Paper and Copyists in Viennese Opera Scores

Current Period: 1760–1775

Staff Ruling

The vast majority of our scores was lined with ‘compound rastra’ of 10 and 12 staves, rarely even of 8 staves. We based our method of measuring and describing the rastra largely on Edge 2001, 364–76. Each rastrum is defined by the number of staves, the total span (TS) in mm and the distances between the staves (DS), also in mm. TS is the distance between the highest and the lowest line of the rastrum. DS are represented by a series of numbers. Our codes for each rastrum comprise the number of staves, the TS and a capital letter to distinguish the rastra that share the same TS.
The following list shows the paper on which we identified the rastra and the time span, in which this paper with the specific rastrum was used in Viennese opera scores.

The distances were measured with a clear metric ruler on the original source, from the top down and at a distance of 150 mm from the outer edge of the page. All measurements are made from the center of the line. As more precision is required for the distances between the staves (DS), the measurement in mm is further subdivided based on the position of the hairline of the metric ruler: The hairline of the “0” is placed on the lowest line of the upper stave. If the upper line of the stave below falls exactly on the hairline of the ruler, it is given a round number (e.g. 10); if the line falls in between two hairlines, it is given as e.g. 10.5. If the line is just below or just above the hairline, it is given a e.g. 10+ or 10-.

IDdistances between staves (DS) in usepaper
10/183B  10-_9.5_10.5_10+_10_10-_10.5_10_10 1772-75 P3, P26, P35, P40_var1
10/184D  9+_10+_9+_10_10-_9.5_9+_9.5_10- 1763-68 P22, P56, P65, P91
10/184K  9_10+_9+_10-_10-_9.5_9+_10-_10+ 1766-71 P5, P10, P10_var1, P11, P41, P73, P73_var1, P89
10/184M  9+_11-_10-_10+_10+_10_11-_11-_10.5 1770-73 P2, P48
10/184N  10+_10.5_10+_10_11_10.5_10+_11-_10.5 1770-75 P1, P3, P9, P21, P26, P38, P40, P40_var1, P43, P44
10/184Q  8.5_9-_10+_10_10_9.5_10_9.5_9.5 1764 P81, P81_var1
10/184R  10+_11-_10_11-_11.5_11-_11_11_10+ 1760 P25
10/185A  9_10+_9+_10+_10.5_10+_9.5_10-_10+ 1767-68 P56, P91
10/185B  8.5_9-_9_9.5_9+_9-_8.5_9-_10 1768 P56, P91
10/185D  11_10+_10.5_10+_11_11_10.5_11_10.5 1772-73 P3, P3_var1, P26
10/185F  11_10_10.5_11-_11+_11_10.5_11+_10.5 1760 P60, P63
10/185G  10_10-_10+_10+_10-_10.5_10_10_10 1759-60 P61, P80, P81, P81_var1, P93
10/186A  11_10.5_11_11-_10.5_10.5_10.5_11-_11 1762 P83
10/187A  9_9-_10-_10-_10-_9+_9_9+_9+ 1765 P68
10/187B  12-_11+_12.5_12-_11.5_11-_11.5_12-_11+ 1774 P57
10/187C  10_10_10.5_10_10_10+_10_10-_10- 1769 P90
10/187D  11.5_11+_12_12+_12-_11+_12-_11+_11 1773 P48, P49
10/187E  11_10+_11.5_11.5_10.5_11+_10+_10_11 1764 P58
10/188A  10-_10-_9.5_10_9.5_10_10-_10_9.5 1772-75 P26, P26_var1, P31, P51, P56
10/188C  10_10-_11-_9.5_10_11-_10-_10.5_10.5 1769-74 P51, P55, P90, P97
10/188D  10_10_11-_10+_10+_11_10-_10.5_10.5 1759 P80
10/189A  10.5_11-_10+_11-_11-_10.5_10.5_11-_11- 1769 P92
10/189B  11+_11_11.5_11+_11+_11_11.5_11.5_11 1770-75 P2, P3, P3_var1, P07, P26, P31, P38, P40, P40_var1, P51, P52, P53
10/189C  10.5_10_10+_11+_10+_11-_10_11-_10 1761-62 P71, P71A_var1, P71A_var2, P71B_var1
10/189D  10_10+_10+_11_11-_10+_10.5_11-_11 1762 P76
10/189E  11_10+_10_11+_11-_11.5_11_11_11+ 1774-75 P31, P51
10/189F  10_10-_9+_10-_9.5_10_10-_9_10 1772-73 P3, P31
10/189G  11+_11.5_12_11.5_11+_11+_11_11_11+ 1770-72 P1, P3
10/189H  11+_10.5_10_10_10-_10.5_12-_11_11- 1763 P84, P85
10/189K  11-_10.5_11-_11.5_11-_10_11_10.5_10.5 1771-73 P12, P20, P38
10/189L  12-_12-_11+_11-_11+_11_10.5_11-_11- 1760 P59
10/190A  10_10+_11-_11_11-_10+_10+_10_10.5 1763-66 P59, P84, P87, P88, P89
10/190E  10.5_11-_10+_10.5_11-_10.5_11-_10.5_10+ 1764-66 P87, P88
10/190G  10+_10.5_10.5_11-_10.5_10+_11.5_10_10 1770-72 P7, P95
10/190H  10+_10.5_11-_10+_11-_9+_10_10_11+ 1772-73 P26, P48
10/190K  10_10_10.5_10.5_10-_10-_10-10+_10+ 1774 P31
10/190L  11+_11+_11-_10.5_10.5_11-_11+_11_11- 1761-62 P59
10/190M  10+_11_9.5_11-_10-_10_10_10.5_10- 1764 P61, P81, P81_var1, P84
10/191A  10-_10+_10.5_10_10_10+_9.5_10-_10 1764-65 P69
10/191B  9.5_10-_10_10_10_10-_9+_10-_9+ 1772-73 P26, P35, P37, P39
10/191C  10+_11+_11+_10.5_11_10.5_11-_11_11- 1769 P96
10/192D  11-_11.5_10.5_11-_11_10.5_11-_11-_10- 1767-71 P2, P10, P11, P41, P54, P72, P73, P73_var1, P79
10/192E  10+_11+_11-_11-_11_10.5_10-_11_10+ 1767-68 P72_var1, P79
10/193A  10.5_11_11_10+_10.5_10+_10.5_10+_9.5 1767-69 P56, P73, P79
10/193C  11+_10+_11_11+_10.5_11-_10.5_11-_10.5 1770-73 P1, P3, P7, P20
10/193E  11+_11-_11.5_12_11-_12_12_11.5_12- 1759 P93
10/195A  10+_10+_11-_10+_10_11-_11-_10+_11- 1775 P40, P51
10/195C  11+_11+_12-_11-_11-_11-_12+_10.5_11+ 1760 P61
12/182A  9_8_8+_8.5_8_9_8+_9-_9+_9+ 1767-75 P2, P10, P10_var1, P12, P42, P69, P92
12/182B  8.5_8.5_8.5_9-_8+_8_8.5_8.5_8_8.5_8.5 1774-75 P26, P52, P53
12/186B  9_8.5_9-_8.5_9-_8+_9.5_8.5_9-_8.5_9 1771-73 P2
12/186C  9-_9-_8+_9_8+_8+_10-_10-_9_8_8.5 1772-74 P12, P39, P50, P54
12/187A  8.5_9-_9-_9-_9_8+_8.5_9+_9.5_8+_8+ 1769-74 P58
12/187B  8+_8-_8_8.5_8-_8_8.5_8-_8_9-_8 1772-74 P2, P9
12/187C  9-_8_9-_9-_8.5_8+_9_9+_9_8.5_9 1770 P79, P89
12/187D   8+_9-_8+_8_8.5_8.5_8+_8_8.5_8_8.5 1760 P60
12/188A  8+_9-_9_9+_8_8+_9-_8-_8.5_9_9+ 1770-72 P5
12/189A  9_8.5_9-_8+_8+_8+_8+_8.5_8_8.5_8.5 1774-75 P40, P51
12/189B  8.5_9-_8.5_9-_8.5_8+_9-_8-_9-_8.5_8.5 1771-73 P1, P3, P5, P26
12/189C   9_8.5_9-_9_9-_8+_9_9+_8.5_8.5_9 1760-73 P25, P63
12/190A  9_9-_8.5_9_9_8.5_9-_9_9_8.5_9+ 1760 P63
8/180A  13_14_13.5_13-_13_14_13+ 1760-64 P59
8/180C  12-_12.5_12.5_13+_13.5_13-_13- 1760 P80, P81, P81_var1
8/182A  15-_14+_14.5_15-_15_15-_15- 1762 P82
8/183A  15-_14.5_14.5_16-_15-_15-_15- 1769 P73, P90
8/183B  13-_14.5_15-_14+_14.5_15_14+ 1763 P86
8/184A  15+_15_14.5_15_14.5_15-_15 1762-64 P71
8/184B  15+_16_15+_15.5_14.5_14.5_14+ 1760-64 P22, P59
8/185A  14-_13+_13-_14.5_14-_13+_13 1760 P60
5/88A  9+_10.5_10+_9.5 1760 P67
5/90A  9+_10+_10+_10+ 1760 P67
4/54A  8.5_7+_8+ 1760 P64
4/81A  13-_13.5_13+ 1759 P67
2/23A  8- 1760 P64

Instable Staff Ruling

If a rastrum is unstable, it is indicated via the letter „c.“ next to the total span (TS), e.g. 10/c.190.

ID paper
10/c.182  instable DSP71, P71A_var1, P71A_var2
10/c.183  instable DSP22, P73, P73_var1
10/c.184  instable DSP22, P37, P66, P71, P71A_var1
10/c.185  instable DSP20, P31
10/c.186  instable DSP59, P71
10/c.187  instable DSP71_var3
10/c.189  instable DSP12, P20, P21, P26, P48, P49, P51, P59
10/c.192  instable DSP5, P73_var1
12/c.183  instable DSP33
12/c.186  instable DSP89
12/c.194  instable DSP71, P71A_var1, P71A_var2, P71B_var1
8/c.182  instable DSP10


DOI: https://doi.org/10.21939/cna3h1
License: CCBY-SA
Last edited: 30.01.2025
How to cite:
Paper and Copyists in Viennese Opera Scores / Paper / Staff Ruling, last edited 30.01.2025,
https://doi.org/10.21939/cna3h1, retrieved 24.05.2025