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Le istitutioni harmoniche

Description: This is a 1562 copy of "Le istitutioni harmoniche," one of the most influential music theory treatises written by Gioseffo Zarlino. The first edition appeared in Venice in 1558. The treatise, divided in four parts, includes theoretical and practical elements of music. The first two parts discuss philosophical, cosmological and mathematical aspects of music, Greek tonal system and tuning. The third and fourth parts cover the rules of counterpoint and modes, respectively. This copy bears a dedic… more
Date: 1562
Creator: Zarlino, Gioseffo, 1517-1590.

Il primo libro de madrigali a cinque voci

Description: This partbook contains the "quinto" part for "Il Primo Libro de Madrigali a Cinqve Voci, con Tre Sesti, et Tre Dialoghi a Otto, Nouament e da lui Composti, & per Antonio Gardano dati in luce." Carli dedicated his First Book of Madrgials "all' Illustrissimo Signor Conte Alfonso Gonzaga Conte di Nuuolara." A table of contents at the end of the partbook lists the madrigals alphabetically in three categories: five-voice pieces, six voice pieces, and eight-voice dialoghi.
Date: 1567
Creator: Carli, Gierolamo, b. ca. 1530
open access

Prattica di musica, utile et necessaria si al compositore per comporre i canti suoi regolatamente, si anco al cantore per assicurarsi in tutte le cose cantabili

Description: This book is the first part of Lodovico Zacconi's "Prattica di musica," published in 1596. The contents of this book are divided in four parts covering: the history of music, definition of musical terms, introduction to musical notation, modes, time and prolation, rules of counterpoint, musica ficta, classification of musical instruments, and proper manner of singing polyphonic works and musical ornaments. A second part, "Prattica di musica seconda parte," was published in Venice in 1622. The… more
Date: 1596
Creator: Zacconi, Lodovico, 1555-1627.

Agenda Ecclesiae Moguntinensis

Description: "Per reverendissimum in Christo patrem, et amplissimum principem, ac dominum, Dominum VVolfgangum, Archiepiscopum Moguntinum, S. Romani Imperii per Germaniam Archicancellarium, Principem Electorem, &c. Necessariis quibusdam additionibus auctior, et multis locis emendatior, iam denuò typis evulgata." Text in Latin and German, including tables, calendars, and a catechism in German, along with notated music. Two of the back end pages have handwritten notes, including a handwritten rendering of Psa… more
Date: 1599
Creator: Catholic Church — Archdiocese of Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)

Agenda Ecclesiae Moguntinensis

Description: Agenda ecclesiae from the Catholic archdiocese of Mainz. This extensive volume includes calendars for movable feasts, a daily listing of feast days for commemoration, days for fasting and abstinence from eating meat, and instructions for priests on administering the sacraments, texts of various blessings and prayers, with text in Latin and German. The volume includes notated musical settings, and a catechism in German.
Date: 1599
Creator: Catholic Church — Archdiocese of Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)

The Booke of Common Prayer

Description: 1611 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, with psalms. The psalms include incipits in Latin, and occasional notated settings, along with the traditional canticles (Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimmitis) for morning, evening, and night prayer, Te Deum, the Athanasian Creed, and other hymns and prayers.
Date: 1611
Creator: Church of England

Chant pages used as binding

Description: Liturgical chant pages used as binding for another work with a partially legible German title. Chant appears upside-down on the front cover; the first line, "...nt ga est flos filius" matches the text of Stirps Jesse. It is followed by a doxology (Gloria Patri) including some abbreviated text, and then the text of Veni in hortum meum soror, associated with Matins for the Assumption of Mary. The back cover has an upside-down portion, "dominus in suis virtutibus vincula manuum relaxavit suamque f… more
Date: 1643

Finta pazza, drama.

Description: Although Sacrati’s La finta pazza (1641) was immensely popular and influential, the opera has received little discussion in modern scholarship, due in large part to the absence of the music (even the number of extant copies of librettos is very small). Since Lorenzo Bianconi discovery of a score that was used for traveling productions, the opera has received increasing attention.
Date: 1644
Creator: Strozzi, Giulio, 1583-1652

Antiqvæ mvsicæ avctores septem, Græce et latine, Marcvs Meibomivs restituit ac notis explicavit

Description: Contents: I. I. Aristoxeni Harmonicorvm elementorvm libri III. II. Evclidis [i.e. Cleonidae?] Introdvctio harmonica. Euclidis Sectio canonis. III. Nicomachi Geraseni, Pythagorici, Harmonices manvale. IV. Alypii Introdvctio mvsica. V. Gavdentii, philosophi, Introdvctio harmonica. VI. Bacchii senioris Introdvctio artis mvsicæ.--v. II. Aristidis Qvintiliani De mvsica libri III. & Martiani Capellæ De mvsica liber IX.
Date: 1652
Creator: Meibom, Marcus, 1630-1711

Thesee : tragédie

Description: Thesée, which premiered at the court theater at St. Germain-en-laye on January 11, 1675, was Jean-Baptiste Lully's third tragédie lyrique created in collaboration with librettist Philippe Quinault. As in most of his libretti for Lully, Quinault combines a plot based on a classical source (an episode from Ovid's Metamorphoses) with references to contemporary events. The Prologue alludes to Louis XIV's personal leadership in the military engagements in the Alsace (along the French/German border).… more
Date: 1675~
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687 & Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

Isis : tragedie

Description: Isis, which premiered January 5, 1677, at St. Germain-en-Laye, was the fifth of Jean-Baptiste Lully's tragédies lyriques written with librettist Philippe Quinault. The plot is loosely adapted from one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In many of its essentials, the plot of Isis resembles that of Lully's previous opera, Atys. In Isis, the nymph Io, daughter of the river Inachus, is promised in marriage to Hierax, just as the nymph Sangaride, daughter of the river Sangar, was promised to C… more
Date: 1677
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687
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Isis, tragedie en musique

Description: Libretto of the opera "Isis," by Philippe Quinolt. The music of the opera was composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully's and premiered on January 5, 1677 at St. Germain-en-Laye. The libretto is a loose adaptation of one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. The plot resembles that of Lully's previous opera, Atys. It is set in pastoral and divine realms. In the opera, Jupiter courts the nymph Io, and jealous Juno imprisons her under the hundred watchful eyes of Argus. The god Mercury helps Io … more
Date: 1677
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

A compendium of practical music in five parts, Teaching, by a new and easie method

Description: A compendium of practical music in five parts, Teaching, by a new and easie method, 1. The rudiments of song, 2. The principles of composition, 3. The use of discords, 4. The form of figurate descant, 5. The contrivance of canon, Together with lessons for viols, &c., third edition. First published under the title "The principles of practical musick."
Date: 1678
Creator: Simpson, Christopher, -1669

Bellérophon; tragedie mise en musique

Description: Although not the first of the Jean-Baptiste Lully's tragédies lyriques, Bellérophon was the first of Lully's opera scores to appear in print. The Ballard first edition was printed in 1679 to accompany the premiere, on January 31 of that year, at the Palais Royale. Bellérophon was the second of two operas (the first was Psyché) created by Lully without librettist Philippe Quinault after the scandal associated with Isis that led to Quinault's temporary dismissal as royal librettist. After an ex… more
Date: 1679
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687; Corneille, Pierre, 1606-1684; Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757 & Boileau Despréaux, Nicolas, 1636-1711
open access

Proserpine

Description: Libretto of the opera "Proserpine," by Philippe Quinolt; the plot is based on the story of the abduction of Proserpine and her descent into Hades, and also on Ovid's Metamorphoses, its original source. In the plot, Cerés, the goddess of the earth, summons the nymph Aréthuse to guard her daughter Proserpine. Aréthuse protests, and tells Cerés of her love for Alphée, the river god, but the anxious mother warns her she should not let her own feelings interfere with the assigned task. Alphée assume… more
Date: 1680
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

Proserpine; tragedie

Description: With Proserpine, composer Jean-Baptiste Lully returned to his collaboration with librettist Philippe Quinault, which had been interrupted when the poet was banned from Court for offending Madame de Montespan (the king's mistress) with unflattering references in Isis. By 1679, Quinault had been restored to favor. Proserpine was first performed at St. Germain-en-Laye in February of 1680. Though seventeenth-century audiences were familiar with the story of Proserpine being carried off into Hades f… more
Date: 1680
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687 & Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

[Collection of Eleven Operas: Le triomphe de l'amour; Coronis: pastorale heroïque; Isis: tragedie en musique; Amadis: tragedie en musique; Phaeton: tragedie en musique; Proserpine: tragedie en musique; Zephire et Flore: opera; Thetis et Pelée: tragedie en musique; Enée et Lavinie: tragedie en musique; Astrée: tragedie; Roland: tragedie en musique]

Description: This book contains a collection of librettos for ballets, tragedies and opera staged for Louis XIV from ca. 1680-1691. The works reflect the collaboration of Jean-Baptiste Lully and dance masters and librettists in the court of Louis XIV. The following French dramatic works are included in the collection: Le triomphe de l'amour; Coronis; Isis; Amadis; Phaeton; Proserpine; Zephire et Flore; Thetis et Pelée; Enée et Lavinie; Astrée; and Roland.
Date: 1681
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688; Benserade, Isaac de, 1613-1691; Beauchamp, Pierre, 1631-1705; Benserade, Isaac de, 1613-1691 & Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687

Le triomphe de l'amour

Description: Le Triomphe de l'Amour, a ballet de cour created by composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and librettists Isaac de Benserade and Philippe Quinault, was danced for the first time at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on January 21, 1681. Several setbacks, including the illness of the dauphin and the reluctance of court ladies to attend the ballet, postponed its premiere for nearly three months. Benserade, one of the creators of the ballet de cour, was drawn out of retirement to create verses in celebration of the dau… more
Date: 1681~
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687
open access

Le triomphe de l'amour

Description: Libretto of the ballet "Le triomphe de l'amour" written by Philippe Quinault in collaboration with Isaac de Benserade. It is divided in two parts. The first, contais the prologue and the ballet entrances (i.e., entrées); the second part contains flattering comments and instructions directed to the noble people participating in the ballet. Each of the entrées that comprise "Le Triomphe de l'Amour" reveal aspects of love triumphant. The theater represents a magnificently ornate place wher… more
Date: 1681
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

Le triomphe de l'amour : ballet royal

Description: Le Triomphe de l'Amour, a ballet de cour created by composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and librettists Isaac de Benserade and Philippe Quinault, was danced for the first time at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on January 21, 1681. Several setbacks, including the illness of the dauphin and the reluctance of court ladies to attend the ballet, postponed its premiere for nearly three months. Benserade, one of the creators of the ballet de cour, was drawn out of retirement to create verses in celebration of the dau… more
Date: 1681
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687; Benserade, Isaac de, 1613-1691 & Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
open access

Phaeton

Description: Libretto of the opera "Phaeton," by Philippe Quinolt. The plot is based on an episode in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In the plot, Phaethon, son of Climène and Soleil [the Sun], is filled with excessive ambition and pride. He abandons his beloved, Théone, and requests to the King of Egypt the hand of his daughter Libie. Climène, who after consulting the sea god Proteus knows of the demise that her son's avarice will bring upon himself, tries in vain to discourage his ambition for the throne of Egypt a… more
Date: 1683
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688

Phaëton : tragédie mise en musique

Description: Like many of the operas created by composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and Philippe Quinault, his favorite librettist, Phaëton is filled with solar symbolism--a reference to the "Sun King," Louis XIV. The story also provides a political lesson: the haughty youth unable to contend with his position of power served as a warning to anyone brash enough to challenge the rigid mores of Louis' court. In addition to this political interpretation, the story is also a character study of a reckless juvenile whos… more
Date: 1683
Creator: Lully, Jean Baptiste, 1632-1687 & Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
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