1) "The earliest instance of a”romance” credited to an Irish writer “ (Sweeney, Ireland and the Printed Word) 334J Roger Boyle ,The Earl of Orrery. (1676-1731) Parthenissa. That most fam’d romance· The six volumes compleat. Composed by the right honourable the... Continue Reading →
A very interesting new Acquisition!
Among the most eye-catching books acquired recently by Burns Library is this collection of masses by the prolific and influential Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Printed in 1570, in Rome, this is the first edition of the third collection of Palestrina’s masses (the first book was printed in 1554; the second in 1567). It includes eight masses for four to six voices.
Title page, Ioannis Petraloysii Praenestini Missarum Liber Tertius, by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, John J. Burns Library, Boston College
On opening the volume, the first thing you notice are the elaborate woodcut depictions of musical instruments and allegorical figures which border the title page. The decorative elements and large format appear to signal a major composer at the zenith of his career, however by 1570 Palestrina’s prospects were actually dimming. In an essay memorably titled “Publish or Perish,” Jane A. Bernstein writes:
[Palestrina] dedicated his…
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The reason for publishing a short catalogue is to facilitate easier and cheaper shipping so that I can ship anyone who asks for one will get one quickly. If you usually get my catalogues one will be on the way,... Continue Reading →
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