A Lübeck music auction, 1695

Abstract

This article describes the catalogue of a Lübeck book-auction held in 1695 that is an exception to the norms, in that it includes pieces usually associated with professional musicians, such as manuscripts of vocal concertos. The catalogue provides rare evidence of the trade in manuscript music. Though the previous owner is not stated, I suggest the music collection originally belonged to a professional musician, possibly Bernhard Olffen (organist at the Ägidienkirche in Lübeck from 1682 until his death in 1691). The catalogue demonstrates the chronological diversity of music available in Lübeck in the 1690s, ranging from the motets of Philipp Dulichius (1607) to the recent violin suites of Andreas Werckmeister (1689). It also includes several Italian motets and numerous unknown works attributed to such composers as Christoph Bernhard, Dieterich Buxtehude, Christian Flor, Vincent Lübeck and Johann Theile. Given how much music of the late seventeenth century is lost, the auction-listing puts the surviving output of these north German composers into a more accurate context. (Autor)