ABSTRACT
Theoretical knowledge about music was part of pedagogical curricula in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Germany and was taught from a wide range of textbooks. These books circulated in printed or manuscript form, or in combinations of both, such as prints bound with manuscript parts or annotated prints. In some cases, they can be associated with specific owners, who used them or included them into their private libraries. For the authors of such textbooks (e.g. Martin Agricola, Eucharius Hoffmann, Heinrich Faber/Melchior Vulpius), their production constituted an important element of their self-representation as learned professionals, which acquired material form in the print itself. As concerns readers and users, ownership and appropriation of these texts offer insight into their educational trajectories and strategies. The analysis of the material features of these books, and of single copies of them (such as size, layout, added materials, or traces of use), provide useful evidence for the study of learning and teaching practices for music and thus help us gain insight into the circulation of musical knowledge.
