A rare manuscript
This rare volume is one of the most important surviving sources of music for the lute, a very popular instrument in the 1600s and 1700s. It was made in Bavaria in about 1620 and is still in its original binding.
Written in French lute tablature – an early notation with similarities to modern guitar tabs – the music is international, including pieces by French, Italian and British composers. There are 320 works, 89 of which are not found in any other manuscript.
The manuscript was once owned by Arnold Dolmetsch, one of the founders of the Early Music movement, and has been important to lute scholarship for over a century.
Saved for the UK
At risk of being sold abroad, but the UK Government imposed an export bar on the book to give UK institutions the chance to secure it. Thanks to our funding, the rare volume has been saved for the UK.
Sharing and understanding its music
The manuscript will be conserved, catalogued and digitised by the University of Edinburgh, ready to be used in research and teaching. Its music will be performed in concerts held at St Cecilia’s Hall. Built in 1763, St Cecilia’s is Scotland’s oldest concert venue. Audiences will hear the music from the manuscript as it might have been performed by travelling musicians across the UK and Europe.
Other funders
Total funding came to £214,200. Support was received from the National Fund for Acquisitions and the Friends of the National Libraries. The university also drew funding from its own reserves and from donations, including from the Friends of St Cecilia’s Hall.