# A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Prætorius

From volume 3 of the work.
​PRÆTORIUS, or PRÄTORIUS. The assumed surname of more than one family of ​distinguished German Musicians, whose true patronymic was Schultz.
Of the numerous Composers whose works are published under this name, the most celebrated Michael Prætorius, a learned and industrious writer, of whose personal history very little is known, beyond the facts, that he was born at Creutzberg in Thuringia, on Feb. 15, 1571; that he began his artistic career, in the character of Kapellmeister, at Luneburg; that he afterwards entered the service of the Duke of Brunswick, first as Organist, and then as Kapellmeister and Secretary; was appointed Prior of the Monastery of Ringelheim, near Gozlar, without necessity of residence; and died at Wolfenbüttel, on his fiftieth birthday, Feb. 15, 1621.
The Compositions of Michael Prætorius are very voluminous. He himself has left us, at the end of his 'Syntagma Musicum,' a catalogue, the most important items of which are, 15 volumes 'Polyhymnia,' adapted partly to Latin, and partly to German words; 16 volumes of 'Musæ Sioniæ,' of which the first five are in Latin, and remainder in German; 9 volumes of a sæcular work, called 'Musa Aonia,' of which the several books are entitled 'Terpsichore' (2 vols.), 'Caliope' (2 vols.), 'Thalia' (2 vols.), 'Erato' (1 vol.), 'Diana Teutonica' (1 vol.), and 'Regensburgische Echo' (1 vol.); and a long list of other works, 'partly printed, and partly, through God's mercy, to be printed.' The first of these is the 'Syntagma Musicum' (Musical Treatise) itself—a book the exccessive rarity and great historical value of which entitle it to a special notice.
The full title of this remarkable work is, 'Syntagma Musicum; ex veterum et recentiorum Ecclesiasticorum autorum lectione, Polyhistorum consignatione, Variarum linguarum notatione, Hodierni seculi usurpatione, ipsius denique Musicæ artis observatione: in Cantorum, Organistarum, Organopœorum, ceterorumque Musicam scientiam amantium & tractantium gratiam collectum; et Secundum generalem Indicem toti Operi præfixum, In Quatuor Tomos distributum, a Michaële Prætorio Creutzbergensi, Cœnobii Ringelheimensis Priori, & in aula Brunsvicensi Chori Musici Magistro. [V Vittebergæ (sic), Anno 1615.]' Notwithstanding this distinct mention of four volumes, it is morally certain that no more than three were ever printed, and that the much coveted copy of the fourth, noticed in Forkel's catalogue, was nothing more than the separate cahier of plates attached to the second.
Tom. I. (Wittenberg, 1615), written chiefly in Latin, but with frequent interpolations in German, is arranged in two principal Parts, each subdivided into innumerable minor sections. Part I. is entirely devoted to the consideration of Ecclesiastical Music; and its four sections treat, respectively, (1) of Choral Music and Psalmody, as practised in the Jewish, Ægyptian, Asiatic, Greek, and Latin Churches; (2) of the Music of the Mass; (3) of the Music of the Antiphons, Psalms, Tones, Responsoria, Hymns, and Canticles, as sung at Matins and Vespers, and the Greater and Lesser Litanies; and (4), of Instrumental Music, as used in the Jewish and early Christian Churches, including a detailed description of all the Musical Instruments mentioned either in the Old, or the New Testament. Part II. treats of the Sæcular Music of the Antients, including, (1) Dissertations on the Invention and Inventors of the Art of Music, its most eminent Teachers, its Modes, and Melodies, its connection with Dancing and the Theatre, its use at Funeral Ceremonies, and many other kindred matters; and (2), Descriptions of all the Instruments used in antient Specular Music, on the forms and peculiarities of some of which much light is thrown by copious quotations from the works of Classical Authors.
Tom. II., printed at Wolfenbüttel in 1518 [App. p.751 "1618"], and written wholly in German, is called Organographia, and divided into five principal sections. Part I. treats of the nomenclature and classification of all the Musical Instruments in use at the beginning of the 17th century—that critical period in the History of Instrumental Music which witnessed the first development of the Operatic Orchestra, and concerning which we are here furnished with much invaluable information. Part II. contains descriptions of the form, compass, quality of tone, and other peculiarities of all these Instruments, seriatim; including, among Wind Instruments, Trombones of four different sizes, the various kinds of Trumpet, Horns (Jäger Trommetten), Flutes, both of the old and the transverse forms, Cornets, Hautboys, both Treble and Bass (here called Pommern, Bombardoni, and Schalmeyen), Bassoons and Dolcians, Double Bassoons and Sordoni, Doppioni, Racketten, and the different kinds of Krumhorn (or Lituus), Corna-muse, Bassanello, Schreyerpfeiffe, and Sackpfeiffe, or Bagpipes. These are followed by the Stringed Instruments, divided into two classes—Viole da Gamba, or Viols played between the knees, and Viole da Brazzo, played upon the arm. In the former class are comprised several different kinds of the ordinary Viol da Gamba, the Viol-bastarda, and the Violone, or Double Bass: in the latter, the ordinary Viola da Braccio, the Violino da Braccio, the Violetta picciola, and the Tenor Viola da Braccio. The Lyres, Lutes, Theorbas (sic), Mandolins, Guitars, Harps, and other Instruments in which the strings are plucked by the fingers or by a Plectrum, are classed by themselves; as are the Keyed Instruments, including the Harpsichord (Clavicymbalum), Spinet (Virginall),Clavicythenum, Claviorganum, Arpichordum, the 'Nürmbergisch Geigenwerck,' and Organs of all kinds, beginning with the antient Regall, and Positieff. Part III., carrying on the subject with which the former division ended, treats of antient Organs, in detail, giving much valuable information concerning their form and construction. Part IV. gives a minute description of modern Organs—i.e. Organs which were considered modern 260 years ago—with details of ​their construction, the form of their Pipes, the number and quality of their Stops, or Registers, and other equally interesting and important matters relating to them. Part V. treats of certain individual Organs, celebrated either for their size or the excellence of their tone, with special accounts of more than 30 Instruments, including those in the Nicolaikirche and Thomaskirche at Leipzig, the Cathedrals of Ulm, Lübeck, Magdeburg, and Brunswick, and many other well-known Churches.
It would be difficult to exaggerate the interest of this part of the work, which is rendered still more valuable by an Appendix, printed at Wolfenbüttel in 1620, two years after the publication of Tom. II. and III., under the title of 'Theatrum Instrumentorum, seu Sciagraphia, Michaelis Prætorii, C.' This consists of 42 well-executed plates, exhibiting woodcuts of all the more important instruments previously described in the text, drawn with sufficient clearness of detail to give a fair idea of many forms now so far obsolete that it would be difficult to find a real specimen in anything like working order. Among these, there are few more curious than the engraving of the 'Nürmbergisch Geigenwerck,' in which the clumsiness of the Treadle (mentioned under Piano-Violin, vol. ii. pp. 745–746), is brought into very strong relief.
[App. p.751 "The order of publication of the 'Syntagma' is as follows:—
Vol. I. Part 1. Wolfenbüttel, 1614; Part 2. Wittenberg, 1615.
Vol. II. Part 1. Wolfenbüttel, 1619; Part 2. ditto, 1620."]
Tom. III., also printed at Wolfenbüttel, in 1618, is arranged in three main sections. Part I. treats of all the different kinds of Sæcular Composition practised during the first half of the 17th century, in Italy, France, England, and Germany; with separate accounts of the Concerto, Motet, Fauxbourdon, Madrigal, Stanza, Sestina, Sonnet, Dialogue, Canzone, Canzonetta, Aria, Messanza, Quodlibet, Giustiniano, Serenata, Ballo or Balletto, Vinetto, Giardiniero, Villanella, Prélude, Phantasie, Capriccio, Fuga, Ricercare, Symphonia, Sonata, Intrada, Toccata, Padovana, Passamezzo, Galliarda, Bransle, Courante, Volta, Allemanda, and Mascherada, the distinctive peculiarities of each of which are described with a clearness which throws much light on certain forms now practically forgotten. Part II. deals with the technical mysteries of Solmisation, Notation, Ligatures, Proportions, Sharps, Flats, Naturals, Modes or Tones, Signs of all kinds, Tactus or Rhythm, Transposition, the Arrangement of Voices, the Management of Double, Triple, and Quadruple Choirs, and other like matters. Part III. is devoted to the explanation of Italian technical terms, the arrangement of a complete Cappella, either Vocal, or Instrumental, the Rules of General-Bass (Thorough-Bass), and the management of a Concert for Voices and Instruments of all kinds; the whole concluding with a detailed list of the author's own Compositions, both Sacred and Sæcular; and a compendium of rules for the training of Boys' Voices, after the Italian Method.
Tom. IV., had it been completed, was to have treated of Counterpoint.
The chief value of the 'Syntagma Musicum' lies in the insight it gives us into the technical history of a period lying midway between the triumphs of the Polyphonic School and the full development of Modern Music—an epoch less rich in such records than either that which preceded, or that which followed it. It has now become exceedingly scarce. There is no copy in the British Museum, nor, so far as we have been able to discover, in any other Library in London; but one is preserved in the Euing Library in Anderson's University, Glasgow. For the use of the remarkably fine examplar which served as the basis of our description, we are indebted to the Rev. Sir F. A. Gore Ouseley, who placed it unreservedly at our disposal. One of the volumes contains the autograph of a Bach, and another of Telemann. Not less scarce and costly are the Author's Compositions. There is rather an extensive collection of separate volumes in the British Museum; but, of Part IX. of the 'Musæ Sioniæ,' embracing several of the last volumes, it is doubtful whether a copy is anywhere to be found.
Of the other Composers, who have written under the name of Prætorius, one of the most celebrated was Godescalcus Prætorius (or Schulz), born at Salzburg, in 1528, and for many years Professor of Philosophy at Wittenberg. He published, at Magdeburg, in 1556, a volume entitled 'Melodiæ Scholasticæ,' in the preparation of which he was assisted by Martin Agricola. He died July 8, 1573.
The famous Organist, Hieronymus Prætorius (Jerom Schulz), was born, in 1560, at Hamburg, where, after attaining an extraordinary reputation, he died, in 1629. Among his numerous Compositions, the best-known is a Christmas Carol for 8 voices, 'Ein Kindelein so lœbelich,' Hamburg, 1613.
Jacob Prætorius (or Schulz), the son of Jerom, whose talent as an Organist he richly inherited, was born at Hamburg, in the year 1600; attained a great reputation in his native city; and died there in 1651. He is best known by a 'Choralbuch,' which, in conjunction with Hieron. Prætorius, Joachim Becker, and David Scheidemann, he published at Hamburg in 1604.
Bartholomæus Prætorius is known as the Composer of 'Newe liebliche Paduanen, und Galliarden, mit 5 Stimmen.' Berlin, 1617.
[ W. S. R. ]
* ↑ The word Schultze signifies the Head-man of a village or small town; and may therefore be translated by Prætor.
* ↑ Called, in the German index, the Arabian Church.
* ↑ Fétis says, 1519; but this is an error. [App. p.751 "1619. Fétis's date is correct."]
* ↑ Except of the cahier of Plates.
* ↑ Gerber erroneously attributes this work to Michael Prætorius.