Begin, O Virgins, to Sing ... and Play! - Pleasingly Generous Marginalia for the Ritornellos of Michna's Loutna česká
Abstract
This contribution reports on the discovery of a first violin part at the Franciscan Library in Slaný. The part completes the cycle of sacred songs titled Loutna česká (The Czech Lute) by the Czech composer of the middle Baroque period Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic.
In the text, the authors deal with the process of successive discoveries of parts of this noteworthy work of the Czech musical and literary Baroque. It explains the relationships between the preserved sources, and it monitors reflections on Michna's collection in the musicology literature.
It also provides information about the form of the first violin part, including its detailed characteristics and external and internal criticism of the source. The study includes a facsimile of the newly discovered printed music as well as of a supplementary source, known as the 'Organo' part, from the library of the Strahov Monastery in Prague.