Flores musicae. Strasbourg: Johann Prüss, 1488.

SPECHTSHART, Hugo (c.1285-c.1360)
Flores musicae. Strasbourg: Johann Prüss, 1488.
First incunable edition of this important and famous musical treatise, one of the very first to include woodcut-printed scores. Spechtshart, who probably taught in Reutlingen, published this work (which also covers history and grammar) for the use of his students. This fundamental work, most probably composed in the second quarter of the 14th century, profoundly influenced later musical compositions. This copy with variant settings in quires L and M as Polain (B)2036A. ISTC is00637250; Goff F-217; BMC I 121; BSB-Ink S-502; GW M42916; Polain (B) 2036, 2036A.

Quarto (195 x 132 mm). Collation: π2 A-M8, final leaf blank. Rubricated throughout, full-page woodcut diagram of the harmonic hand on A7r, full-page woodcut on M7v, many woodcut staves throughout (lacking the folding diagram usually found inserted at D3, a few marginal repairs including to title, B6 and E6, small marginal hole to H2, trimmed close at head into three headlines at beginning including the caption at the head of the diagram of the harmonic hand, variable light soiling and staining). Modern drab boards (lacking lower board). Provenance: Johannes of Goslar (early inscription at end) – Viktor Fogarassy (Austrian art collector, 1911-1989; loosely inserted note that the book was a present to:) – Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

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