Gdańsk Tablature


The Gdańsk Tablature is the common name used to refer to the collection of 42 keyboard pieces contained within a manuscript in the State Archive in Gdańsk dating back to 1591. The music is frequently presumed to be the work of Cajus Schmiedtlein. Some of the compositions in the manuscript are based on vocal works by Pierre Regnault Sandrin, Orlando di Lasso, Baldassare Donato, Jacob Clemens non Papa, Johann Walter, Claudin de Sermisy, Thomas Crecquillon, Domenico Ferrabosco, Jean de Latre, Jacquet de Berchem, Jakob Meiland, Alexander Utendal, Giaches de Wert and Germano Pallavicino.

The Manuscript

The State Archive in Gdańsk holds a miscellany of documents under catalogue reference “Ms. 300 R/Vv, 123”. The codex, consisting of 183 folia, is bound in parchment with the initials “P W S P” and the number “1 5 9 1” on the front cover. It is believed that the initials refer to the owner or scribe of the manuscript, although attempts to identify these have proved elusive. The number on the front cover is generally accepted as the year in which the sheets were bound together.
The manuscript contains blank pages, music in Intavolatura notation, music in New German Tablature notation, seven chapters stating the rights and duties of burghers, a list of City Council members for the period between 1343-1619, a list of royal clerks for the period between 1457-1619, privileges granted to the Hanseatic cantorate in Lund, notes of Martin Lange, and table of the City Council’s expenses from 1604-1605.
The music parts are written on paper bearing two distinct water marks: the older being identical to Briquet nr. 1862 and dates to 1567, while the newer mark is identical to Briquet nr. 8978 and 8979, with an ascribed manufacturing date ranging from 1588 to 1597. Assuming the paper was bound in parchment sometime in 1591, this would limit the manufacturing dates of the latter batch to range from 1587 to 1591. The manufacturing and binding dates, however, do not give any conclusive information as to time and location of writing down the music. Any part of the music in the manuscript could have been written either prior to its binding, or afterwards.
The manuscript has been catalogued on the database of the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales with inventory number 302002314.

The Music

The Gdańsk Tablature contains 42 complete compositions for a keyboard instrument. Forty of these are written in Italian Intavolatura notation, a form of score notation similar to modern music notation used in Italy and England until the early 17th century, while two pieces are written in New German Tablature. All compositions in Intavolatura notation are in the same hand writing and musical style.
The forty pieces in score notation can be broadly categorised into 17 Phantasias in 8 church modes, 19 intabulations of sacral and secular vocal music, 3 intabulations with the singing melody highlighted, and one choral setting.
The two pieces in New German Tablature consist of a vocal arrangement on a madrigal by Germano Pallavicino and an untitled prelude.
The music is assumed to be the work of Cajus Schmiedtlein, organist at St. Mary’s Church in Gdańsk from 1585 to 1611, who would have been an important figure in the city’s musical and cultural life. This attribution, however, is not certain and currently no evidence linking Schmiedtlein to the music is known.
There is further uncertainty regarding the author of the two pieces in New German Tablature. Hermann Rauschning suggested that all pieces should be considered the work of Schmiedtlein, but in his own content listing of the Gdańsk Tablature considers the two pieces to be just one. Franz Kessler on the hand considers these two pieces to be a later addition into the manuscript and suggests these should be treated separately from the other compositions based on the different hand writing and notation system. Klaus Beckmann only considers the first forty pieces when writing about the Gdańsk Tablature or about Cajus Schmiedtlein. Jerzy Erdman appears to imply in his 1993 edition that the final two pieces be considered one and publishes only one of the two pieces, but subsequently recorded both works in New German Tablature on his 1997 CD recording.
Several of compositions contain epigrams in Latin, Standard German or Greek at the bottom of the pages, which are believed to have been added by the scribe or copyist of the manuscript at the time of writing.

List of Compositions

The Gdańsk Tablature contains the following pieces in sequence. Where a work is marked or known as being based on another composer’s work, the name of the composer and year of composition, where known, is provided in parenthesis.
NumberTitleBased on
1Phanthasia Primi Toni
2Alia phanthasia primi Toni
3Phanthasia Secundi Toni
4Phanthasia Tertii Toni
5Alia phanthasia Toni tertii
6Alia Toni tertii phanthasia
7Phanthasia Quarti Toni
8Phanthasia Quinti Toni
9Alia Phanthasia Quinti Toni
10Alia Phanthasia Quinti toni
11Phanthasia Sexti Toni
12Alia phanthasia Sexti Toni
13Alia phanthasia sexti Toni
14Phanthasia Aliqua
15Phanthasia Septimi Toni
16Phanthasia Octavi Toni
17Phanthasia Octavi Toni
18Dulcis memoria et suavis recordatioPierre Regnault Sandrin, Doulce memoire en plaisir consommé, Paris 1538
19Orlando a 5 / Susanne se videns rapi stupandamOrlando di Lasso, Susanne un jour, 1560
20Vader unse ÿm Hemmelrick
21Allein ahn dich HerBaldassare Donato, Allein nach dir Herr Jesu Christ, Munich 1585
22Godt is mÿn Licht und mÿnn ThoversichtJacob Clemens non Papa, God is myn licht myn salicheyt
23Bewar mich Herr und sy nicht fern van mÿAnonymous, Wittenberg 1570
24Josep lever Josep mÿnn help mÿ wege mÿn KindelinJohann Walter, Joseph lieber Joseph mein, Wittenberg 1551
25Margot labourez / Orlando DilassoOrlando di Lasso, Margot labouréz
26Orcombien aut Sir Des dilexit mundum aut Tonii 2doClaudin de Sermisy, O combien est malheureux le désir, 1562
27Cessesmes Tonii 2doThomas Crecquillon, Cessez mes yeulx
28Iomison aut Siginet aut Fera Basco / Egidio LuciferDomenico Ferrabosco, Io mi son giovinetta, Venice 1542
29OrlandoOrlando di Lasso, Ardant amour souvent
30Donnes secours Aut: Petit Johan de LatreJean de Latre, Donnés secours ma doulce amye, Löwen 1554
31Jeprens EngreJacob Clemens non Papa, Je prens en gré, Louvain 1570
32Osi potesJacquet de Berchem, O s'io potessi donna, Venice 1556
33Veni in hortum meumOrlando di Lasso, Veni in hortum meum
34Gaudete filiae JerusalemJakob Meiland, Gaudete filiae Jerusalem
35aPater peccavi in coelom et coram te / Clemens non PapaJacob Clemens non Papa, Pater peccavi in caelum
35b2da Pars Quanti mercenariiJacob Clemens non Papa, Pater peccavi in caelum
36aA 5 / Padua / Das Mädtlein
36b2da Pars / a 5
37aHispanum ad coenam mercator belga vo caret. Regifico luxu mensa parata fuit / Alexander UtendalAlexander Utendal, Hispanum ad coenam
37b2da parsAlexander Utendal, Hispanum ad coenam
38Jaches Werth / A. 5. / Speremus meliora oes Sper. Nomie sacro dat GabrielGiaches de Wert, Speremus meliora omnes
39A 6 voc / Deus in adiutoriu um meum in tendeOrlando di Lasso, Deus in adjutorium
40aClemens non papa / A. 6. / Deus in Adiutori um meum intendeJacob Clemens non Papa, Deus in adjutorium
40b2da pars / Ecce in tene bris sedeo et Lumen coeli non videoJacob Clemens non Papa, Deus in adjutorium
41Laura soaveGermano Pallavicino, Laura soave, Nuremberg 1589
42

Editions

The music within Ms 300 R/Vv, 123 has been published and edited several times.
Comprehensive recordings of the music from the Gdańsk Tablature:
Individual pieces are included on following recordings: