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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians A.D. 14501889 by Eminent Writers, English and Foreign With Illustrations and Woodcuts, 1883
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1their construction, the form of their Pipes, the number and quality of their Stops, or Registers, and other equally interesting and important matters relating to them. Part V. treats of certain individual Organs, celebrated either for their size or the excellence of their tone, with special accounts of more than 30 Instruments, including those in the Nicolaikirche and Thomaskirche at Leipzig, the Cathedrals of Ulm, Lübeck, Magdeburg, and Brunswick, and many other well-known Churches.
3It would be difficult to exaggerate the interest of this part of the work, which is rendered still more valuable by an Appendix, printed at Wolfenbüttel in 1620, two years after the publication of Tom. II. and III., under the title of 'Theatrum Instrumentorum, seu Sciagraphia, Michaëlis Praetorii, C.' This consists of 42 well-executed plates, exhibiting woodcuts of all the more important instruments previously described in the text, drawn with sufficient clearness of detail to give a fair idea of many forms now so far obsolete that it would be difficult to find a real specimen in anything like working order. Among these, there are few more curious than the engraving of the 'Nürnbergisch Geigenwerck,' in which the clumsiness of the Treadle (mentioned under Piano-Violin, vol. ii. pp. 745-746), is brought into very strong relief.
5Tom. III., also printed at Wolfenbüttel, in 1618, is arranged in three main sections. Part I. treats of all the different kinds of Sæcular Composition practised during the first half of the 17th century, in Italy, France, England, and Germany; with separate accounts of the Concerto, Motet, Fauxbourdon, Madrigal, Stanza, Sestina, Sonnet, Dialogue, Canzone, Canzonetta, Aria, Messanza, Quodlibet, Giustiniano, Serenata, Ballo or Balletto, Vinetto, Giardiniero, Villanella, Prélude, Phantasie, Capriccio, Fuga, Ricercare, Symphonia, Sonata, Intrada, Toccata, Padovana, Passamezzo, Galliarda, Bransle, Courante, Volta, Allemanda, and Mascherada, the distinctive peculiarities of each of which are described with a clearness which throws much light on certain forms now practically forgotten. Part II. deals with the technical mysteries of Solmisation, Notation, Ligatures, Proportions, Sharps, Flats, Naturals, Modes or Tones, Signs of all kinds, Tactus or Rhythm, Transposition, the Arrangement of Voices, the Management of Double, Triple, and Quadruple Choirs, and other like matters. Part III. is devoted to the explanation of Italian technical terms, the arrangement of a complete Cappella, either Vocal, or Instrumental, the Rules of General-Bass (Thorough-Bass), and the management of a Concert for Voices and Instruments of all kinds; the whole concluding with a detailed list of the author's own Compositions, both Sacred and Sæcular; and a compendium of rules for the training of Boys' Voices, after the Italian Method.
7Tom. IV., had it been completed, was to have treated of Counterpoint.
9The chief value of the 'Syntagma Musicum' lies in the insight it gives us into the technical history of a period lying midway between the triumphs of the Polyphonic School and the full development of Modern Music—an epoch less rich in such records than either that which preceded, or that which followed it. It has now become exceedingly scarce. There is no copy1 in the British Museum, nor, so far as we have been able to discover, in any other Library in London; but one is preserved in the Euing Library in Anderson's University, Glasgow. For the use of the remarkably fine exemplar which served as the basis of our description, we are indebted to the Rev. Sir F. A. Gore Ouseley, who placed it unreservedly at our disposal. One of the volumes contains the autograph of a Bach, and another of Telemann. Not less scarce and costly are the Author's Compositions. There is rather an extensive collection of separate volumes in the British Museum; but, of Part IX. of the 'Muse Sioniae,' embracing several of the last volumes, it is doubtful whether a copy is anywhere to be found.
11Of the other Composers, who have written under the name of Praetorius, one of the most celebrated was GODESCALCUS PRÆTORIUS (or SCHULZ), born at Salzburg, in 1528, and for many years Professor of Philosophy at Wittenberg. He published, at Magdeburg, in 1556, a volume entitled 'Melodiae Scholasticæ,' in the preparation of which he was assisted by Martin Agricola. He died July 8, 1573.
13The famous Organist, HIERONYMUS PRÆTORIUS (JEROM SCHULZ), was born, in 1560, at Hamburg, where, after attaining an extraordinary reputation, he died, in 1629. Among his numerous Compositions, the best-known is a Christmas Carol for 8 voices, 'Ein Kindelein so lœbelich,' Hamburg, 16132.
15JACOB PRÆTORIUS (or SCHULZ), the son of Jerom, whose talent as an Organist he richly inherited, was born at Hamburg, in the year 1600; attained a great reputation in his native city; and died there in 1651. He is best known by a 'Choralbuch,' which, in conjunction with Hieron. Praetorius, Joachim Becker, and David Scheidemann, he published at Hamburg in 1604.
17BARTHOLOMÆUS PRÆTORIUS is known as the Composer of 'Newe liebliche Paduanen, und Galliarden, mit 5 Stimmen.' Berlin, 1617.
19JOHANN PRÆTORIUS, a man no less remarkable for the depth of his learning than for his great musical talent, was born at Quedlinburg, in 1634; and, after holding several important appointments at Jena, Gotha, and Halle, produced an Oratorio called 'David' in the last-named city, in 1681, and died there in 1705. [W.S.R.]
21PRATT, JOHN, son of Jonas Pratt, music-seller and teacher, was born at Cambridge in 1772. In 1780 he was admitted a chorister of King's College. After quitting the choir he became a pupil of, and deputy for, Dr. Randall, the college organist, and on his death in March 1799 was appointed his successor. In September following he was appointed organist to the Uni-
231 Except of the cahier of Plates.
242 Gerber erroneously attributes this work to Michael Praetorius.
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