Euing was himself an enthusiast in music - as a regular attender at the St Cecilia’s Society he took his place among the basses - and this enthusiasm, combined with a bibliographer’s judgement and a collector’s enterprise resulted in the formation of what is still one of the richest collections of early printed music in Britain. Its treasures include two late medieval liturgical manuscripts and a number of fifteenth-century printed books, among which is the earliest specimen of block-printed music, the Musices opusculum of Nicolaus Burtius, printed in 1487 (Sp Coll E.c.63). Among several unique and many rare items in the collection is a manuscript lute-book (now known as the ‘Euing lute-book’, and one of the most important sources of English lute music of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries), the only known copy of John Playford’s A Booke of new lessons for the Gittern, 1652 (Sp Coll Q.c.78), and a copy of Ein hubsch new gesang buch (Ulm,1538) that at one time belonged to J.S. Bach.

The music section of the Euing Collection is especially rich in two particular fields - theoretical and liturgical works - and while the present exhibition certainly represents these, it is perhaps more closely linked with such other musical publications as make up the two concerts of music being concurrently presented in the University. And it is from an astonishing variety sources from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries that this music is drawn: beautiful early sixteenth-cenury prints of Flemish and Italian music, some of the remarkable series of publications of all kinds of English music that appeared between the 1580s and 1620s, early examples of engraved music of the seventeenth cenutury, a fine seventeenth-century Scottish psalter and an anthology of song, an elegant example of eighteenth-century French chamber music, and worthy publications of eighteenth century orchestral concerti by Italian and English composers - a sample of a truly remarkable collection that belies the modest title of the exhibition.

Vocal music: sacred 

ISAAC, Heinrich (c.1450-1517) Coralis constantinus... Nuremberg: 1550. 4 part books (set lacks ‘discantus’) R.b. 36-38

Isaac was one of the foremost Flemish composers of the time. He first held appointments in Italy, and later was court composer to Emperor Maximilian from 1497. His output was large and varied, including both sacred and secular, both vocal and instrumental music. He exerted a strong influence on the development of German music in the sixteenth century. The three volumes provide a series of settings of the Proper of the Mass for the whole year. This very ambitious undertaking was incomplete at Isaac’s death and was completed by his pupil Senfl (see R.c.22).

MODERNE, Jacques (fl.1532-1567) [Cantiones sacrae]. Secundus liber cum quinque vocibus. Lyons: 1532. 4 part books R.a.20

Moderne was maître de chapelle at Notre-Dame du Comfort in Lyons, and founded a music-printing and publishing business there. From 1532 until 1567 he produced many editions, chiefly of French composers. He was also a composer in his own right, and published his own motets and chansons, which now appear to have been lost. The edition on display here is a collection of motets by contemporary composers, not all of whom are French, including Gombert and Willaert.

This work was the next of Byrd’s to be published after the Cantiones...sacrae of 1575. It is a mixed collection containing ten psalm-settings, sixteen ‘sonnets’ and ‘pastorals’ (mostly madrigalian in subject) and seven songs of ‘sadnes and pietie’.

The Flemish composer Lassus received his musical training as a choirboy at the church of St Nicholas in Mons, and later in Italy. At the age of about twenty-two, he settled in Antwerp, and then went to Munich where he was in the service of Albert V, Duke of Bavaria. One of the chief composers of the 16th Century, his output was prodigious and much of it was published during his lifetime. The first edition of Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum... was published at Nuremberg in 1562, dedicated to Duke Albert. This, however, is one of many later editions.

PRAETORIUS, Michael (c.1571-1621) Hymnodia Sioniae Wolfenbüttel: 1611. 8 part-books R.b.16

Praetorius was the greatest of the family of composers who assumed his surname. He settled in Wolfenbüttel in about 1592, where he entered the service of Duke Heinrich Julius as an organist. In 1604 he also became Kapellmeister to the Duke of Brunswick. He was a prolific composer of instrumental and vocal music. The first of his works appeared in print in 1605, namely the first volume of Musae Sionae, a massive undertaking in nine volumes, containing 1244 sacred vocal works in Latin and German. The Hymnodia Sionae of 1611 are Latin motets. Besides being a composer, Praetorius was important for his great theoretical work Syntagma musicum (also in the Euing Collecion) which covers many aspects of music.

A German, who lived in Venice and later in Rome. Kapsberger was a renowned virtuoso on the theorbo, lute and chitarrone and also a skilled composer. Amongst his works are compositions for lute and chiarrone, as well as vocal music including these motets. This item is an early example of music engraved on copper.

RAMSAY, Robert (fl.1616-44) Manuscript part-books of the early seventeenth century containing music for six voices, believed to be the composer’s autograph R.d.91

Little is known of Ramsay’s life. He took his B.Mus degree at Cambridge in 1616, was organist of Trinity College from 1628-44, also Master of the Children there from 1637-44. None of his music was published during his lifetime, and little has come down to the present day. What has survived is vocal. The present manuscript contains two madrigals, one English church anthem and two Latin motets.

PORTER, Walter (c.1595-1659) Motetts of two voyces for treble or tenor and bass... London: 1657 R.x.47

Porter stands midway between the madrigalists and the composers of the Restoration. He was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and is best known for his Madrigals and ayres of 2,3,4 and 5 voyces published in 1632. He was a pupil of Monteverdi whose influence can be seen in his work.

CAMPRA, André (1660-1744) Motets à I,II et III voix... livre premier. Paris: 1710 R.x.4

Campra held musical appointments in several French towns. In 1694 he was appointed musical director at Notre-Dame in Paris. He achieved fame with his motets, but later turned to writing operas. The present work is one of the five books of motets to be published during his lifetime, of which many reprintings were issued.

FABER, Nicolaus (c.1490-1554) Melodiae Prudentianae et in Virgilium magna ex parte nuper natae... Liepzig: 1533 R.c.3

Faber, a confirmed Protesant, was one of the few publishers to survive the Reformation in Leipzig. He is significant as the printer and publisher of the four-voice settings by Lucas Hordisch and Sebastian Forster of poems by Prudentianus and Virgil. This collection appeared in 1533 and exhibits block-printing (from metal blocks) of high quality. Faber’s printing establishment survived in Leipzig until 1945.

Senfl was born in Zurich and received his musical education from Heinrich Isaac. He edited one of the earliest music books printed in Germany, Liber selectarum cantionum 1521. This item is one of the most important of his works to have appeared in his lifetime.

ARCHADELT, Jacques (c.1505-c.1567) Il terzo libro di madrigali... Venice: 1543 R.c.11

A Flemish composer who went to Italy in 1538, he held appointments in Rome first at the Julian and then at the Papal Chapels. He knew Michaelangelo, and set two of his poems to music. In 1555 he entered the service of Cardinal Charles of Lorraine, Duc de Guise, whom he followed to Paris. There he became a member of the royal chapel. He was one of the earliest exponents of the madrigal style in Italy. Between 1538 and 1544 he published five books of madrigals; this is a reprinting of the third.

A composer of French or Flemish origin, Lejeune seems to have spent most of his life in Paris, but it is not certain what post he held. From contemporary sources it is clear that he enjoyed a considerable reputation as a composer of both sacred and secular music. Much of Lejeune’s work appeared in print during his lifetime and most of what remained was published posthumously by Cécile Lejeune, his sister. The Second livre de meslanges, however, was published by a nephew, and it is clear from the assortment of items contained in it, that he must have gathered together all he could find of his uncle’s still unpublished works.

MARENZIO, Luca (1553-1599) Il quinto libro di madrigali a sei voci... Venice: 1595 R.a.46

Marenzio was in the service of various nobles and ecclesiastics and achieved considerable fame during his short lifetime. His work represents the consummation of Italian madrigal composition. This is the fifth book of his six-part madrigals, which first appeared in 1591.

GESUALDO, Carlo, Prince of Venosa (1560-1613) Madrigali del Venosa a cinque voci, libro primo... Venice: 1616. 5 part-books R.a.23

Over the centuries the music of Gesualdo has aroused great controversy among critics about the quality of his compositions, but he is now generally regarded as a composer of undoubted originality. The music certainly reveals an unstable naure - as did his sensational murder of his wife and her lover. His works were reprinted several times. This edition is a reprint of the first book of madrigals of 5 voices first published in 1594.

YONGE, Nicholas (?-1619) Musica transalpina: madrigales translated... London:1588 R.a.12

This compilation by Yonge was the first collection of Italian madrigals to be published in England, and it contributed to the growing popularity of this type of music in England at that time.

CACCINI, Giulio (c.1550-1610) Le nuove musiche... Florence: 1601 R.x.36

The composer and singer Caccini belonged to the group of musicians who speculated as to the nature of the lost music of the Greeks. This led them to abandon the polyphonic style of writing and give prominence to the solo voice. This influential new genre was sometimes called ‘le nuove musiche’, a title subsequently used for this particular work.

WEELKES, Thomas (?-1623) Madrigals to 3,4,5 and 6 voyces... London: 1597 (‘Cantus secundus’ and ‘Quintus’ are MS copies; set lacks ‘sextus’) R.a.45

Weelkes is best remembered as a writer of madrigals of great imagination and originality, and is regarded as one of the greatest of the English madrigalists. The collection entitled Madrigals to 3,4,5 and 6 voyces, 1597, was the first of his works to be published.

WILBYE, John (1574-1638) The first set of English madrigals to 3,4,5 and 6 voices... London: 1598 R.a.50

Wilbye’s published works comprise two sets of madrigals and a few pieces in other collections, but in spite of this small output, he is regarded by many as the finest of all English composers. The second set of madrigals, published in 1609, is also in the Euing collection.

Ravenscroft was a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral in London from 1618 to 1622, and later became music-master at Christ’s Hospital. He published three collections of music enititled Pammelia (1609), Deuteromelia (1609), and Melismata (1611), copies of all of which are in the Euing Collection. They contain rounds, catches and part-songs, some of them popular in origin, and were the first such collections to be published in England.

PEERSON, Martin (1572-1650) Mottects or grave chamber musique, containing songs of five parts ... also a mourning song ... for the death of Sir Fulke Grevil London: 1630 R.a.16

Little is known of Peerson’s early life. In 1613 he took his Mus.B. degree at Oxford, and he was master of the choristers at St Paul’s Cathedral, probably from 1613 until his death. Only two collections of compositions were published by Peerson during his lifetime, of which the Mottects or grave chamber music is the second. The songs of five parts are settings of Sir Fulke Greville’s Caelica Sonnets. Greville may have been Peerson’s patron during his early life.

PILKINGTON, Francis (?-1638) The first booke of songs or ayres of 4 parts.. London: T. Este, 1605 R.x.12

Pilkington’s family came from the North of England. He took his Mus.B. at Oxford in 1595 and in 1602 appears in the records of Chester Cathedral as a ‘singing-man’. He published three collections of compositions of which The first booke of songs or ayres is the first. Few copies of this work have survived.

FORD, Thomas (c.1580-1648) Musicke of sundrie kindes, set forth in two bookes... London: 1607 R.x.5 Nothing is known of Ford’s life before he published Musicke of sundrie kindes. In 1626 he was appointed one of the musicians of Charles I. Before this he had been one of the musicians of Henry, Prince of Wales. The ayres in the first part of Musicke of sundrie kindes are simple yet beautiful settings for solo voice (or 4 voices) with lute accompaniment. The second part contains dance-movements for two bass viola.

JONES, Robert (late 16th c. - early 17th c.) A musicall dreame, or the fourth booke of ayres ... London: 1609 R.x.7

Little is known of the personal life of the English lutenist and composer Robert Jones. He gained the degree of Mus.B. at Oxford in 1597, and in 1610 he and three others, including Philip Rosseter, were granted a patent to found a school for children to be called ‘Children of the Revels to the Queene within Whitefryars’. Besides ayres for voice and lute, he also composed madrigals and some anthems.

COPERARIO, John (c.1575-1626) Songs of mourning: bewailing the untimely death of Prince Henry... London: 1613 R.x.65

Coperario was probably an Englishman named Cooper, who Italianised his name after a visit to Italy, c.1604-5. He helped to introduce the Italian nuove musiche style (cf. Le nuove musiche) to English composition. He had ample opportunity to do this, since he and Thomas Campion provided the music for the Court masques for a considerable period. It is, however, as an instrumental composer, particularly of music for viols, that Coperario is remembered. The Songs of mourning were published early in Coperario’s career. They are also solo songs for voice and lute or viol.

PLAYFORD, John (1623-1686) Choice ayres, songs and dialogues ... London: 1676-84 R.x.21 During his long career as publisher and bookseller (from 1648-1686), John Playford, the elder, published a vast amount of music. Scarcely any music appeared in print in England during these years, which was not published by him. Apart from publishing music, he also composed a number of psalm-tunes, and wrote a useful thoretical work, Introduction to the skill of musick. This item is a collection of popular songs of the day, in four volumes.

FORBES, John (?-1675) Cantus: songs and fancies, to severall musicall parts... Aberdeen: 1682 R.c.12

John Forbes was a music-printer and publisher in Aberdeen. Scotland had lagged far behind England in music-printing. No secular music was printed until after the Restoration, and then only one volume of seclar music appeared, Forbes’ Songs and fancies... known also as his Cantus from the first word on the title-page. This work appeared in three distinct editions in 1662, 1666 and 1682 respectively, and is interesting for the sixteenth-century Scottish court songs it contains.

LULLY, Jean-Baptiste (1632-1687) Thesée Tragédie ... Paris: 1688 P.x.6

Lully was brought from Italy to France by the Chevalier de Guise. Later he entered the service of Louis XIV as a member of the famous ‘24 violins’. Lully was so expert that Louis formed another band especially for him called Les petits-violons du Roi’. Besides instrumental music, Lully composed court ballads in collaboration with Molière. With the poet Quinault he collaborated in writing operas, and in 14 years composed twenty-four operas, of which Thesée is one. Lully’s operas are well represented in the Euing collection.

ARNE, Thomas Augustine (1710-1778) The musick in the masque of Comus... London: [1740?] P.b.44

After overcoming parental disapproval of a career in music, Arne went on to become a prolific and popular composer, and probably the finest English composer of his day. His output consisted chiefly of music for the stage and includes this incidental music to Dalton’s adaptation of Milton’s Comus, which established Arne’s reputation as a composer. This copy has the added interest of bearing the composer’s autograph on the title-page.

BENDA, Georg (1722-1795) Ariadne auf Naxos, ein Duodrama... Leipzig: [1777] P.x.34

Georg Benda was a member of a great Czech (later German) family of musicians. He travelled with his family in 1742 from Bohemia to Prussia, where for some years he worked chiefly as a musical performer and director. In 1775 he began to concentrate more on composition, writing several Melodramen - a style in which he was a pioneer. The principal characteristic of this style is the declamation of the words against a musical accompaniment. Ariadne was the first such work Benda produced, and with it he achieved considerable success. This and his other Melodramen had a profound influence on the development of German opera.

General Treatises and Instrumental Music

Introduction	BURCI, Nicolo (c.1450-?) Musices opusculum... Bologna: 1487 E.c.63 The Italian music-theorist Burci was appointed a Deacon of the Church in 1472, and later studied Canon Law at Bologna. In 1487, he published his Musices opusculum which is one of the earliest printed works on the theory of music. This book is also significant in that it contains some of the earliest attempts at music-printing, and the first example of music printed from wooden blocks.
Vocal Music: Sacred
Vocal music:secular
General treatises & instrumental music
Exhibitions

GLAREANUS, Henricus (1488-1563) Dodekachordon... Basle: 1547 E.x.60

Glareanus, a Swiss monk and friend of Erasmus, is chiefly remembered for this work which propounds his theory (based on Greek ideas) that there should be twelve modes, rather than the eight which had been the basis of Gregorian plainsong for almost ten centuries. This item is of interest too, for the examples it includes from the works of Ockeghem, Obrecht, Josquin and their contemporaries.

Vincenzo Galilei, father of the famous astronomer, was a lutenist of renown and also a composer, but it is as a somewhat controversial theorist that he is chiefly remembered. The item on display, first published in 1568, is important for the information it gives about methods of tuning employed by the Italian lutenists and the type of tablature (ie. notation) they used in the latter half of the sixteenth century.

Matteis, an Italian who settled in England c.1672, was a brilliant perfomer on the violin. He is mentioned in glowing terms in Evelyn’s diary for the 19th November 1674. He also taught the violin and published several volumes of music for that instrument. He was a very fine guitarist besides, and this copy of his guitair tutor is believed to be the only complete copy in existence.

GIBBONS, Orlando (1583-1625) [Fantazies of III parts. London: at the Bell in St Paul’s Church Yard, 1610] R.b.32

Gibbons is perhaps best remembered for his sacred compositions, but he also wrote songs, keyboard music and a number of works for strings. This copy of the Fantazies of III parts is believed to be the first edition of 1610 (the title-page is missing). This edition is one of the first music books to be ‘cut in copper’ in England, and is a very fine example of this form of printing. This item is exremely rare.

In 1679 Purcell became organist of Westminster Abbey and in 1682 of the Chapel Royal. This set of his Sonnata’s of III parts is particularly interesting because the binding bears the royal coat of arms of Charles II. It is thought likely that this particular set of parts was used by members of the King’s ‘Private musicke’ when they performed in the King’s apartments.

BESARD, Jean-Baptiste (b.1567-?) Thesaurus harmonicus... Cologne: 1603 E.x.44

Besard was a French lutenist and composer who became a licentiate and doctor in law, taking his degrees at the University of Dôle. He also wrote substantial works on philosophy, history and medicine. After 1602 he went to Rome where he was a pupil of the lutenist Legrenzi. He then moved to Cologne where the Thesaurus harmonicus was printed. This is a valuable collection of compositions and arrangements for the lute by various composers, including Besard.

Believed to have been a mercenary in the service of the King of Sweden, Hume was am outstanding performer on the viola da gamba. His Poeticall musicke was dedicated to Queen Anne, wife of James VI and I.

PLAYFORD, John A booke of new lessons for the cittern and gittern... London: 1652 Q.c.78

This is believed to be the only surviving copy of an early Playford publication containing instructions for playing the cittern and gittern, as well as items for performance. An earlier edition was published, probably in 1651, of which no copy has been found. The cittern was a popular instrument in England during the late 16th and the 17h centuries.

PARTHENIA; or, The mayden-head of the first musick that ever was printed for the virginals... London: 1655 R.x.43

As the title suggests, Parthenia was the first collection of keyboard music to be published in England, and was amongst the first English music books to be produced from engraved plates. The first edition appeared in 1612 or 1613 ingrauen by William Hole ... print: for Mris Dor: Euans and was followed by two slightly later editions, c.1615. Further editions appeared in 1646, 1651 and 1655, all published by John Clarke. Of the few copies that remain of any early edition, the one in the Euing Collection is remarkable for its fine state of preservation.

PLAYFORD, John Musicks hand-maid London: 1678 Q.c.88

This collection of keyboard music is one of a number brought out during the second half of the seventeenth century with the large amateur market in mind. This is the second edition of the first part, the first edition having appeared in 1663. In 1689 Playford issued a second part, which is notable for containing keyboard music by Purcell.

FRESCOBALDI, Girolamo (1583-1643) Il primo libro d’intavolatura di toccate di cembalo... Rome: 1628 R.x.9

Frescobaldi was for many years organist at St Peter’s, Rome, where he attracted large crowds to hear his playing. He was one of the finest composers to devote himself almost entirely to keyboard music, and he had considerable influence on the next generation of keyboard composers.

The fourth compleat book for the mock trumpet... London: [1707?] in B.e.19

This unique copy contains music and instructions for playing what was probably the chalumeau or early clarinet, and is not a manual for a type of stringed instrument which was someims referred to as the mock trumpet or tromba marina. It is believed to be the earliest surviving collection of prined clarinet music.

COUPERIN, François (1668-1733) Les goûts-réünis; ou, Nouveaux concerts à l’usage de toutes les sorts d’instruments ... Paris: 1724 Q.b.56

The most famous member of the Couperin family was a national figure by the age of twenty-two, known by his contemporaries as Le grand. From 1693 he held appointments at court, eventually becoming ‘Ordinaire de la Musique’. He wished to unite the French and Italian techniques of composition, and these attempts can be seen in Les goûts-réünis. The title refers to le goût français and le goût italien. This collection includes ‘cencerts royaux’ and the two famous trio-sonatas: l’Apothéose de Lully and l’Apothéose de Corelli.

[PRELLEUR, Peer (fl.1720-1745?)] The Modern Musicke-Master... London: 1731 B.a.51 Prelleur held several appointments as harpsichordist and organist in England, and also composed incidental music and hymn-tunes. The Modern Musicke-Master (subtitled: the Universal musician) contains an introduction to singing, as well as to playing the recorder, flute, oboe, violin and harpsichord. It also includes a history of music and a dictionary of music, and is beautifully illustrated. The first few editions of this work were published anonymously.

STAMITZ, Johann (1717-1757) The periodical overture in 8 parts... Part VI London: R. Bremner [1765?] Q.c.6

The Bohemian Samitz was an outstanding violinist who was engaged by the Mannheim court in 1741, where he later became concert-master and director of chamber music. He became the leading composer in what was known as the Mannheim School, and played an important role in the development of the classical symphony. Stamitz was also responsible for laying the foundaions of solid orchstral technique and expressive playing which later made the Mannheim orchestra famous.

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