Breakthrough Discovery Unveils Earliest Written Musical Notes in Western History
A team of researchers has unearthed what they believe are some of the earliest written notes in western musical history - on a ninth-century manuscript that had remained hidden in plain sight for years in the hands of a private collector. The notations, comprising characters and dots similar to shorthand outlines, appear above the word "alleluia" on the document, a vellum manuscript leaf from a Latin sacramentary used in western Europe during mass between the mid-800s and late 800s.
While ancient musical notes exist in earlier forms, such as the Hymn to Nikkal carved into clay tablets dated between 1400 and 1200 BC, these markings are among the first known to depict the birth of modern western music. Historian Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection, discovered the document while evaluating it for a private collector.
Raab spent months researching the origin and significance of the notations, which he believes were previously overlooked or misunderstood. He has dated the manuscript to Germany in the second half of the ninth century, with the text likely intended for Easter services. The notation marks, inflections, and accents above the words serve as visual aids to guide singers on pitch.
The discovery is significant, as it stands alongside two other early examples: the Laon Gradual and the St Gall Cantatorium. These manuscripts date back to the late ninth or early 10th centuries, with no earlier document known to exist in private collections or have reached the market.
While music has been an integral part of human culture, its written form has remained elusive. This latest discovery highlights the importance of historical research and the potential for significant finds hidden in plain sight. Raab's team has brought attention to this crucial piece, shedding new light on the evolution of western music notation.
A team of researchers has unearthed what they believe are some of the earliest written notes in western musical history - on a ninth-century manuscript that had remained hidden in plain sight for years in the hands of a private collector. The notations, comprising characters and dots similar to shorthand outlines, appear above the word "alleluia" on the document, a vellum manuscript leaf from a Latin sacramentary used in western Europe during mass between the mid-800s and late 800s.
While ancient musical notes exist in earlier forms, such as the Hymn to Nikkal carved into clay tablets dated between 1400 and 1200 BC, these markings are among the first known to depict the birth of modern western music. Historian Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection, discovered the document while evaluating it for a private collector.
Raab spent months researching the origin and significance of the notations, which he believes were previously overlooked or misunderstood. He has dated the manuscript to Germany in the second half of the ninth century, with the text likely intended for Easter services. The notation marks, inflections, and accents above the words serve as visual aids to guide singers on pitch.
The discovery is significant, as it stands alongside two other early examples: the Laon Gradual and the St Gall Cantatorium. These manuscripts date back to the late ninth or early 10th centuries, with no earlier document known to exist in private collections or have reached the market.
While music has been an integral part of human culture, its written form has remained elusive. This latest discovery highlights the importance of historical research and the potential for significant finds hidden in plain sight. Raab's team has brought attention to this crucial piece, shedding new light on the evolution of western music notation.
i mean, all these years we've been stuck with 'ancient' being '1400-1200 BC' and now it's like 9th century and we're finally seeing the light 
i'm not a historian or anything but it seems like this discovery is gonna change everything about how we think of western music history. has anyone checked out those other documents mentioned, Laon Gradual and St Gall Cantatorium? 
. It's crazy how historical research can bring us closer to understanding our musical roots. And I love how this discovery is like, shedding light on these hidden gems that could be totally forgotten if not for people like Nathan Raab who dig deep and uncover them 
. And can you imagine having to sing along with these markings back then? 
It's amazing how much history is hidden in plain sight, and I'm glad someone was able to dig up this treasure 
. Now we get to see the birth of modern western music in all its notated glory 
anyway, i mean, 9th century Germany is def an early date for this kind of thing, but still pretty cool that they finally found something significant in all those private collections. can you imagine how many times someone was holding onto this thing and being like "meh, old manuscript, gonna sell it to some collector" 
, but at the same time, I'm thinking... maybe they're not as old as everyone's making them out to be? I mean, if someone spent months researching it and came up with a specific date for when it was written, doesn't that kinda make it less mysterious? But on the other hand, what if Nathan Raab is totally right and this manuscript has been hiding in plain sight all along? 
.
, but also kinda thinking it's all a bit overhyped 
... I mean, we already knew that ancient civilizations had some form of music going on, so what's so groundbreaking about this? And another thing, how did these markings end up on the manuscript in the first place? Was it like someone just doodling away while reading from the book? 
man it's wild to think about how little we actually know about the history of music right? like, think about all the times you've hummed a tune or heard a melody that just stuck with you and you can't quite remember where it came from... this discovery is like uncovering a piece of that puzzle. 9th century Germany 
and we're talking about the birth of modern western music... what other secrets are hiding in plain sight? 
9th century manuscript = GAME CHANGER 
he spent months researching and finally figured it out. anywayz, i'm low-key excited for more historical research discoveries... who knows what's gonna come up next? 
omg can u believe they found these ancient notes on a manuscript from 900 yrs ago?! its like we just got a glimpse into the history of our favorite songs 
and the fact that it was hidden away for years is crazy, who knew this document existed at all?! 
the fact that they used marks above the words 2 guide singers on pitch is genius 