ABSTRACT
After Das neu-eröffnete Orchestre Mattheson’s next publication of importance was his collection of keyboard suites. The publication of these suites in London, not on the Continent, should be seen in the context of his close association with England and English affairs, as described in Chapter 1. This was a rather unusual step for a European composer – particularly a German composer – to take, and one can speculate that it may have been Sir John Wich’s return to England in 1713 that facilitated the publication. The brief entry on this subject in the Ehren-Pforte does little to shed any light on the choice of London rather than Hamburg (where all his books were printed) or even Amsterdam for this publication:
… hat er … sein Harmonisches Denckmahl in London stechen, und daselbst ans Licht stellen lassen, welches einen doppelten Titel führet, davon der deutsche bereits gennant ist; der französische aber so lautet: Pieces de Clavecin en deux volumes, consistant en Ouvertures, Preludes, Fugues, etc.fol.1
