M. Praetorius. Syntagma musicum, 1615-1620

Michael Praetorius

Syntagma musici, 1615-1620, four parts in one volume comprising:

Syntagma musicum ex veterum & recentiorum ecclesiasticorum autorum lectione... ipsius denique musicae artis observatione, [no place], 1614, 12 ff.

Syntagmis musici tomus primus complectens duas partes, Wittenberg: Johann Richter, 1615, lower corner of a2 damaged and repaired

Syntagmis musici... tomus secundus de organographia (Theatrum instrumentorum), Wolfenbüttel: Elias Holwein, 1619 (1620), title printed in red and black, folding letterpress table at p.126, 42 wooodcut illustrations in final section (that on A2v with printed overslip), A4 and E3 with folding woodcuts, small tear in gutter of C1 with loss of a few letters, lacking C2-D3 (supplied in neat nineteenth-century manuscript facsimile), a few plate captions shaved, folding plate A4 slightly creased and frayed

Syntagmis musici... tomus tertius, Wolfenbüttel: Elias Holwein for the author, 1619, folding letterpress table at p.29

4 parts in one volume, 4to (19.9 x 16.3cm), woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, woodcut and type-set music, Dolmetsch Library stamp and pencil shelfmark ("II B 42"), contemporary vellum, blue edges, occasional light spotting, binding slightly soiled, edges rubbed, central crease to spine

FIRST EDITION of Praetorius's comprehensive theoretical treatise on music. Praetorius (1571-1621) was a prolific composer, in particular of Protestant hymns. His treatise discusses religious music in a Lutheran context, describes contemporary instruments (with numerous woodcut illustrations), and closes with a dictionary of musical form and terminology. He also includes a substantial list of his own compositions in part 3.

The text of volume 1 is in Latin, volumes 2-3 however are in German. A fourth volume is mentioned in the preliminary text, but it was never published.

LITERATURE:

Gregory & Bartlett p.215; RISM Écrits, p.666; VD17 3:633113C (listing one copy, at Halle, digitised), 3:316505H, 3:316507Y, 23:627399A

PROVENANCE:

M. Kusmau (?), inscription on flyleaf dated Wittenberg, 1809; collection of Arnold Dolmetsch