MVsica getutscht vnd || außgezogẽ durch Sebastianũ virdung Priestern || von Amberg vnd alles gesang auß den notẽ in die || tabulaturẽ diser benantẽ dryer Instrumẽtẽ der Or||geln: der Lautẽ: vnd đ Flöten transferieren zu lernẽ || Kurtzlich gemacht zu eren dẽ hochwirdigẽ hoch || gebornen fürsten vnnd herren: herr wilhalmen || Bischoue zü Straßburg seynem gnedigẽ herren.||

[Basel]

Theory book

There are two editions of this book published in the same year by the same printer. There are minor variations between these editions in the title page. No printer, place of publication or date of publication mentioned in edition; for the attributions and the complex printing process cf. Ripin and the edition 1993. In this second edition from 1511 most pages of the gatherings J through O are newly set. The entries in RISM are irregular and incomplete.

A2r-v: Dedication letter, dated “zů Basel vff zinstag [= Thursday] Margarethe [20 July]. Tusent fünffhundert vnd .xi. Jar.”

Woodcut title border, with acanthus and vine patterns
A1v: Woodcut arms, apparently of dedicatee (Wilhelm I (III) von Hohnstein), bishop of Strasbourg.
A4r: Woodcut of interlocutors in dialogue, Andreas Silvanus and Sebastianus [Virdung]. Woodcut contains images of rebec and harp.
I2v: Woodcut of lutenist with artist’s monogram VG (Urs Graf), horizontal border below the figure.
Several woodcuts of instruments throughout the book.

High German

D-W 43 Musica Helmst.

D-W

woodcut

Schwabacher, Textura, Text printed from woodcut

Rotunda and Textura used only as display types. Some individual notes are set in the text, printed either from type or small woodcuts. In the woodcut the staff, notes and text are printed together.

Mensural notation; Tablature (lute: German); Tablature (organ: German)

Full-length staff on H4v: 143 mm x 9.5 mm.

See Brown (1511/3) for full details.
G2v-H3r: Woodcut notes set into text: individual notes, ligatures, explanation of tablature notation.
H4v-I1r: Polyphonic song for four voices (O haylige / onbeflecte / zart iunckfrawschafft marie) in white mensural notation (woodcut with woodcut initials). Tenor and text on H4v, [Discantus], Altus and Bassus on I1r. Text incipit given in [Discantus] only.
I1v-I2r: Organ intabulation of previous piece (O hailige) with lower three voices in tablature and [Discantus] in mensural notation (note values halved).
M2v-M3r: Lute intabulation.

devotional song, motet, polyphonic song, music for instrumental ensemble, music for solo instrument (exc. keyb., lute, plucked instruments), music for lute or other plucked instruments

H4v-I1r: German Lied setting for four voices (O haylige / onbeflecte / zart iunckfrawschafft marie) in white mensural notation (woodcut), then intabulated for organ and lute.

*D-W, *GB-Lbl

The book is listed in the 1548 Bibliography by Gesner (see Bernstein). A copy of this edition was once held in the library of St Anne in Augsburg (see Schaal). Another copy of one of the variant editions was in the library of Ferdinand Columbus (ca. 1510-1539, no. 922) (see Plamenac).

[Basel]: [Michael Furter], [1511], vdm: 3

Virdung, Sebastian. Musica getutscht. A Treatise on musical instruments (1511). Edited by Beth Bullard. Cambridge: CUP, 1993

Ripin, Edwin M. “A Reevaluation of Virdung’s ‘Musica getutscht’.” JAMS 29 (1976): 189-223
Rode-Breymann, Susanne, and Sven Limbeck, eds. Verklingend und ewig. Tausend Jahre Musikgedächtnis 800–1800. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2011 (230, 227 )
Bernstein, Lawrence F. “The Bibliography of Music in Conrad Gesner's Pandectae (1548).” Acta Musicologica 45 (1973): 119-163 (no. 165)
Richard Schaal. Das Inventar der Kantorei St. Anna in Augsburg. Ein Beitrag zur protestantischen Musikpflege im 16. und beginnenden 17. Jahrhundert. Bärenreiter: Kassel 1965. (p. 64)
Plamenac, Dragan. “Excerpta Colombiniana: Items of musical interest in Fernando Colóns 'Regestrum.” In: Micelánea en Homenaje a Monsenor Hinigo Angles, Barcelona 1958-1961, vol. 2, pp. 663-687. (p. 670-671)