Significant purchases

The Music Library makes significant antiquarian purchases and also acquires deluxe facsimile editions and large microform sets. Some items are housed in the Music Library and others are in the Department of Special Collections, Green Library.
Some featured items are below:


Catholic Church.
Constantiae: Ex Officina Nicolai Kalt, episcopi constantiensis typographi ordinarij, MDCIII [1603]

Acquired through the Susan & Ruth Sharp Book Fund.
 
Missals bring together in one place all the components needed for the celebration of mass, from various liturgical sources. Although they do not always contain the music used, missals even without music, particularly those that predate the Council of Trent, are important for documenting diverse local practices. One goal of the Council was to establish uniformity in celebration of the mass and editions of the reformed missal were distributed as a result. Although this volume post dates the Council, its manuscript supplement may provide valuable information about the practices in Constance, which had the reputation of being very independent. The missal contains many woodcuts and is printed in black and red throughout.


Music for King Henry: BL Royal MS 11 E XI.
Charenton près Paris : Chez Vernay, [1804]
Commentary by Nicolas Bell; performing edition by David Skinner.
London : The Folio Society, 2009.

Acquired through the Susan & Ruth Sharp Book Fund.

This deluxe facsimile edition, limited to 500 copies, is a beautiful reproduction of a manuscript compiled in 1516 in Flanders. It is believed to have been presented to King Henry VIII of England as a means of securing a position for Benedictus de Opitiis as court organist. The illuminated manuscript is thoughtfully designed to appeal to the king’s interests and contains six motets, two of them composed in his honor. The intricate frontispiece utilizes the texts of two of the motets and its illustrations are full of symbolism relating to Henry’s lineage and history. A separate volume of Commentary provides background information about the manuscript’s creation, a description of the manuscript, and a discussion of its pieces, as well as a Performing Edition of the music. A recording is also provided, containing most of the pieces in the manuscript, many never before recorded, some of King Henry’s compositions, and other works.