M, followed by a three-digit progressive number and the title of the motet.
• Standardised text incipit: the incipit of the motet’s text, standardised according to the criteria outlined in User guide > Editorial methods (texts) .
• Standardised composer: the standardised name of the composer is given as such when it is a sure and documented attribution, in square brackets when the attribution is accepted but there is no sure documentary evidence, in square brackets with an added question mark in brackets when the attribution is debatable.
• Attribution notes: contains the diplomatic transcription of the attribution in the relevant sources and/or any additional information about the origin of the attribution.
• In cycle(s): lists the cycle(s) that contain the present motet.
• Reference source: identifies the source used for collecting data.
• Number of voices
• Signature: “-” = no flat in the signature; “b” = one flat in the signature; “bb” = two flats.
• Clefs: listed according to their shape (c, f, g) and position on the staff (1 = first line from below, etc.); angle brackets, as in <c3>, indicate that the clef is not visible in the source but it has been reconstructed; empty angle brackets, <>, indicate that a whole part is missing.  
• Final: the lowest pitch heard at the ending of the motet.
• Mensuration: lists the mensural sign(s) used in the motet. A dash indicates the lack of any mensuration sign at the begininning of the motet (as in M022 O Iesu dulcissime). Coloration is only noted when it involves the polyphonic complex and amounts to a substantial passage, corresponding de facto to a mensuration change; coloration in single voices is not recorded. Three black semibreves indicate the presence of a section in color at level of semibreves, whereas three black minims indicate the presence of a section in color at the level of minims.
• Length: the length of the motet, indicated in breves.
• Music incipit: the first eight pitches of each voice are given in alphabetic notation (irrespective of the octave); rests are represented by a dot; lacunae are shown with -. Whole missing vocal parts are represented with eight lacuna-signs.
• Pre-existing melodies (Cantus prius facti): this fields contains information about the use of pre-existing melodies in the motet. It identifies the Cantus prius factus, explains where it is referenced in the motet, and provides a simple transcription (prepared using the Volpiano music font), followed by an indication, in brackets, of the source from which the transcription is derived. Modern liturgical books are referenced with abbreviations (e.g. GT for Graduale Triplex; see User guide > Abbreviations).
• Modern editions: available editions are indicated in abbreviated form (for the complete reference, see User guide > Modern editions). A dash indicates that there is no known modern edition.
• GCO Catalogue: link to the Catalogue of I-Mfd 1, 2, 3 and [4] in Gaffurius Codices Online, which contains the digitised images and information on the specific composition.
• Literature: lists the relevant literature dealing with the motet.
• Discography: information about available recordings of the motet is provided here as a mere reference, without any attempt at completeness.
• Further notes: all relevant information that does not belong in other fields is gathered together here.
• There follows a link to the corresponding text record (provided with a preview button).
• Music incipit (MEI): the motet incipit is displayed here in mensural notation. The Music Encoding Initiative (MEI: http://music-encoding.org) provides a system for encoding musical documents and making them machine-readable without relying on a specific computer program for music notation. The Verovio library (http://music-encoding.org/tools/verovio/) transforms the encoded file into the score visible in the database. By a right-click on the MEI file title an xml-file (containing the encoded score) can be downloaded and saved. As coloration, ligatures, and some mensuration signs cannot (yet) be displayed through Verovio, the aim of this rendering it to give an idea of how the parts look in the original notation, not to provide a strictly diplomatic transcription. The text underlay is editorial and is provided merely as a suggestion. Where there are lacunae or missing parts in the source, lines are left blank or fragmented.
• Sources with this motet: the table lists the sources that contain the motet as part of a cycle (self-standing concordances are not considered here) and provides links to the corresponding records under “Motets in sources” (reachable by clicking on the motet incipit), “Cycles” (click on the cycle ID, Cxx), and “Texts” (click on the text ID, Txxx). Notice that the column “Attribution” contains in grey the attribution (if any) as given in the relevant source (= field “Attributed to” of the corresponding Motet in source), in red the standardised composer (= field “Standardised composer” of the Master motet).

Motets in sources [i.e. the individual embodiments of the master motets in a given source]

• Source: the source in which the motet is copied.
• Folio(s): foliation in the source.
• Motet rubric: rubric appended to the motet in this source (if any; a dash indicates that there is no rubric).
• Attributed to: attribution of the motet in this source (if any; a dash indicates that there is no attribution).
• There follow links to the Cycle to which the motet belong and to its corresponding Master motet (both provided with a preview button).

TEXTS

• The record ID starts with the letter T, followed by a three-digit progressive number and the title of the text.
• Standardised text incipit: the incipit of the text, standardised according to the principles outlined in User guide > Editorial methods (texts).
• Reference sources: lists the sources used for editing the Full text and the English translation.
• TheTags on the right give basic information about the nature of the text (whether it is in prose, in verse or mixed; whether it is a composite text; and which is its main subject). By clicking on one tag, the user can see a list of all texts that share that characteristic.
• Full text: the complete text of the motet, edited on the basis of the Reference sources and according to the criteria outlined in User guide > Editorial methods (texts). In case of major editorial interventions, or when, for instance, the different voices have substantially different readings, a downloadable pdf document containing critical notes is attached (see below).
• English translation: the translation reflects the original language as accurately as possible, but sometimes adjusts the syntax in order to achieve sense in English.
• Description: a brief description of the defining characteristics of the text.
• Subject: summarises by means of keywords the main topics of the text.
• Liturgical/devotional association: indicates the association of the text (or its different parts) with one or more liturgical feasts (in the Roman and/or Ambrosian liturgy) or devotional subjects.
• Correspondences in standard ref works: this field accounts for the correspondences for the text (or its different parts) found in such ref works as Analecta Hymnica or Chevalier’s Repertorium hymnologicum. For each portion of the text, the information is organised in two layers. The text in brown identifies the text portion and its correspondence in the ref work; the text in black immediately underneath provides an apparatus-like comparison between the Full text and the text as it appears in the ref work (the absence of the apparatus indicates that the text found in the ref work is identical with the corresponding portion of the Full text; if the differences between the two versions are too many, the complete text as given in the ref work is transcribed here).
• Related texts in polyphonic sources: this field accounts for the presence of similar or identical texts in contemporary sources with polyphonic settings. The field is organised in a similar way as “Correspondences in standard ref works” (see above). When a related text has its own entry in the database, links to the appropriate text and motet records are provided. For widely disseminated texts (e.g. Alma redemptoris mater) the field has not been compiled.
• Related texts in other sources: this field accounts for the presence of similar or identical texts in potentially interesting contemporary sources (excluding polyphonic sources, and including non-musical sources). This is clearly the result of arbitrary choice, based on different criteria. Given the crucial importance of Milan for the creation and transmission of this repertory, the Milanese connection of a given liturgical or devotional source is at the moment one of the main criteria for consideration in this field. The field is organised in a similar way as “Correspondences in standard ref works” (see above). For widely disseminated texts (e.g. Alma redemptoris mater) the field has not been compiled.
• Literature: lists the relevant literature dealing with the text (notice that such reference works as Analecta Hymnica, MONE, etc. are not listed in the Bibliography; see rather User guide > Abbreviations).
• Further notes: all relevant information that does not belong in other fields is gathered together here.
• Pdf [forthcoming feature]: a downloadable pdf document containing the Full text with critical notes added (if necessary).
• Motets with this text: the table lists the sources that contain a motet with this text as part of a cycle and provides links to the corresponding records under “Motets in sources” (reachable by clicking on the motet incipit), “Master motets” (click on the motet ID, Mxxx), and “Cycles” (click on the cycle ID, Cxx). Notice that the column “Attribution” contains in grey the attribution (if any) as given in the relevant source (= field “Attributed to” of the corresponding Motet in source), in red the standardised composer (= field “Standardised composer” of the corresponding Master motet).