The Emblematic Title Page and Frontispiece in Music Prints

The emblematic title page of Philipp Jakob Baudrexel's collection of religious music «Primitiae deo et agno coelestis hierarchiae cantatae» (Innsbruck, 1664) was produced by the Augsburg etcher Mathäus Küsel (1629-81). The representation is structured on three levels: at the bottom are shown ea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:RIdIM-RCMI newsletter 1996-10, Vol.21 (2), p.58-62
Main Author: Raasveld, Paul P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apostles
Baroque literature
Frontispieces
Music composition
Musical notation
Renaissance music
String instruments
Trumpets
Violas
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The emblematic title page of Philipp Jakob Baudrexel's collection of religious music «Primitiae deo et agno coelestis hierarchiae cantatae» (Innsbruck, 1664) was produced by the Augsburg etcher Mathäus Küsel (1629-81). The representation is structured on three levels: at the bottom are shown earthly sufferings and Christ's deed of redemption, in the middle is the title sheet, and at the top is a celestial orbit with the figure of Mary and the Holy Trinity. On each side of the title sheet aret hree shields with emblems. The group on the left represents a hierarchy starting with the redemption of man through Christ's suffering on the Cross and continues with emblems representing three groups of devotees of God: the virgins, the confessors-bishops, and the apostles. The right column starts with the images of plague, famine, and war at the bottom, above which is an image of black notation on a music sheet giving rise to the words "cantus durus" and ending with the words "va, va,va", representing an incantation to chase away the plague, famine,and war. The overall composition conceives a program of human life in its progression from earthly suffering, through redemption by Christ, to God.
ISSN:0360-8727
1522-7464
2169-8317
2169-9488