18Mar26

NL-L:Bibliotheca Thysiana Ms.1666:Thysius Lute Book (1620), at over 900 full-sized pages, is undoubtedly the largest ever collection of lute pieces (Peter Steur counts 968 pieces). The size is daunting, but it is a fairly easy MS to work with, as the text is clear in most places and there are relatively few errors. Most of the pieces have concordances that can be helpful. It is organized according to music type. I have done only the first 50 pieces — galliards, including 8 lute quartets. They are mostly fairly easy to play — no real virtuoso pieces so far. This scratches the surface, as there are around 90 galliards, just for starters.