Special Collections—European and American Music Treatises

First published in Rome in 1677, this volume provides one of the earliest comprehensive histories of wind instruments in antiquity.

First published in 1707, with nine additional printings in the 18th century, this important early 18th century treatise includes instructions for the flute, recorder, and oboe.

Includes a basic set of instruction manuals for voice, recorder [flute], flute [German flute], oboe, violin, and harpsichord.

Part 4 of Prelleur's Modern musick-master, London, 1730

A brief instruction book for playing the recorder, which was called the flute at that time.

A reworking of Prelleur's Modern musick-master.

The work was first published in 1746, and Oberlin's copy is the third edition from 1756. It includes instructions for organ, harpsichord, bass-viol, violin, oboe, flute, and bassoon. It also includes instructions in music theory and a dictionary of important musical terms.

While focusing on the flute, this treatise is one of the principal works of the eighteenth century on instrumental performance practice more broadly. It was first simultaneously published in French and German in 1752. Oberlin's copy is from the 1780 German second edition.

This four-volume work is a compilation of articles, listings, and music on a variety of topics. It includes a treatise on the bassoon by Pierre Cugnier, which is thought to be the first substantial treatise on the instrument.

Includes brief instructions for playing keyboard, organ, violoncello, guitar, flute, trumpet, and many other instruments.

While focusing on the harpsichord and organ, this work also includes brief instructions for flute, oboe, and bowed strings, including the first printed instructions for the modern tuning of the double bass.

The first comprehensive American tutor for musical instruments, including the violin, flute, clarinett, bass viol, and oboe.

This bassoon method was valued at the time for its clarity and thoroughness, and it remains an important source of insight into late 18th-century bassoon technique.

The first separate instruction book for the clarinet published in the U.S., intended for the clarinet in C.

This small, fragile booklet exemplifies the ephemeral nature of such inexpensive, unbound publications, which were intended for use by literate beginners, preferably to supplement lessons but often in lieu of a teacher.

This work is primarily a treatise on counterpoint and composition, but it includes a section of lessons on a variety of instruments.

http://obis.oberlin.edu/record=b3080992~S4

Includes instructions for flute, clarinet, bassoon, serpent, French horn, trumpet, oboe, violin, viola, bass-viol or violoncello, double bass, trombone, cymbals, tambourine, triangle, and bass-drum.

This pamphlet on the history of the flute draws on contemporary writings on the subject and reports on the then-recent improvements made to the instrument by Theobald Boehm; Badger was the first American maker of the improved flute.