Graduale – Notkeri Sequentiae

The Graduale – Notkeri Sequentiae is the oldest document of occidental music and originated in the scriptorium of Einsiedeln Abbey between 960 and 970. Still stored in the Benedictine monastery’s library today, it contains a completely preserved Mass antiphonary with neumes and various additions such as Hallelujah verses, Antiphons, and Psalm verses for the Communion Antiphons. The manuscript is adorned by initials illuminated in minium (lead tetroxide or red lead), gold, and silver. Since the mass antiphonary is complete, the manuscript is still important for Gregorian studies today. The second part of the codex contains the Libyer Ymnorum, the Sequences of the musician by poet Notker the Stammerer (also called Notker the Poet or Notker of St. Gall), written most likely for the third abbot of the cloister, Gregor the Englishman.