Bernelinus

(fl Paris, late 10th and early 11th centuries). French mathematician. According to two late manuscripts used by Gerbert, he compiled a mathematical treatise, Prefacio libri abaci quem junior Bernelinus edidit Parisius (I-Rvat lat.4539, f.1; see GerbertS, i, Praefatio, no.X; RISM, B/III/2, 1968, p.95). The treatise claims to be based on the doctrine of Gerbert d’Aurillac (d 1003) and can thus be dated to the late 10th or early 11th century. A musical treatise (GerbertS, i, 312–30; PL, cli, 651–74) is ascribed to Bernelinus in only one manuscript, I-Rvat Regin.lat.1661 (see RISM, B/III/2, p.119). It comprises two sections; the first, Dimidium proslambenomenos (GerbertS, i, 312), sometimes appears, anonymously, separately from the second, Rogatus a pluribus (GerbertS, i, 314), as for example in GB-Lbl Harl.3199, f.69v (RISM, B/III/4, 1992, p.82) and I-CEc S.XXVI.1, f.177v; and, according to Smits van Waesberghe, Berno (Musica) quoted the first section but did not give the author’s name (only ‘quidam sapiens’; GerbertS, ii, 78B = i, 313B–314A; see J. Smits van Waesberghe: Divitiae musicae artis, vi, Buren, 1978–9, pt B, p.45). The second section of the treatise concerns the monochord; it seems unlikely to be the work of Bernelinus, if the attribution of it in E-Mn 9088 to Gerbert d’aurillac is to be believed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

FétisB

RiemannG

N. Bubnov, ed.: Gerberti … opera mathematica, 972–1003 (Berlin,1899/R), 383

H. Riemann: Geschichte der Musiktheorie im IX.–XIX. Jahrhundert (Berlin, 2/1921/R; Eng. trans. of pts i–ii, 1962/R, and pt iii, 1977), 23, 65ff, 69

J. Smits van Waesberghe, ed.: The Theory of Music from the Carolingian Era up to 1400, i: Descriptive Catalogue of MSS, RISM, B/III/1 (1961)

P. Fischer, ed.: The Theory of Music from the Carolingian Era up to 1400, ii: Italy, RISM, B/III/2 (1968)

C. Meyer, ed.: Mensura monochordi: la division du monocorde (IXe–XVe siècles) (Paris, 1996), cxii, 55, 256

MICHEL HUGLO