The Thysius Lute Book
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The Thysius Lute Book /
 Het Luitboek van Thysius.
Facsimile Edition of Leiden, Bibliotheca Thysiana 1666
Volume I: Introduction - Jan W.J. Burgers & Louis Peter Grijp; Concordances - Louis Peter Grijp, Simon Groot & John H. Robinson; Volume II. Facsimile Edition Folios 1-233; Volume III: Facsimile Edition Folios 233v-521v
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Halftone. The Thysius Lute Book, taking its name from the Leiden bibliophile who acquired the manuscript in the 19th c., is the world’s most comprehensive lute volume. Compiled by Adriaen Smout from Rotterdam between the years 1595-1646, the book is a complete international repertoire comprised of Italian dances such as passamezzi and galliardas, fancies, intabulations of madrigals, chansons and motets, psalms and English, French and Dutch ballads and dances. It includes lute music by John Dowland, John Johnson, Thomas Morley, Thomas Robinson, Robin Jones and others, arrangements of chansons by Thomas Crecquillon, Pierre Sandrin, Clemens non Papa, Claudin de Sermisy and Orlando di Lasso, madrigals by Palestrina, Ferretti and Noë Faignient, motets by Peter Phillips, Pietro Lappi, Arcangelo Bussoni, Giulio Belli and others, psalm settings by Jan Pietersz Sweelinck, Claudin le Jeune and Claude Goudimel, and many anonymous settings of ballads and dances. Smout also showed great interest in popular culture and included many peasant ditties and light-hearted song tunes. There are also remarkable lute quartets. All music has been notated in seven-line French lute tablature. 3 vols, hardbound, in slipcase. $279