Now available for the first time in English translation, this new edition of Gallus Dressler's Praecepta musicae poeticae corrects and expands upon earlier editions of one of the most important sixteenth-century treatments of musical theory and rhetoric. Robert Forgács' detailed study of the Latin text reveals significant and original insights into the invention of fugues and the composition of opening, middle, and concluding sections. Forgács introduces the reader to Dressler's life and work and the design and sources of Praecepta musicae poeticae, places the treatise more fully in its humanist environment, presents additional classical sources for the text, and relates it to the work of Dressler's contemporary music theorists. Copious annotations and indexes of words, names, and subjects place the treatise within the broader context of German theoretical discussion, the teaching and practice of music in the sixteenth century, and the musical life of the Lutheran Church.

| CONTENTS PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................vii INTRODUCTION ................................................................. .......................... 1 Dressler¿s Life, Character, and Works .................................................. 3 The Composition, Sources, Form, and Contentof Dressler¿s Prµcepta musicµ poëticµ ........................................ 12 The Manuscript ................................................................. .................. 36 The Edition ................................................................. ........................ 51 Synoptic Chart Listing the Variants among theThree Published Editions of Dressler¿sPrµcepta musicµ poëticµ ............................................................. 53 CONSPECTUS CODICIS, EDITIONUM ET NOTARUM .................................. 59 PRÆCEPTA MUSICÆ POÂTICÆ A D. GALLO DRESSELERONEBREO ................................................................. ............................. 60 Prµfatiuncula ................................................................. ..................... 60 Caput I: De de[843]nitione et divisione musicµ poëticµ .......................... 70 Caput II: De sonis seu de vocibus et consonantijs ............................. 84 Caput III: De dissonantijs ................................................................. .. 96 Caput IIII: De prohibitis intervallis .................................................. 108 Caput V: De usu quartµ et sextµ ..................................................... 108 Caput VI: De partibus cantilenarum ................................................. 120 Caput VII: De connextione consonantiarum ..................................... 128 Caput VIII: De constitutione et divisione clausularum ..................... 136 Caput IX: De usu clausularum .......................................................... 152 Caput X: De pausis ................................................................. ......... 162 Caput XI: De inventione fugarum ..................................................... 164 Caput XII: De [843]ngendis exordijs ....................................................... 172 Caput XIII: De medio constituendo ................................................. 176 Caput XIV: De constituendo [843]ne ..................................................... 186 Caput XV: De ratione progrediendi in hoc studio ............................ 188 Appendix ................................................................. ......................... 190 WORKS CITED...