Syntagma Musicum Iii

Volume III deals with terminology and offers us the most detailed commentary available from the 17th century about the performance of particular pieces of music.

Syntagma Musicum is a book by the German musicologist Michael Praetorius, published in Wittenberg and Wolfenbüttel in three parts between 1614 and 1620. It is one of the most commonly used research sources for the music theory of the seventeenth century. The second work De Organographia illustrates and describes musical instruments and their use; becoming a valuable resource for the research and reconstruction of early instruments.

Volume III deals with terminology and offers us the most detailed commentary available from the 17th century about the performance of particular pieces of music.

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) was a musician, organist, and Kapellmeister. His three-volume Syntagma musicum (Musical Encyclopedia, 1614-1619) was the first comprehensive treatment of music in the German language. This publication is the first English translation of Volume II, Parts III-V, specifically on the organ, which Praetorius declares "a perfect (indeed one might also say 'most perfect') musical instrument ... which ... takes pride of place above all other musical instruments, most of which can be incorporated into this single instrument." This work includes "A precise description of ancient and modern organs, their manual and pedal keyboards, bellows, stoplists, and various kinds of stops, as well as how to tune regals and harpsichords easily and precisely; and what to consider when accepting a [newly built] organ, together with with an appended detailed table ... " This edition shows the German original on the left and the English translation on the facing right-hand pages.