APange lingua Intabulation

from
the Stefan Craus Lute Book
By Wolfgang Wiehe
The Austrian National Bibliothek preseryes a lute manu-
script with the shelf mark Mus.18.688 which is also known as the
Stefan Craus lute book. It contains 52 pieces in German lute tablahre
and three fragments of mensural notation on folio 35. This manu-
script was formerly bound together (recognisable from consecu-
tive folio numbers) with copies of Hans Judenkunig,s Utitis et
compendiaria introdutio (Wien s.d.) and Ain schone kunstliche
unterweisung (Wien, 1523)t. The manuscript dates from 15231
1526 to I 540 and is ofAustrian provenience.
The musical content of this manuscript consists of
dances, German songs, preambulae, an interesting exercise for the
right hand and 3 intabulations ofsacred worksz. There are three or
perhaps five distinct styles of handwriting present in the manu-
script. It is not clear whether they all belong to different scribes or
iftwo or more are the same scribe writing at different times. Further
study of this aspect of the manuscript may help to clari$, this. The
scribe who contributed the most pieces to the manuscript (hand I
)
wrote neat and very legible tablature which is highly accurate and
which shows a refined musical taste. It is the third hand in the
manuscript that is associated with the name of Stefan Craus
-
the
writing in this hand is untidy and consists of simple dance music.
On folio 17-18 we find a fine example of a sacred
intabulation. The original title of this piece (no. 20 in the manu-
script) is fragmentary and not clearly readable, caused by trim-
ming of the top border of the page:
If anyone is able to give me more information on this
interesting intabulation, please e-mail me at: wiwo@zal.tu-
cottbus.de.
Many thanks to Arthur Ness for his palientia to answer
all my questions, to Sean Smith and Denys Stephens for all the
lively discussions and help, to Jeffry Steele to use his chant set-
ting of Pange lingua and to Jean Wirth for a copy of his paper!
References
Dorfmllcr, K.: Studien zur Lautenmusik in der ersren Hlfte des 16.
Jahrhunderts. 1967.
Koszirz, A.'. skrreichische Lautenmusik im Xltl. Jahrhunclerl. Hans
Judcnknig, Hans Ncwsidlcr, Simon Gintzlcr, Valcntin Grcff, Bakfark und
Unika dcr Wicncr Hofbibliothck. in DT 37. 1959.
Mcycr, Chr.: "Sourccs
manuscritcs cn tablaturc. Luth ct thorbc (c 1500_ c.
1800)." Catalogue descriptif. Manuscripl Sources in Tablature. Lute and
Theorbo. A Descriptive Inventory,. Itt/l: stcrrcich. 1991 .
Wirth, J.: "La tabulaturc dc luth dc Stcphan Craus." Musique ancienne vol.
7, 1979,4-20.
Footnotes
I
Facsimilcs ol thcsc cxamplcs of Judcnkunig's prints arc availablc from Dr.
Christian Bcckcr, Colognc via http://www.sciccntomusic.dc/
2
John H. Robinson includcs a nicc collcction ofdanccs and prcambulac lrom
this manuscript in: Music Supplcmcnts to Lutc Ncws numbcrs 6g,70 & 72
of thc English Lutc Socicty.
e.
Christian Meyer, in his inventory of the manuscript, de-
scribes this piece tentatively as "motet?," Jean Wirth as
..pice
polyphonique." However, while playing this intabulation, I was
very sulprised to find the hymn for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Pange lingua, very clearly realizedin different voices.
'[[rlrgc
llrr$u.t gtorl-o-61 rrr-lxrri* mt'*tc-rium
To my knowledge the vocal model on which this
intabulation was based is not known and there are no concor-
dances in other lute books. Possibly there are some connections
to the Vienna HoJkapelle ofEmperor Maximilian I, or to a Corpus-
Christi-confraternity at the Vienna Stephansdom to which
Judenkunig belonged, called Gottleichnamzeche.
LSA
Quarterly
- February, 2006
13
No. 20 (Motet Pange lingua) Stefan Craus Lute Book A-Wn 18688; 17-18
lffi-ffi
-ffiI.ffi
ll F-Rl FT=--T=-
FT=N FF IIffi IFil
- -
[F
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ml ml ffi- R [il| il[F FFT=- I llFr-
b
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14
a b-cc a o
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B-T=-FF
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@tFil
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,"
Transcribed & Edited by Wolfgang Wiehe http://LuteSocietyofAmerica'org
LSA
Quarlerly
- February. 2006