Source Facsimiles

Below you will find facsimiles of various historical sources related to my research.

Sibley Chorale Book (anonymous, c.1735, near Dresden) (PDF1, PDF2, PDF3)

  • Modern edition: Realizing Thoroughbass Chorales in the Circle of J. S. Bach, ed. Derek Remeš, vol. 2 (Colfax, NC: Wayne Leupold Editions, 2019).
  • Provenance: likely one of J. S. Bach’s students in Dresden (c.1730–40)
  • Significance: The SCB may offer insight into Bach’s pedagogical methods.
  • Library: M2138 .B118C in Sibley Music Library Rare Books, Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY)

J. C. Kittel: “Generalbass Schule” (complete facsimile)

  • Transcription and translation of pp. 1–49 available in “Compositional Pedagogy Near J. S. Bach: Editions and Translation of Four Sources.” Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie (2019), forthcoming.
  • Kittel studied with J. S. Bach from 1748 to 1750.
  • Significance of the “Generalbass Schule”: It may give insight into the instruction Kittel received from Bach.
  • Scribe: J. C. H. Rinck (Kittel’s pupil)
  • Date: Rinck’s period of study with Kittel (1786–89)
  • Library: US-NH, LM 3911, ma21y11k652
  • Contains basses from the section on “Fantasy” in C. P. E. Bach’s treatise (see bookmarks in the PDF file)

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (1690–1749): “Kurzer und gründlicher Unterricht” (Brief and Thorough Instruction) (c.1719–1749) (complete facsimile)

  • Transcription and translation available in “Harmonizing Chorales Systematically: A Translation of G. H. Stölzel’s ‘Kurzer und Gründlicher Unterricht’ (c.1719–49).” Music Theory Online 26.2 (2020), forthcoming.
  • Significance: Earliest systematic description of how to compose a bassline to a chorale melody.
  • Scribe: anonymous
  • Stölzel was Capellmeister in Gotha from 1719 until his death in 1749.
  • Only external citation: J. D. Heinichen’s Neu erfundene und Gründliche Anweisung (1711)
  • Lorenz Mizler ranked Stölzel above J. S. Bach in the pantheon of German composers.
  • Library: D-B, Mus.ms.theor. 839.