MARPURG, Friedrich Wilhelm 1718-1795

Handbuch bey dem Generalbasse und der Composition mit zwey- drey- vier- funf- sechs- sieben- acht und mehrern Stimmen ... Dritter und lezter Theil nebst einem Hauptregister uber alle drey Theile und XII Kupfertafeln. [Volume III only]

Berlin: Lange, 1758.

Small quarto. Early half mid-tan blindruled leather with marbled boards. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 1f. (preface), 1f. (contents), [207]-272, [vii] (index) pp. + 12 folding engraved plates of musical examples. With occasional decorative woodcut head- and tailpieces.

Bold signature of former owner ("George Joachim Ludwig Semler Anno 1813" ) with flourish to front pastedown.

Binding quite worn and detached; spine partially lacking; front free endpaper lacking; small Parisian bookseller's label to upper outer corner of front pastedown. Slightly worn and creased; upper outer corners dampstained throughout; small area of paper loss to blank outer edge of title; significant loss to final plate. A wide-margined copy.

First Edition of Vol. III of this landmark study. RISM BVI pp. 542-543. Gregory-Sonneck p. 168. Wolffheim p. 135. Cortot p. 123. RISM BVI pp. 542-543. A fourth part, Anhang zum Handbuch bey dem Generalbasse, was published in 1760.

Marpurg, a music critic and journalist as well as a composer, wrote numerous theoretical and didactic works on keyboard and vocal music, harmony and counterpoint. In the preface to his Handbuch, he cites Rameau and C.P.E. Bach as his inspirations, while referring to his own theoretical system as "eclectic." The term Generalbasse in the title refers not merely to the realization of figured bass lines, but to harmonic practice overall.

Item #36250

Price: $165.00  other currencies