Treatises

Period instrumentalists and scholars rely heavily on the consultation of "primary sources" - materials that date to the actual period in question without any more modern kinds of editing or interpretation. Of particular interest are a large number of treatises and instruction manuals that describe instruments' physical attributes, techniques and use. As a result of scholars' interest, a few of the larger or more famous documents have been republished in facsimile editions. Others, however, have remained frustratingly isolated in various collections around the world.

By following the links below, you may access high quality images of facsimiles from a variety of these sources. Some of the French treatises are not given in their entirety here, but these are readily available in excellent facsimile editions (for viola da gamba or cello), published by J.M. Fuzeau.) A few of the links below will connect you to the Federation of Gamba Societies' website, where historical documents are discussed. I intend to continue adding materials to this list, but if any viewers have specific materials they would like to see added, please email me with your suggestions.

• Virdung, Sebastian. Musica Getutscht. (Basle, 1511)
• Agricola, Martin. Musica instrumentalis deudsch. (Wittenberg, 1529/45)
• Gerle, Hans. Musica teutsch. (Nuremberg, 1532)
• Lanfranco, Giovan Maria. Scintille di musica. (Brescia, 1533)
• Ganassi, Sylvestro. Regola Rubertina. (Venice, 1542)
• Ganassi, Sylvestro. Lettitione Seconda. (Venice, 1543)
• Bermudo, Juan. Declaración de instrumentos musicales. (Osuna, 1550)
• Ortiz, Diego. Trattado sopra glosas... (Rome, 1553)
• Jambe de Fer, Philibert. Epitome Musicale. (Lyons, 1556)
• Maffei, Giovanni Camillo. Delle Lettere. (1562)
• Salinas, Francisco. De musica libri septem. (Salamanca Universidad, 1577)
• Zacconi, Ludovico. Prattica di musica. (Venice, 1592)
  I - Bologna: Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale:
• Virgiliano, Aurelio. Il Dolcimelo. (c.1600)
• Cerreto, Scipione. Della prattica musica. (Naples, 1601)
• Agazzari, Agostino. Del sonare sopra'l basso. (Rome, 1607)
• Banchieri, Adriano. Conclusioni nel suono dell'organo. (Bologna, 1611)
• Cerone, Pedro. El Melopeo y Maestro. (Naples, 1613)
• Praetorius, Michael. Syntagma Musica vol II. (Wolfenbuttel, 1619)
• Gengenbach, Nikoluas. Musica Nova. (Leipzig, 1626)
• Hizler, D. Newe Musica. (Tubingen, 1628)
• Schutz, Heinrich. Preface to Musicalische Exequien. (Dresden, 1636)
• Mersenne, Marin. Harmone Universelle. (Paris, 1636)
• Maugars, Andre. Reponse Faite a un Curieux... (Paris, 1639)
• Doni, Giovanni Battista. Annotazioni sopra il Compendio della Musica. (Rome, 1640)
• Bonini, Don Severo. Discorsi e Regole sopra la Musica et il Contrappunto. (Firenza, c.1645)
• Kircher, Athanasius. Musurgia Universalis. (Rome, 1650)
• F - Paris, Bib. Ste. Genevieve, Ms. 1070. Trichet, Pierre. Traite des Instruments. (c. 1640)
• Simpson, Christopher. The Division Viol. (London, 1659)
• Hirsch, Andreas. Philosophischer Extract. (Schwabisch Hall, 1662)
• Playford, John. An Introduction to the Skille of Musicke. (London, 1674)
• Mace, Thomas. Musick's Monument. (London, 1676)
• Todini, Michele. Dichiaratione della Galleria Armonica. (Rome, 1676)
• Prinner, Johann Jacob. Musikalischer Schlissel. (Salzburg? 1677)
• I - Ferrara, REm: Regg. E.41: Bismantova, Bartolomeo. Compendio Musicale. (1677)
• De Machy. Pieces de Viole en Musique. (Paris, 1685)
• Rousseau, Jean. Traite de la Viole. (Paris, 1687)
• Danoville, Le Sieur. L'Art de Toucher le Dessus et Basse de Viole. (Paris, 1687)
• Speer, Daniel. Grundrichtiger Unterricht. (Ulm, 1687)
• Falck, Georg. Idea Boni Cantoris. (Nuremberg, 1688)
• Loulie, Etienne. Methode Pour Apprendre a Jouer de la Viole. (Paris, 1690)
• Talbot, James. Oxford, Christ Church Library Ms. 1187. "The Talbot Manuscript" (c.1694)
• Muffat, Georg. Forwards to Florilegium Primus, Secundum and Ausserlesene Instrumental Musik. (Passau, 1695, 1698 and 1701)
• Merck, Daniel. Compendium Musicae Instrumentalis. (Augsburg, 1695)
• Janowka, Thomas Balthazar. Clavis ad Thesauram. (Prague, 1701)
• Brossard, Sebastien de. Dictionaire de Musique. (Paris, 1703)
• Mattheson, Johann. Das neu-eroffnete orchestre. (Hamburg, 1713)
• Mattheson, Johann. Das Beschuste Orchestre. (Hamburg, 1717)
• Weigel, Johann Christoph. Musicalisches Theatrum. (Nurnberg, c.1715)
• Bonanni, Filippo. Gabinetto Armonico pieno d'instromenti sonori. (Rome, 1722)
• Richelet, Pierre. Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise. (Paris, 1728)
• Rabassa, Pedro. Guia Para los Principiantes que dessean Perfeycionarse en la Compossicion de la Mussica (c.1730)
• Majer, Joseph Friederich Bernhard Caspar. Museum Musicum. (Schwabisch-Hall, 1732)
• Walther, Johann Gottfried. Musicalisches Lexicon. (Leipzig, 1732)
• Eisel, Johann Phillipp. Musicus Autodidacticus. (Augsburg, 1738)
• LeBlanc, Hubert. Defense de la Basse de Viole. (Paris, 1740)
• Grassineau, James. A Musical Dictionary. (London, 1740)
• Corrette, Michel. Methode Theorique et Pratique...de la Viole et le Violoncelle. (Paris, 1741)
• Marpurg, Friedrich Wilhemn. Historisch-Kritische Beytrage... (Berlin, 1754, 1755)
• Mozart, Leopold. Versuch einer Grundlichen Violinschule. (Augsburg, 1756)
• Haydn, Franz Joseph. Catalogues of Works. c.1765 and 1805
• Vanhal, Johann Baptist. D major Cassation. (mid-1760's)
• Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Dictionnaire de Musique. (Paris, 1768)
• Hoyle, John. Dictionarium Musica. (London, 1770)
• D - Berlin, Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz,
• Forqueray, J.B.A. Lettres au Prince de Prusse. (c.1769)
• Hawkins, Sir John. A General History of the Science
  and Practice of Music. (London, 1776)
• Laborde, J.B. de. Essai sur la musique. (Paris, 1780)
• Corrette, Michel. Methode pour Apprendre a Jouer de la Contre-basse. (Paris, 1781)
• Quantz, Johann Joachim. Versuch einer Anweisung die Flote Traversiere. (Berlin, 1789)
• Koch, Heinrich Christoph. Kurtzgefastes Handworterbuch der Musik. (Leipzig, 1807)
• Choron, Albert and Fayolle, Francois. Dictionnaire de Musiciens (Paris, 1811)
• Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg. Sammtliche Schriften. (Vienna, 1837)