Arnolt Schlick's Spiegel Der

MASTER'S THESIS _ M-1598
B ERRY, Elizabeth Irene

ARNOLT SCHLICK'S SPIEGEL PER QRGELMACHER
UND ORGANISTEN; A TRANSLATION AND CONSID
ERATION OF ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE ORGAN IN
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
U niversity of Oregon, M .A., 1£68

Music
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

VITA
NAME OF AUTHOR: Elizabeth Irene Berry
PLACE OF BIRTH: Eureka, Illinois
DATE OF BIRTH: June 1, 1940
UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
Reed College
Pacific University
Portland State College
University of Oregon
DEGREES AWARDED:
Bachelor of Arts, 1963, Reed College
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST:
Music History
History and Construction of the Pipe Organ
Organ Performance
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Teaching Assistant, School of Music, University of

Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1966-1968
AWARDS AND HONORS:
PUBLICATIONS:
Corresponding Editor, Current Musicology

ARNOLT SCHLICK'S
SPIEGEL PER ORGELMACHER UND ORGANISTEN:
A TRANSLATION AND CONSIDERATION OF ITS RELATIONSHIP
TO THE ORGAN IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
by
ELIZABETH IRENE BERRY
A THESIS
Presented to the School of Music

and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon
in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
June 1968
APPROVED:
(John Hamilton)
For Arnolt Schlick, organist of Heidelberg.
INTRODUCTION
ORIGINAL TEXT
Das Erst Capltell
Das Ander Capitell
Das Drit Capittel
Das Fierd Capitell
Das Funfft Capittel
Das Secht Capitel
Das Svbendt Capitel
Das Acht Capittel
Das Neundt Capittel
Das Zehendt Capitel
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Prlvilegium
Introduction ,
Chanter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter S i x ...................................................109
Chapter Seven ............................................... Ill
Chapter Eight ............................................... 113
Chapter N i n e .................................................124
Chapter Ten ............................... . . . . . . . . . 130
THE SPIEGEL AND THE ORGAN IN THESIXTEENTH CENTURY ......... 140
Life of S c h l i c k .............................................. 140
Schlick's Organ andContemporary Practice ................... 144
Influence of the S p i e g e l .................................... 170
B I B L I O G R A P H Y ................................ 173
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Diesser leng gut chor moss, f oder c .......................... 22
Diesser leng zwo ein o c t a f f ................................... 28
Semitone l e n g ................................................. 28
Claues naturales ........................................... 28
Diesser lang ffinff claues jm pedal ........................ 32
Diesser leng drey claues breyt jm P e d a l l .................... 32
Diesser leng sechss...zwischen pedall vndmanuall ........... 34
Diesser leng funff van dem pedall clauirvffdem stull .„. . 35
This length is a good choir pitch for F or C ................. 81
Twice this long is the width of the o c t a v e ................... 89
The length for a s e m i t o n e ..................................... 89
For a natural k e y ..............................................89
The keys in the pedal are five times this l o n g ...............93
The width of three keys in the pedal...is this long . . . . . 93
Six times this long.. .between pedal and m a n u a l ............... 95
From the pedal keyboard to the bench is fivetimes this long 96
Keydesk: comparing Schlick's with m o d e m dimensions..........160
Length of the manual keys; then and n o w ...................... 160
Width of the octave; then and n o w ............................ 162
Width of three pedal notes; then and n o w .................. 162

Arnolt Schlick's Spiegel der Orgel-macher und Organisten is the
earliest major source of information on the German organ. "It is the
first work printed in German on or gan building and organ playing."^
The date, as given in the letter of privilege from the Emperor
iiaximillian, is 1511. Eecause both extant copies of the Spiegel lack
the back page, where the printer's name would have been, the. plc.ca
of publication has been a matter of conjecture. However, iL is

2
generally agreed that it was printed by Peter Schoffer in Mainz.
The story of the discovery of the first known copy of the. Spiegel
is romantic and almost unbelievable. It was found in the mid-nine
teenth century by a village school teacher named August Gottlieb
Seyffert, behind the chimney of a farmhouse in Reinhardsgrimma,
Saxony, along with two very old Bibles and some rubbish. Various
1 "das erste in deutscher Sprache gedr. Werk fiber Orgelbau und

Orgelspiel..." Karin Berg-Kotterba, "Arnolt Schlick" in Musik in
Geschichte und Gegenwart, Edited by Friederich Blume (Kassel:
BMrenreiter, 1949- ) XII:1818.
2 M G G , op. cit. and the British Museum General Catalog of Printed

Books (London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1964) CCXV p. 94
accept Schoffer as the printer. The statement by Hans H. Lenneberg
("The Critic Criticized: Sebastian Virdung and his Controversy with
Arnolt Schlick," American Musicological Society Journal, V:6
(Spr. 1957), p. 2), that it was published in Heidelberg, follows the
publication place for the 1511 printing given in Ernst Flade's first
modern German translation of the Spiegel (Mainz: Paul Smets, 1932).
This view has not been generally accepted. For evidence in favor
of Schbffer as publisher see the foreward to Paul Smets’s second
modern German version (Mainz: Rheingold, 1959), p. 6.
2
people, including Robert Eitner, owned this copy of the Spiegel before
a Frankfurt-am-Main businessman, Paul Hirsch, acquired it in 1900.
When he left Germany in 1933 his extensive library went to Cambridge
and eventually to the British Museum.

3
A second copy was found in 1952 in the Marienbibliothek in
Halle, bound with two other musical treatises from the later sixteenth
4
century.
The Spiegel consists of thirty pages, in a very small quarto
format, with the pages numbered as double leaves and with appropriate
gathering marks.^ The type is round Gothic, with larger letters
for the first lines of the chapter descriptions^ and the title or
first line of each chapter. It is illustrated with a wood cut on the
title page, and lines to show the lengths of various parts of the
instrument, as the suggested length for the lowest pipe, the length
for the keys, and so on. To my knowledge, Schlick is the first person
to use this device to convey exact lengths to his readers. This
was especially useful in the days before precise units of measurements.
3 This may be the copy to which William Leslie Sumner was referring
in a letter to Franklin Miller, written in 1959 or 1960. (See the
Organ Institute Quarterly, VIII:1. p. 11.
4 All information on the provenance of the copies of the Spiegel

is from Paul Smets's foreword to his 1959 version in modern German,
p. 5.
5 These leaf numbers and marks are reproduced in the typescript

of the original text.
6 pp. 18-19.
3
The language of the Spiegel is New High German, which is dis
tinguished from its precursor, Middle High German, by a series of
phonological changes.^ By the middle of the 14th century these
changes were sufficiently assimilated so that scholars date the

g
beginnings of the m o d e m language around 1358. However, these
changes were by no means uniformly accepted throughout the German
speaking area. Authors writing in German used a highly personal
means of expression rather than a standardized language, and their
writing generally reflected their speech. Since many different
dialects were employed in German lands and since orthography was
more a matter of personal preference than of adherence to rules,
German manuscripts reveal great variations in spelling and syntax.
The first impulse toward the standardization of the language
was provided by Gutenberg's invention of moveable type in the 15th
century. Printers had a strong economic motivation for developing
a language which was uniform in grammar and spelling and which could
therefore be easily read by readers from various geographical areas.
Nevertheless, early printed books deviate widely from m o d e m German
practice with respect to orthography and syntax. The second great
influence toward uniformity came only with the wide dissemination
7 For a summary of these phonological changes, see Adolf Bach,

Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, seventh edition (Heidelberg: Quelle
and Meyer, 1961) pp. 176-183.
8 See George 0. Curme, A Grammar of the German Language, second

edition (New York: Friedrich Ungar, 1960) p. 623.
4
of Luther's German translation of the Bible, which provided a linguistic
authority. Grammarians of the 16th century frequently derived their

9
principles and rules from a study of Luther's practice. Schlick1s
manual on organ building, however, appeared in 1511, eleven years
before the publication of Luther's first German version of the New
Testament.
Schlick*s German, therefore, does not yet approach the norm
established by Luther. His language presents great and sometimes
insuperable difficulties for the m o d e m scholar. Part of the
problem arises from his use of technical terms, although a knowledge
of organ building terminology enables one to find adequate modern
equivalents in most cases. Those sections of his work which are
full of moralizing generalities are likely, however, to cause even
greater difficulty. His grammar seems to be inconsistent: frequently
there is no congruence between subject and verb in a sentence, and
he is particularly cavalier about inflectional endings. Furthermore,
his spelling is chaotic. His vowels in particular differ widely
from the norm of modern German literary language. In some instances
the vowels may reflect archaisms, but in other cases they may be an
attempt to designate a dialect pronunciation. The sentence structure,
too, is difficult to disentangle. Some sentence fragments occur,
as do some instances of "apo koinu." In several passages too,
Schlick seems to change construction in mid-sentence. Since his
9 Hans Sperber, Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, revised by Peter

von Polenz (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1966) pp. 69-70.
punctuation is also inconsistent, it cannot be relied upon in con-
strueing a sentence. As is frequently the case with hand-set books,
typographical errors also present a number of difficulties.
There seem to have been five versions of the Spiegel published
in German. The first was a transcription by Robert Eitner.^ It
contained many errors, mostly due to Eitner's misreading of the
confusing letter forms. The most celebrated was his reading of
"in grauibus"^ as "in grambus."^
The second version was in modern German, by Ernst Flade,

13
published in 1932. It is a rather free translation, and does
not always reflect Schlick's meaning. The third, by Paul Smets,

14
published in 1937, is supposed'to the original text in modern
type. I have not been able to locate a copy of this edition.
The fourth version, again by Ernst Flade, was published in
1951.^ This second modern German text of Flade's is supposed to
be considerably more accurate, but still contains many errors.
10 Monatshefte fur Musikgeschichte, I (1869).
11 p .33
12 Quoted by Ernst Flade, in the foreword to his second modern

German version of the Spiegel (Kassel: Barenreiter, 1951) p. 5.
13 Mainz: Paul Smets, 1932
14 Mainz: Rheingold, 1937
15 Kassel: BMrenreiter, 1951

The last, a second modern German version by Paul Smets, also
contains a photo reproduction of the original. His modernized text
follows Flade's in most instances.
Only one English translation which has any pretentions to
completeness has been published prior to the completion of the
present effort. The entire Spiegel, with the exception of the
letter of privilege, part of the introduction and part of the
second chapter, was printed in an English translation by Franklin
Miller in the Organ Institute Quarterly.*^ Unfortunately, Miller
based his translation entirely on the 1951 version by Flade, and
in many places he reproduced or compounded Flade1s errors. He
evidently did not avail himself of any access to the originals.
This is proved by the following section, quoted by Miller in a

18
footnote as the original:
"Die Pedalobertasten sollen nicht senkrecht in die Hohe

ragen, sondern wagrecht niederfalien." 19
to which he added:
"This translates as follows: 'The upper keys of the pedal

should not project vertically in the air, but fall down
horizontally.' The reader may judge the meaning for himself!
16 Mainz: Rheingold, 1959
17 VII:4,p. 14-23; VIIIsl, p. 11-17; VIII:3, p. 27-31; X:l, p. 16-

X:4, p. 15-19.
18 Ibid., VII:4, p. 21.
19 Flade Spiegel (1951), p. 23.

7
What follows In the text leads one to believe that Schlick

Is describing a kind of radiating pedalboard."20
What Schlick actually has is :
"Item die semitonlen ym pedal sollen vorn mit ubersich

gericht / sonder leg und nieder /"21
Which translates: "Also the semitones in the pedal should not
stand forward and high up, but lie down low." (This is followed
by the dimensions for the semitone keys and clearly refers to their
location in regard to the naturals in the pedal.)
Arthur Mendel, in his article on "Pitch in the Early 16th and

22
17th Centuries," translated some sizable sections of Chapter Two
from a microfilm of the copy in the British Museum. This is an
excellent translation and has been followed here in all but a few
details,. Mendel's documentation of the chant melodies has also been
gratefully followed, since research of this type is not possible
with the materials available in Eugene.
In the course of the present translation the photo reproduction
included in Smets's 1959 publication has been used as a basis, and
the typescript included in this thesis has been prepared from a
photo copy of it. The horizontal measurement of the woodcut on

23
the title page of the original book, given by Smets as 125 mm,
agrees with the size of his photo reproduction. On this basis the
20 Organ Institute Quarterly, op. cit., VII:4, p. 21.
21 Original text p. 33.
22 Musical Quarterly, XXXIV (Jan. 1948) p. 29-45.
23 Spiegel, (1959), p. 5.
8
illustrative lines in the photo reproduction have been considered to
be equally accurately reproduced. No allowance has been made for paper
shrinkage in the original publication.
The later modern versions of Flade and Smets have been consulted
from time to time. As stated above, Mendel's translation of portions
of Chapter Two has been followed closely. Franklin Miller's English
version has been used only to give an approximation of the content.
Invaluable linguistic help has been received from Jean Woods
of the University of Oregon German faculty, and, for details of 16th
century music theory and Schlick's lapses into Latin, from Peter
Bergquist of the School of Music faculty. As well as standard
German dictionaries, the Frvihneuhochdeutsches Glossar of Alfred

24
Gotze has been consulted.
The typescript of the original text retains the variant umlaut
forms and punctuation marks of the original. Where variant letter
forms (such as "u" and "v") could be reproduced on a standard type
writer this has been done. Some variations possible in the original
such as the two forms for "r" and the varied "s" forms have
inevitably been lost. A few probable typographical errors in the
original have been indicated in footnotes, as have the marginal
handwritten corrections which were in the original book when the
photo reproduction was made.
24 Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co., 1960.

9
In general this translation follows Schlick as closely as possible.
The most grammatically obscure passages have been footnoted. The
archaic flavor and homey quality of the language has been retained as
much as possible where it does not interfere with clarity of meaning.
Technical terms current in m o d e m organ building have been used where
they are clearly what Schlick meant. The more circumlocutory terms
have been retained with a bracketed equivalent for explanation.

25
Schlick*s note names, given in the hexachordal system, have been
translated into ordinary chromatic names, with a very few exceptions
in repeated names, which have been left to add flavor. Middle c
and notes above it are indicated by lower case letters, while notes
below middle c and those for which the octave is not specified are
indicated by capital letters. All very short explanations have
been included in the text in brackets, and longer explanations of
problems have been placed in footnotes. Intensive discussion of
the implications of Schlick’s statements and their interaction with
the instruments and other circumstances which form the background
against which the SpieRel must be viewed have been relegated to the
discussion section which follows the translation.
I would like to express my special gratitude to my advisor, John
Hamilton, who has been more than helpful in this project.
25 For a concise explanation of the hexachordal system and its note

names, see Willi Apel, Harvard Dictionary of Music (Cambridge, Mass.:
Harvard University Press, 1964), p. 331.
10
ORIGINAL TEXT
Spiegel der Orgelmacher vn Organisten alien Stifften vn Kirche so
Orgel halte oder mache lasses hochnutzlich. durch den hochbretimpten
un kiinstrelchen Meyster Arnolt Schlicken Pfaltzgrauischen Organlste
artlick verfast. vn vss Romlscher Kaisserlicher maiestat sonder
loblicher befreyhug vn begnadug auffgericht vn aussgange.

11
Wir Maximilian vo gots gnaden Erwelter Romischer Keyser zu alien
zeiten merer des Reichs in Germanien zu Hungern Dalmacien Croatlen
rc. Kunig Ertzhertzoge zu Osterreich / Hertzog zil Burgundt / zti Bra-

O 6
bent / vnd Phallnntzgrlaue rc. Embieten alien ChurfUrsten / Fursten /
geistlichen vnnd weltlichen prelaten Graue. Freyen. Herren. Rittern.
Knechte. Haubleuten. Landtuogten. Vitztumben. Vogten. Pflegem.
Versesen. Ambtleuten. Schulthaissen. Burgermaistern. Landtrichtem.
R i c h t e m / Redten. Burgem. PUcchtruckem. Pucchfurem. Gemainden /
vnd sonnst alien andera / v n n s e m vnd des Reichs / auch vnnsrer Erblichen
FurstentUmb vnd lannde vnnderthannen vnd getrewen. in was wirden
stats oder wesens die sein / den dieser vnnser brief fiirkumbt. oder
verkundt virdet. vnnser gnad vnd alles guet. ErWirdigen / hochgeboranen.
Wolgebomnen. Edeln. Ersamem. Andechtigen lieben Neiien. Oheymen.
Chiirfursten. Fursten vnd getrewen. Vnnsshat vnnser vnd des Reichs
lieber getrewer Maister Arnoldt SchlickiLorganist von Haidelberg zii
erkennB geben. wie er auff vilfeltig vleissig ersiichen vnnd begern.
weilennd Phallntzgraue Philipsen / auch anderer Fursten. geistlich
vnd weltlich person / mit embslgen vleys. in ain piiechlin zUs amen
gebracht underschiedlich anzeigung lere / vnnd vnnderrichtung. wie
man ain artlich werch / von pfelffen vnnd annderm. dem gesanng zU
Chor. und den organisten brauchlich
A ij
12
ziirichten und stellen soli / dasselb puechlin Er gott zii vordrist
zil lob vnd Ere / auch gemainen nutz zii giitem. dardurch der mercklich
vncosten. so blssher auf die werch der Orgeln jrer vnbestanndigkelt
halben yeziizeitten gangen 1st. verhiitte werdt. In alnen drukh. solks
menigdlich zii offenwaren / zii bringen wlllens sey. Vnnd damutt Er dann
destfugklicher alnen geschlckten Piiechtrucker. der berurt seln piiechlln
vnnd werch mlt alnen scharffen und leslichen puechstaben correct drucken /
vnd Er alsdann seiner arbalt vnnd muhe mitt verkaiiffung derselben etwas
ergetzllchalt gehaben muge. Vnns dlemiitlglich angeruffen vnd gebetten.
jne mlt vnnser keyserlichen freyheit / das jme in Zehen j a m n
den nagsten / nach dato dits vnnsers briefs volgend / niemands on
seln wissen und ziigeben ob angezeigt seln aufgericht werch buechlein /
oder anders als Tabulatur / vnnd der gleichen zii den Orgeln / vnnd
annd e m Saitenspillen dinstlich. so er in kurtz auch auff zti richten /
vnd an den tag ziibringen wlllens sey / nachdruckhe / gnediglichen
ziifiirsehen. Das wir dann auss ob angetzaigten vrsachen vnnd sonnderlich
zii furdrung des gemainen niitz zutun genaigt seln. Vnnd emphelhen
demnach Euch alien, vnd Ewer yedem besonder emnstlich gebietend /
vnd wellen. daz ir bemelten Maister A m o l d e n Schlicken Organisten.
bey vorbestimbter vnnser gnad und freyhait. von unnsern wegen vestiglichen
hanndthabet / und nicht gestatted / das die vorberurten seln werch-
puechlein / vnnd anders / wie oben begriffen 1st / in ob-

13
benannter zelt / on seln wlssen zii begen oder vergonniing durch yemands
nachgetruckht / oder wo dieselben In welscher oder and Nation ausserhablen
Ewrn gebletenn / oder verwesungen getruckht / kains wegs verkatlf ft
werden / noch des seblst auch nit thut. Sonder die auf gedachts Maister
Arnolds Schlicks. oder des drugker. so Er hlerjnn ziigebrauchen fiirgenumen
hat / anlanngen vnud b e g e m allennthalben namen vnnd zii kauffen
verbelten lasset / unnd dermassenn handlet / damitt ziihanndthabung
vorangetzelgter vnnser freyheit / annder handlung nicht nott werde.
Daran tut jr vnnser ernnstllche maynung. Geben ut vnnser vnd des Reichs
Stat Strassburg / am dritten tag des Moneds Apprillis. Anno domini

6 O
Funffzehenhundert vnnd im Aindlifften / Unnser Reichs des Romischen
im Sechsundzwaintzigsten / unnd des Hungrischen jm ainvnndtzwaintzigsten
jarenn.
Ad mandatuz domi
jmperatoris propriu.
Per Rege
pp m
Serentiner. sszt.
14
Undanckbarkalt / als die alten weisen schreiben. 1st ftir andere laster
zii schelten. So aber ich Arnolt Schlick / der Pfaltz diener vnnd
vnder andern Organlsten der minst / vo dem almechtigen ein mensch /
vnd (als Tullius schreibt) nit mir allein erschaffen / mich erken die
zelt / meins alters / nit zii genugsamen danck / noch lobe gottes verzert /
auch von manchem menschen galstlichen vnd weltlichen / hohen mitteln /
vnd niedern stande. Sonderlich von weiland / dem durchleuchtigen
hochgeborne Fiirsten vnd hern, hern Philipssen / Pfaltzgraue bey Rhein /
und Hertzog in beiern desheilgen Romische Reichs Ertzdruchssessenn /
vnd Chiirfursten / loblicher gedechtniiss / Auch itzt her Ltldwigen
ChiirfUrsten / hern Philipssen zu Frelsingen / hern Jobansen^ zii
Regenspurg Bischoffen / hern Friderich e formiin dern frawen Elisabethen /
Marggreffin zii Baden, vnd andern yren brudern vnd schwestern / Pfaltzt-
grauen / vnd Pfaltztgreffin bey Rheyne / Hertzogen vn hertzogin in Baiern /
meinen gnedigsten vnd gnedtgen hern / fraen vnd frewlin / sond gnaden
gunst nutz und fiirderung entgfange / hon ich geacht / das ich billich
mein vberige zeit (Dieweil auch elm menschen der wyll fur andere thier
sein) sich zii befleissent nit schweigen sein zeit zuuerzeren als
vnuernunfftige thier / die vo der iiatur / das haubt zu der erden
neigen vnd der gehorsame des bauchs leben / gezimpt damit ich ein
mensch / vnd entpfangner gnade vnd gutheit danckberer gesehen werde /
zii keren / in ein wercke da
1 J o b a n s e n should probably read Johansen.

15
durch got gelopt / vnd geert / ehe ernanten meine gnedlgste / vnd
gnedige hern / frawen vnd frewlein vnd alien christlichen menschen /
ergetzt vnd erfreut / auch andere / vo got vn der natur hoher begabten
der kunst gewlsser /vnd erfarner / des so ich vnuolkomenlich geseztz /
ziibessern / ergentzten vnd volenden darzii mussig geende / kunstgirige
leut neu materien verdrossenheit des lesens / hunziilegen / zii lesen
gereitzt werdenn. so dan alle menschlich krafft in verstentnuss / vn dem
lyb Riien / deren eins vns gemein ist / mit den Engeln / das ander mit
vnuernunfftigen thiern / acht ich dieweil auch menschlich leben /
kurtz obernante meyne gnedisten vnd gnedigen hern / frawen vnd
frewlein / auch mir yrer gnadenn wenigster diener zii gedechtnuss / das
so in jrer vem u f f t stet / doch ins werck brocht vnd darauss dasselbig
reguliert werden moge. ziigebrauchen sein. Dem selben vnnd vnwidertreiben
vnstroflichen der vbertreffender Cristenliche lerer Hieronimi aurelij
Augustini. Ambrosij. Gregorij. Ignacij Cassiodri. Basilij / vnd ander
auch der alten konig / fursten vnd hern / vnnd wiler / noch lebender /
Edeln hochgelerter / fiirbundigen / vn vbertreffender leut zeugniss noch.
deren etlich die music beschryben etlich gebraiicht haben / vn nit
wenig noch vben. Hon ich zvipflantzug eins thails / der lobwirdigen
Edeln vill sussen / vn gewissen music / die do ist noch aller lerer
vss sprechen / vmb yrer erfinder fvirttreffender leut / auch der neun
synnreichen weibs person willen muse genant / von den die gesagt
wiirdt / yren vrsprung
A iij
16
hon / billich zii eren / und dan von wegen yren gewishenhelt / da von
Boetlus / sie sagt sein ein ware frundin der gleicheitt vnd ein trachtig-
kait / ein feindin der vngleichait vnd widerwertigkait. sie ist auch
billich vnd hoch zii eren vmb yre wirglichait / die ziim gots dinst. Auch
zii ernst / vnd schimpff in gotlichen amptern. noch der lere Dauids in
Driegen / Schlachten / fridmachen freiden / anneme. Erquickt vnd erfreiet.
Item sie; senfftmiitiget die zornigen. Bringt wider den synnlosen yr
vernunfft. als vo dem artztet Asclepiade geschrieben wirt / treybet
auss die bosen geist. als Dauid mit harpffen Frimi Regu sedecimo.
Sie treyber auss die vnkeuscheit. als ma schreibt Puhagoras durch

0 6 —
die music, ein jungling boss vnzimlich liebbes benomen hab. Als auch
Guido melt / die music ist niitz all mensche eins igliche alters vn
sonderlich ein freindin der natur / welch sie sterckt vnd yr hilfft.
Dorumb sie genent wurt ein artzney des leips vnd der Sele. Ist gut
den jungen / scherpfft vnd macht geschickt die ingenia / heilt vnd
artzneyt die gebresten des leips. Als Tales Cretensij durch die susse
der harpffen die pestislentz vertriben / vnd die wiiteten menschen zii
riigen bracht hott. Arestotiles sagt / die music macht wolgeschickt ein
landtschafft / bringt wider die gefallen vnd versweyfelten / sterckt
die wegfertigen / macht werloss der morder / vnd miltert den schloff.
Schwermutickeit trawrigkeit vnd alle burde / nit alien den menschen /
sonder auch vnuerniinfftige thiern / gefogeln / pferde und andern. vnd
furnelich die aller bequembst verse-

17
nung menschlichs gemuts. ist vss vil erfarung vnd der music grund
fliessende vrsachen nachgeschriebenn Biichlein gesetzt / vnd etlich
Regel zilsamen brocht zti machung vnd reformirug der Orgell. die das
furgeendst Instrumentente der music am mainsten stimme als sechs oder
sieben von eine menschen furend. Pfleglich in kirchen zum lob gottes /
erlelchterung Chorgesangs / vnd erquickung menschlichs gemuts vn verdruss /
gebraucht mit hohem vnd schwerem darlegen vnd costen erzeugt. vn doch
leichtlich durch vnwissenheit verseumpt / verderbt / vnd etwan aller
cost vergebenlich vff gewent wurdt. Durch wellich Regel so die ym
anfang vnnd bereitung / auch mitellung / vn wolfurung eins iglichen
wercks der Orgell. rechts verstands / zvigemut gefast / vnnd sich der
selben gebraucht / gehalten / vnd yedem sein recht proportz geaiget
wurdt / das werck onzweyffel mit abschneidug viler onuerttvirftiger
arbeitt/ Costen vnd kurtzerung der zeitt geroten annem gefellig vnd
gelopt / vnd befindtlich darauss die frucht dieser Regell erschynen /
Vnd ist das buchlein getailt in zehen thaill / meins bedunckes / fast
fruchtbar zii wissen / dann wellichs werck / dieser mangelt / wurt
nit billich gelopt. demutiglich bitten alle die lesende mir sollichs nit
zunerargen Sonder wo ich etwas missformigs / vnnd straffwirdigs vbersehen
nit genugsam engeblickt het / als ich dan nit vill werck gesehen hab rc.
Iren fleiss zutun dasselbig zuerfullen vnd bessern / mich auch bey
jnen selbs vn andern gnediglich / gunstlich vnd freuntlich entschuldigt
vnd befolhen zii haben.

18
Das Erst Capltell. Sagt wie die werck noch gelegenheit der kirchen
gestelt sollen werden / zii dem gehor / dem gesicht. vnd yr selbs lange
wirigheit.
Das Ander Capitel.. Sagt vo der mensur der pfeiffen / ein gutte
char moss / bequem der nach zii singen. vnd den Organisten zii Spiln.
Das Drit Capltell. Lernt die werck den Organisten briichlich zii
machen / wie nun dieser zeitt pfliglich 1st.
Das Vierd Capltell. Sagt vo eigentschafft der pfeiffen vnd des
metals.
Das Funnfft Capitel. Von den Registern. — * -
2
Das Sechst Capitel. Von der mixtur oder locatz.
2 Because the original has the first line of each chapter description
in much larger type than the body of the book and the paragraphs are
rather widely speced this page and the following one contain much less
material than an average page.
Das Siebendt Capltell. wie ein iglicher chor in ym selbs vnd
dan sie gegen einander sein sollen.
Das Acht Capitel. wie vnd zo welcher zeytt man das werck stymmen
soil.
Das Neundt Capltell. Sage von der laden das wercks.
Das Zehendt Capltell. Sagt von dem windt vnd dan belgen rc.
20
Das Erst Capltell Das erst blat
Das erst Capitel. Das man warnern wo das werck zii stellen sey / das
es an alien ortten der dirchen zimlich gehort werd nit zii ferre vo dem
chor as man in etliche grossen kirchen findt / das die person so do
singen komerlich horen mogen. ob der organist chor gesang oder anders
spill. Nemlich so er die register yedes allein / der dann etlich
schwach sein vnnd nit das ganz werck brucht / des gleichen der organist
khiim vernemen oder horen mag den priester an dem alter was er sing /
oder wan der gesang auss sey. dar vff dan dem organisten gebiirt an
zufahen. Als vff das Gloria in excelsis. vff die epistel / zii zeitten
das Patrem. das Offertorium. vff die Prefatz. das Sanctus rc. Vnd so es
ander gebew oder geschlicklicheit halb der kirchen. Auch zii de gesicht
steen mag / 1st es zirlich vnnd meer loblich / dann wie woll die orgeln
O 6
furnemlich dem gehor und gottes lop / die himlischen ding dobey zii
betrachten. Auch zu hillf den gotlichen sengern gemacht werde / 1st es
doch nit dester mynder. Auch ein zier der kirchen / so es ein recht
ansehe hat / von zimlichen figurn vnnd gemelen zii andacht reitzende.
nit leichtfertig. fiderlichen bossen. Als in kurtze jaren in eym kloster
bettell ordens gemacht gewest 1st. ein bildt eins munchs gestalt
zimlicher gross / das under der orgeln so man dar vff spilt zii einem
fenster vss feldt / ongeferlich biss an den giirtell vnnd dan widder
hinein schnapt / gantz zum gesicht. darabe jung vn alt man vnd frawen
offt erschrocken. eins zii fluchen das
b
21
Das Erst Capltell.
ander zu lachen bewegt werden / das billich in kirchen. vnnd sonderlich
bey den geistlichen vermydten bleiben solt / des gleichen die Roraffen
angesichter weyte meuler vff vnd zu geende / mit langen bertten. vnd
gantze bildt die auff deschen schlagen / seltzam weiss treyben. Auch
0
vmblauffendt stern mit schellen klingen und anders rc. gehort nit in
die kirche / aber wo unser hergot kirchwey hung helt / richt der
teuffel sein schragen darneben vff / was Ions nun die erfecten so
_ __ 0
das volck an andacht vn gutte wercke hindern vnd zu bosem reitzen
gen ich yren beicht vettern zuermessen. Es wer on nott leuss in beltz
zu setzen / oder dib in Franckfoter mess zu schicken sie komen selbs /

3
ee dan man yr begert. Auch 1st an zusehen ein bequene stat das wetter
halb. / als feucht mauren / gewelb vnd fenster / oder trauff so vo
einem dach in das werck fallen mag. als kurtzlich an einem end geschehen
vnd das werck verderbt ist. Auch der belg halb das die nit bloss under
eim dach daruff die son leidt / gelegt werden. do von dann das leder
baldt durr / erspart / hert vn vnertig__wirt. vnd dester ee bricht Wo

0 —
sie aber mit fugen nitt anders ligen mogen mag man vordie Son baUwerals
ein eigen belg kamer / oder anders / da durch die belg vor der sonnem vnd
vngewitter behut werden.
Item den Stull oder fuss / vnd das Corpus so die schreyner machen zu
versorgen / das es nit weych oder sich senck beseitz oder undepsich / so
die lad vnd pfeiffen daruff komen / als vnlangs in eim Thumbstifft - ge-
3 Corrected by hand in the margin of the original from eine.

22
Das Ander Capitell. Das. ii. blat.
schehen ist / vnnd will vnradts vnd vnkosten daruss erwachsen.
Das Ander Capittel
1st das das werck dem Chor gemess vnd gerecht gestimpt sey zii
Diesser leng sechzehen

dem gesang. dan wo sollichs nit bedacht wirt mussen die person offt
zii hoch oder zii nieder singe, der organist woll dan durch die semi-
tonen spiln. das doch nit eim iglichen gelegen ist. Wie aber sollich
moss der pfeyffen sein soil dem gemess und Chor gelegen zu singen /
ist nit ganz oder eigentlich zii geben / ursach man singt an eim ort
gut
6 —
hoher oder nydderer wan an dem andem. darnach die person klein Oder
chor moss. f. oder. c das corpus

gross stymme habe / yedoch so die lengst pfeif das fa / under dem
gamaut ym pedall yr corpus von oben biss vff den fuss disser leng
hiebey bezeichent / sechzehen hat / solt meins bedunckens ein geschickt
gut Chor moss sein. Mecht mann aber ein werck ein quint grosser / so
musst das cfaut in dem pedall sollich leng haben. So man aber noch
ein grosser werck haben wolt / mag man der ytz bestimpten mess eins
0 —
ein octaff grosser mache. Vff den fast grossen wercken daran die
grosst pfeiff. xx. xxiiii. oder xxx. sehuch leng het / als dan an
on den
vill ortten funden werden. Wellich die alten mit grossem kosten
— 0
gemacht habe. ist nit woll vnderschiedlich zii horen was daruff gespilt
fuss.
wirt von wegen der gross vnd menge der pfeiffen sein. Auch die
organisten nit so frey oder geweltig yr ubung daruff ziiuolbringen als
vff den kleinen wercken des starcke halb des winds, der grossen
ventill.
b ij.
23
Das Ander Capltell.
der schern. der ziiig. der wellen / vnd ander so sollichs beschwert as
die orgelmecher vnd organisten wlssen rc.
Item zii elne zimlichen klelnen werck wolt ich rate die vorig
bezeichet moss. xvi. thelll / das fa vnder dem gamaut. vnd zii einem
grossern werck die grosst pfeiff noch einst als lang rc. Vrsach das
sich der merer thelll Chor gesangs endet in grauibus / a l s in primo tono.
Salue regina. Ave marls sfella. Gaudeamus. Vita sanctoru. vnnd ander
gleichen werden dem Chor gerecht vss dem gsolreut. vn sein gar gut frey
bass cotra zUmache vmb seiner octaff willen. in das gamaut zii clausulirn
vn finirn. Auch den Chor gesang in dem pedall zii fiiirn das sunst vff den
andern wercken So ytz bestimpter gesang vss dem dsolre gespilt werdenn
muss / sich nit als woll schickt des pedals halb vber sich in die octauen /
vnnd hoher darnach der Chor gesang vnd ander bass contra zii zeitten
begern / der organist woll dan das manuall ziim vortheill nemmen wie dan
vsswendig deutscher lanndt bissher manualiter zii spiln der brauch
gewestist. vnd doch sich nun pedaliter auch fleissen / das nit on ursach /
dan vnmuglich ist ein iglichen gesang mitt vill stymmen gerad vnnd
gerecht ferre von einander so volkummen allein mit den henden zii machen /
als so man das pedall zii hilff het daruff mann zwo oder drey stym / dar
zii ym manual fier / das sein miteinander Syben spiln mag Wellichs
manualiter on das pedall vnmuglich ist. nit allein also vill stym sender
auch manch liedtlein.

24
Das Ander Capltell. Das. lij. blat.
vnd ander gesang mit drey oder vler stymme nit volkhommen manualiter zii
machen / als sie gesetzt sein dan sie etwan zii ferre von einander geen
das ein stym der andern nachlassen / vnd zii zeitten gantz schweigen muss /
vmb das man sie mit den hende nit herreichen mag. Auch etwan z ii nae bey
einander das die stymmen zusamme komme zwo vff ein clauem / das dan als
volkhommer gescheen vnd lglich stym yren eigen ton bass haben vnd gehort
werde mag / so das pedall vnd manuall zii sammen gebraucht werden.
Nun ferrer in diesser pfeiffen moss schicken sich auch die Chor
gesang tercij toni dem chor woll / vss dem alamire. als Fange lingua.
A soils ortus. Hostis herodes rc.
Item Chor gesang quit! toni / der fast in sein octaff him vff geet /
oder daruber fugt sich dem chor woll / vss dem ffaut / welcher gesang
£
aber nit in die hoch stig / sonder in der nyder blib / als sexti toni.
der wirt gerecht in bfabmi / der sich dann ein geschickrer organist noch
gelegeheit der stymme der person woll z ii halte weiss rc.
Item Chor gesant Septimi toni. ist auch bequemer der eeberurten
£
mensur dann der andern mensur ein quint grosser / dan sollicher gesang
in diesser pfeiffen moss vff der orgeln vss seiner rechten naturlichen
noten vnd schlusselen / gsolreut begert gespilt zii werden als auch primus /
wie vor gesagt. Wellich beyd ytz gemelt ton also vss einer noten / dem
Chor in einer hohe
b iij
25
Das Ander Capltell.
vnd stym gar woll vnd bequem zu singen sein / das do aber in der andern
mensur den organisten prlmuz vr septimu tonu vss einer noten ztc spiln
nitt also gelegen ist / dann sie machen septimu vss dem cfaut / aber
prlmu tonu nit vss gemeltem claue / sonder vss dsolre / do muss der Chor
e - - 4
ein ton hoher singe. Des gleiche wellich tercij toni sein auss dem elami
auch noch eins tons hoher / der organist woll dan per fictam musica spiln
mi in dsolre das woll gut zii thun. aber nit eun igliche gewon / des
halben in alle weg die erst vnnd vor bezeichent mensur der pfeiffen besser
ist dann do pleibt primus vnd septimus in eim ton gsolreut / vnnd tercius
in alamire nit meer dann eins tone hoher / vnnd sein ytz gemelt drey ton
vss genante zweyen clauibus fast in organis zii spiln vnnd dem Chor dar
nach zii singe. Wo aber ein gesang tercij toni zii vill in die octauen
hinuff oder hoher schwebt mag ein organist den selbigen vss dem elami
mache rc. Es sindt vill gesang die hoch vn nleder geendt eim duodecima
tredecima vo einander. Als etlich sequens. Laus tibi christe. de sancta
maria magdalena. Psallite regi. de decollatioe Johannis baptlste / vnd
ander der gleichen rc. mit den selbtgen weiss sich ein organist noch seins
Chors stymme woll ztl halten.
Item Etlich chor gesang / als der seques de sancta trinitate. Bene
dicts sit semper rc. vnd Et in terra summu / so man bey vns pflegt zii
singen die geendt forn an ad septimus vnd octauu tonu / vnd zii letzst
ad pri-
4 Corrected by hand in the margin from alami.

26
Das Ander Capltell. Das.iiij. blat.
mu tonu. Das 1st elm organisten vill bequemer vss de gsolreut / die weill
er / ml vnnd fa / In befabml hatt zii spiln. Als auch gedacht Chor gesangk
in yn habenn. Dan das er solt sollich gesang vss dem cfaut do auch wirt /
mi und fa / elami oder In dsolre / in mi vnd fa / in ffaut / machen. Er
sey dan als einem meisterlichen organisten not vnd liplich ist fertig vnd
gewiss durch die semitonien zii spiln. des sich doch nit ein iglicher
geubt hat. hierumb aber meer die offt genant vnnd erste mensur besser
ist dann die ander rc.
Ite zii dem Andern. So ist eegemelt mensur besser wan die ander /
der ursach das der Chor gesang nitt so vill in das alamire clausulirt als
der andern moss / dan das post sol ist zii hoch in der clausell in
alamire / wie hiernach ferrer gemelt wirt.
Zii dem dritten. So ist die erst moss hieuor bezeichnet die best
Etlicher neiiwer register oder pfieffen halb / als riiss pfeiffen. oder
0 _ —
kromphorner vnd Trometten so man nun macht / wellich in der andern moss
0 —
zii nyeder oder zii hoch werden / nit yr recht proportz haben moge. als in
0
diesser rc. Wann man die werck der orgeln ein ton hoher oder nydderer
ziehen mocht dann sie an yn selbs vff recht chor moss gestympt sein /
e
wer dem organisten vnd den sengern ein grosser vorteill. als ich dan hor
sagen Vor j a m ein positiff^ also gemacht sey / aber gatzer volkhomener
werck weiss ich nit meer dan eins das sampt seinerm positiv zii riick zwey
manualen pe-
27
Das Drit Capitell.
daIn / und alien reglstern der vill vnnd seltzam sein / eins tone hoher /
vn wider ab zii ziehen ist / so offt eim geliept vnd notturfft des Chors
vnd anders gesangs erheischet / Wellichs werck ich teglich also braiich
rc. Sonderlich dienen sollich werck woll / und sein nodt ad cantu
mensurabile / do eigen Cappellen vn senger sein / dan es begibt sich zii
zeiten das zwo messen oder meer. des gleiche magnificat, unius toni. vn
auss einer linien oder spacio gestzt sein / vn doch eyne eins tons oder
einer notten hoher begert gesungen zii werden dan die ander. als so beide
messen ad sextu tonu in csolfaut gesetzt weren / vnd der bass cotra in
der ein mess in dem cfaut bleib / nit tieffer ging. vnd in der andern
mess der bass contra ein ton oder meer neider ging als in das fa in bmi /
oder are. wo dann das selbig den bassisten zii nider / vnd jr stym gegen
e
den andern zii schwach wern. wiird nott gemeltern gesangs eins tone hoher
zii singen. So nun die erst mess anderer oder des gesangs bass cotra in
dem cfaut bleibt vff eim werck vss dem csolfaut zii spiln gerecht wurdt /
so begert die ander mess in das dlasolre / das wiird / fa. in dlasolre /
mi. in dem semitonien. post ut / oder cs. sein / re in bfabmi. bdiir /
vnnd das vt / in alamire. das aber etliche organisten schwer vnd vnmiiglich
zii thun ist / die sich nit vff geben habe. So man aber das werck wie
6 6
obberiirt eins tons hoher ziehen mocht / so spilt der organist vss dem
csolfaut / vnd ein doch die pfeiffer von dlasolre rc.
Das drit Capittel.

28
Das Drit Capltell. Das. v. blatt.
Das drit Capltell lernt wie zum dritten ist ein sonder vffmercken
vnd fleiss zii han die werck den organisten briichlich zii machen / das dz
clauir des manuals xxiiij. claues naturales / vier fa / vier la das
sein dry octauen / vnnd ein tertz perfect / hab vnd nit zii weit /
oder so breyt claues als die alten vor zeitten gemacht habe
in
oder auch so eng vn schmall wie dan in etlichen werken funden n> to §
m e
to to
werde / als solten kinder dar vff spiln / sonder ein rechte n> to
n
to
to
moss, das ein organist, vifcr oder funff stym dar vff machen / to rt
C
eg r-J
to to
vn ein octaff frey greyffen mag Welcher octaff disser leng t—* to
to 00
u
hie bey verzeichet zwo thunt
Item die claues rechter leng / dann wo die zii kiirtz

to
sein. vn man zwo oder drey stym mit einer hendt nemlich vff h-h
den semitonien greifft / ist das bridt vber dem clauir zii
noe / vnnd hindert ein sere. Hierumb nott ist das die semi
tonien vnd ander claues naturales jr recht leng habenn fur
das bridt hervss. Welliche leng beyde hiebey geseichent sein
Die kiirtzst der semitonien moss, vnd die lengst der andern
schliissell moss vor dem brit hervss rc. Vnnd sollen die semitonien nit
zii dun oder zii nieder sein / als wan man sie rure das sie vnder die
andern claues geen / oder ynn gleich sein. sonder das sie hoher vn vber
den andern bleiben / als so mann sie griff das sie dar neben not mit
gedruckt werden / vnd lautte. So soil mann das clauir nit hart oder zech
machen / sonder lind vnnd weich / so vill es leiden mag. dar zii helffen
vnd fordern woll klein leicht wellen / des gleichen lang schmall ventil /
29
vo dennem holz / vff beyden seitten / gegen dem riick zii gewelpt. vnd
scharpff / die
c
30
Das Drit Capltell.
mag der windt nit so hart halten als die breitten.
Item die schern nit zii kurtz / dann sie machen das clauir hart
vnd zech.
Auch ist war zunemen die zuigk an die ventil zii hencken / das sie woll
vffgeen / vnnd doch das clauir nit tieff werd / wan es forn an die ventyl
gehenckt ist / so muss des clauir tieffer geen. dan wan es ferrer hinder-
lich anhangt. es ist auch an den ermlein der welle act zii haben / so die
6 O
locher dar jnn die zuigk hangen ferre kindersich an die wellen sein /
das das clauir ye zecher vnd hertter wirt / vnd ye ferrer hinfur vo der
wellen / ye leichter vnd geringer es wirt. des gleichen haben die zuigk
an dem clauir zii hencken auch jrn forteil / lang claues in rechter wag
angehencket / vnnd leicht zuigk vo dennem holz sollichs helffen einander
daz es bruch licher / nit so tieff vnnd hardt / wirt. als wann mann der
dring nit act nympt / vnnd ist doch fast nott / das mann dar vff spiln /"
6 O
and die gerede machen -mog / wie dan nun der braiich vnd vbung ist / das
billich die orgelmacher bedechten / vn die werck mechten breuchlich zii
dem dar zii sie dann geordent sein / mit den fingern darvff zii spiln /
nit also hardt / zech vnd blochet / als solt man mit faiisthamern / oder
bender klupffeln darvff schlage. ein iglich ding ist vmb seiner wirkug
willen / einem messer das nit schneidet / oder einem pferdt das nitt geet
sein vnntitz vergebenlich nit zii braiichen zii dem dar zii sie erschaffen /
oder gemacht. Also auch mogen die organisten wiegut sie sein / das
yhenne so
31
Das Drit Capltell. Das. vl. blat.
sie von got vnd der natur entpfangen / vnd durch yr gross vtilfaltig
arbeit erlangt haben / vff sollichen vnerdtigen bloch wercken nit vol-
bringen / sonder mussen offt vnderwegen lassen das kiinstlich ynen erlich
vnd zii nutz / forderlich auch andern ergetzlich / vnd liistig zu horn
wer / dar an sie vss vnwissenheit kilnstloser orgelmacher gehindert werden /
wern den selben yr werckzugen do mit sie das brott gewinnen / so unbriich-
lich als yr orgeln den organisten / sie wtirden anders lerne. auch meer
fleiss thun.
In dem Pedall gut frey bass contra zii machen ist meins bedunckens
nott / auch genug ein duodecima fa / vnder dem gamaut / vnd csolfaut
zwelff claues naturales sampt den semitonien dar zwischen / v f f denen
mag man vil zii wegen bringen / nit allein / ein stym hoch vnd nieder /
sonder auch / zwo order drey stym miteinander / das fast gut voll vnd
brechtlich mit andern stymmen zii horn / ist auch liplich allein one das
manual, zwo stym in dem Pedal / vnd dan wider in dem manual / vnd also
eins vmb das ander / nochdem der organist verstandt vnd vbung hatt /
das zii moll ein frembde lustige enderung dem gehore / vnd wiewol etlich
meyne das die nidersten zwen semitonien post fa / vnd post gamaut / nit
nott seyen / soli mann sie doch vmb der selbigen willen nitt vss lassen /
0
sie wollen ein gute steg vmb zweyer staffeln willen veihon. Welche der
meynug sein / vn daruon reden / die jrren dz ich yrn ettlichen selbs
gesagt vnd gezeigt hab / wie die ytz gemelte claues zu dem chor gesang /
vnd sunst zvi gute
c ij
32
Das Drit Capitell.
consonantzen wol dienen / das sie aber nit ein iglicher zu
brauchen weiss / daruxnb soli mann sie nit vnderwegen / vnnd eyn
a gantz werck vnuolkhommen machen lassen. gleich als so einer ein

©
CD
© hauss mecht der nitt frucht oder treydt vnd wein zii halten
©
H
vermocht. vnnd wolt darumb kein keller oder speicher daran machen.
© ©
CO
co TO Welcher dan noch ym das hauss besess / der dan keller vnnd speicher
©
•-I O.
© V©J oder kasten woll zu bruchen wesst da mit sein radt zu schaffen /
3
TO
© der miisst des vorigen besitzers vngeschlicklicheit entgelten /
C
§° ©
CD
l-h vnd wer das haus nit volkhomen rc.
O'
O n
(—1 © Furter sollen die claues jm Pedal nit zii dun vnnd schwach
©
C
re
u sein / das sie leichtlich brechen / als woll geschicht / sonder
C-i.
3
3 XI
© starck. von guttern holz / als so einer / als sich zu zeitten
X) p.
© ©
Cu
© begibt wo der sess eng ist uber das clauir geen musst / das es
CO
e
•fj die claues leiden mogen rc.
Ite die gedachte claues sollen auch nit zu kurtz oder seer
©
3
CD lang / sonder eine geschickte bruchlichem mess sein / als das ein
X)
©
O clauis zwischen dem britt dar durch er geet vnd der leysten hinden
H"
©
die vff ym leyt / diesser leng hie noch verzeichent funff het /
ist eim iglichen gerecht.
Item mach die gemelten claues auch nitt zii eng / oder zii weytt / als
sie an vill ortten funden werde / sonder ein zimliche gemeyne moss / yeder
man bruchlich / in welcher auch einer zwo stym mit eim fuss greiffen mag.
Also das drey claues sampt den zweyen spacia dar zwuschen diesser leng
hiebey gezeichent / breit oder weyt sein rc.
Item das die claues vnd die spacia nitt gleich breit
33
Das Drit Capitel. Das.vij. blat.
sonder die claues schmeler vnd nit zii breit als die spacia sein / vff
das vn der gleich soil ein orgelmacher wein. sonder mercken haben / vnd
yedem sein moss geben.
Ite das es zwischen dem wellen brett vnden do die claues des pedals
durchgeen / vnnd hindersich gegen dem stuhl nit zii eng sey - ongeuerlich
zweyer schuh weit das einer die fuss hinder einander braiichen vnd
schrencken mag / in dem lauff werck / oder gerade vff dem pedall rc.
Item die semitonien ym pedal sollen vorn nit vber sich gericht /
sonder leg vnd nieder / in der leng vor das brit hervss als das vor
bestimpt funff theil / der lenge claues / vnd nit gar so hoch als sie
lang sein das dient wol zii scharpffen bass contra rc.
Ite das bdur od mi. in bfabmi / oben jm pedal vnder dem csolfaut /
sol nit ein langer clauis sein. als sein octaff bdur vnden ym pedal
sonder kurtz vnd hoch / als die andern semitonien. so bleibt das bfabmi
oder bmoll llgen wie das vnsser furfarn geubt habe / das auch ytz der
zeitt eim iglichen briichlicher ist / nochdem bissher wenig orgeln in
dem pedal etwas vber das bfabmi bmoll gehabt haben / dann so ytz gemelt
6 — o
bmoll in der hoh als a semitonien / vn das bdur in der nyder were als ein
naturall gleich yren octauen vnden / wie ich dann in etlichen wercken
funden hab / wurd es den organisten fast vngewon / vnnd offt confusiones
machen. sollichs ziiuermeyden / vnd vmb mynder vff
c iij
34
Das Drit Capitel=
merckung oder arbeit sich anders z ii gewen oder lernen ist die gemeyn
form des stucks die best.

g
Item die clauir des manuals vnnd pedals sollen zimlicher hoch vber
einander sein / das der organist nit mit den knywen an das manual stoss.
t
Nemlich so es zwey clauir sein / ist das vnder etwas fast nieder das
CD
CO der organist sein raum nitt wol uberlich haben mag / sonder der lang
cn
CD
schienbein hot / sollichs hoch zwischen dem pedal vn manual / des
fl>
3
oo gleichen wie hoch der stull sein soil / dar vff der organist sitzt /
co
(0
o ist nit woll eigentlich zii zeigen / dann die person vngleich / einer
cr
CO
CO 6 0
CO
grosser oder kleiner dann der ander / yedoch act ich wann das oberst
p.
H-
CD clauir biss vff die claues des pedals diesser leng heinach gezeichet
cr
ocd
3* sechs het / also das sie so hoch eins ob dem andern wer. es solt
(D
N
€ O 6
H- meins bedunckens einem man zimlichter gemeyner gross woll bequem sein.
CO
O O 6
tr So aber ein werck nur ein clauir het / mocht man dasselb desto
cd
0
a. niederer rucken.
§
•o Wen zwey clauir sein / vnd das obert dem organisten so er vff dem
CD
Cu
CD O S -
I-*
I-* stuhl sitzt / recter hoch also dz das gedacht clauir weich vn giirtel
CL. gleich in der hoh ist. acht ich woll geschickt sein rc. dann wo einer
3 s e
die hendt vbersich halten miiss hoher dan ym die Elnbogen sein kompt
1
es yn hartter vnd schwerer an / dann so es dem selbigen gliech / oder
niederer ist rc.
Item den still hoch genug / das dem organisten dis fuss vff dem
pedal hangen oder schweben / dan wo der stul so nieder ist dan ym die
fiiss vff dem pedal ligenn

35
Das Drit Capitel. Das. viij. blat.
das er sie all notten muss vff heben / der macht nit vill gerede oder
lauff wercks in dem bass contra.
Item so die claues in dem pedal in etlichen wercken zwen oder £

cn
CO
dry zwerck finger vber die erd ober den bodem geleit sein / vnd $
die leyst so hinden vber das clauir geet etwan auch dick v:>.i hoch §
OQ
ist. Soil man die hoch vo dem stul nit vff die erd / oder ytz
n-h
t
gedacht leyst / sonder vff die claues des pedals messen / diesser rt
o §
lenng hie bey funff.
P*
(0
Item der stull sol nit angenegelt / sonder beweglich sein B
o 0 m
hindersich vnd fursich gegen dem clauir ztl rucken wie eim iglichen
*-*
►—*
gelegen ist. dann in etlichen wercken / so zwey oder drey clauir 0
habe. stehet das Sbert so tieff ins werck hinein / das es komerlich ji
•i
zU herreichen vnd vnwercklich ist. 3,
Hi
P-
(0
Item man soil die clauir mit eim filtz oder leder underlegen 53
m
e rt<
dassie nit rosslen oder h o l l e m / mann hort ztl zeitten die claues £/
jm manual vn pedal / auch die wellen vnd ztigk meer yrem bosslen
vnd geschell wan die pfeiffen. nellch so man vff schwache registern spilt.
das dient bass in die karwochen ztl den holtzen glocken dan ztim orgeln.
Item die clauir sollen nicht hin vnnd heer weichen das eim etwas
ein finger zwischen die claues khom / sonder stet bleib / vnnd ye zwischen
zweyen claues ein stifft oder drat geschlagen Sein / das die claues
mm 0
einander nit halte mogen. Auch so man terten vnd quinten
36
Das drit Capitel.
dar vff greifft / das die gar zwischen vnnd dar neben nit mit gerurt
oder gehalten weiden^ / mit heulen / vnd mit yren stymmen die andern
verderben / als an vilen wercken funden wirt rc.
Item steet wol wercklich vnd bequem die clauir als das manual vnd
pedal recht vber einander zii ordeniren vnd proporcioniren / dan wiewoll
6 —
das pedal nit meer dan zwolf claues / dan halbe theil des manuals het /
strecken sie sich doch mit yren spacia ferrer vss dan das manual, hierumb
nott ist sollichs an ziisehe dz der clauir eins nit zii vill vff die
recht / od die linck seyt gericht werdt / sonder gleich. vnd das der
organist / so vil muglich frey sitzen mog. sich nit krummen - beseitz
sein ding thon / sich behelffen vnd fortell suchen muss. Als ich dan
vorzweintzig jare in niederlandt an ein werck funden hab / dar an das
pedal gegen dam manual also verruckt was / so einer manualier spilt /
vnnd das pedal dar zii brauchen wolt / felt es ym noch ander gemeyner
vbug vng bruch vmb ein quart das es hoher vnd niederer laut / vnd nit
concordirt als es thun solt. Aber der organist an dem endt was des
woll gewon / vnd fertig / wardt vo andern georteilt. er wolt es vmb
der frembden willen also / vnd nicht anders haben / do mit er ym etwas
fur thet. rc. Wan der vnderst clauis jm manual / fa. vnder dam gamaut
kompt / oder steet vff dem are / im pedal, oder zwischen dem are / vn
gamaut vnd der obert schlussell jm manual alamire / vff das bfabmi /
jm pedal oder zwischen bfabmi / vnd alamire / ongeferlich. so sein die
clauir mein bedunckens wol.
5 weiden probably should read werden.

37
Das Vierd Capitel. Das. ix. blat.
vber einander geschickt / vnd den organisten bruchlich vff beiden
seitten / vnden vnd oben.
DAS FIERD CAPITTEL.
Das fierd capitel Sagt vo den pfeiffern / die sollen nit dun vnd
schwach sein / sonder gutter simlicher dick vnd sterck das die wirig
mogen / vnd sonderlich gut starck principaln dar zii den andern pfeiffen
zyn besser ist dan bley. Etlich neme etwan vmb minder kostens willen
bley zii dem hinder satz / meyn auch die selbigen pfeiffen sollen siisser
von stymmen sein / dann die von dem zyn. ist gar ein klein vnderscheit /
dar zii auch das bley nit so wirig oder bestentig als zyn / dann das bley
6 —
leichtlich von feuchtlckeit rost empfacht fallen locher darein. Ite es
ist weich vnd murb / des halben jm ratten vnd meuss meer schaden thunt
mit yren beissen vnd vmbstossen / wan dem zyn. Sollicher vn ander vrsach
halben das bley zii den pfeiffern Nemlich allein nitt nutz zii brauchen
ist. Etlich myschen es vnder einander halb zyn und halb bley mynder oder
mer wie iglichen gut/ aber mich bedunckt so des bleyss mynder / vnd
des zynss meer / oder eittel vn gantz zyn so besser vnd wiriger wer woll
ist es hartter zu arbeitten vnd zii schneiden / wie dan an den pfeiffen
not ist ab zii nemmen vnd correct zii machen. so man sie stympt. das halben
die orgelmecher bley oder das selbig vnder anders gemyscht gerner arbeitten
vn schneyden dan gantz syn. Das sol man aber nit ansehe / sonder meer
den niitz der kirche vn ander so den kosten legen.
d
38
Das vierd Capitel.
Itetnan kan den zyn auch herter vnd vester mache dan er von natur
ist ob aber das selbig do hin zu bruchen sey / weiss ich nit / das
sichert will ich radten. gut engelisch zyn / oder saiffen zyn / oder
obersstdorf fer / die sein of ft vnd vill gebriicht vnd bewert.
Item soil man sich fleissen die pfeiffen woll zii intoniren / das
sie yr recht volkhomme stym geben nitt in die quint oder in die octaff
fallen, nit pfifen Wispeln halber lutten / oder gantz stymmen sein.
sonder so man ein claue mit eim finger rurt so schnel oder gerad man
mag ongeferlich / das sie frey angeen. vnd nit versag.
Noch dem sich ober die orgelmacher an den pfeiffen nit einer mensur
briichen. etlich kxirtzer die ander langer mensur. Als dan funfften /
sechsten / den siebenten theill vnd dar zwischen meer oder meynder wie
eim iglichen gefelt / ist die lang moss siisser dan die kiirtz. Aber die
kiirtz moss geet belder an wen die leng. wolt ich radten wie ich vor
meer gethon / vnd auch hab lassen mache. die principal in dem werck
wellichs register etlich nennen copeln oder fleitten. das ist / wan
der hindersatz die zymeln / vii anders alles abgezogen vn die principaln
allein geen - das in de manual iglicher chor zwo pfeiffen hett equaln.
Doch zweyerley mensur / eine etwas kiirtzer dan die ander. So theilt die
lang der kiirtzen yr suisse mit / vnd hilfft die kurtz der langen / das
sie miteinander angeen vnd zii horen sein wie gerad der organist ist /
das siinst khum halber gehort oder verstanden

39
Das funfft Capltell. Das. x. blat.
wirt. Wo sich die orgelmecher allein einer lange moss vnd nit sonderlich
die selbig wol an ziibringen fleissen rc. Als offt finden wirt das einer
clauem ym manual oder pedal schier ein Ave maria lange helt / ee die
pfeiff recht angeet / etwan gar nit. Dannocht in wercken die vnlangs
gemacht / examinirt / geliffert / vnd vor gut dar geben sein / das do zu
erbarme ist der heiligen gut also gering vnd liderlich zii achten rc.
DAS FUNFFT CAPITTEL
Das funnft capitel 1st von den Registern / vill register zii machen
sein nit loblich / nemlich die einander etwas gleich lautten. sonder soli
0
mann sich fleissen der yhennen die vnderscheid 1ich vor einander zii horen
vnd zii kennen sein rc. Durch. viij. oder ix. gut register, so die recht
zii sammen gezoge vnd noch einander abgewechfelf werden. mag man vill dem
0
gehor ergetzen thon. rc.
Item vor das erst / die prlncipaln. das etlich nenne koppeln / oder
fleytten rc. Item ein octaff einer langen mess, oder so das werck fast
gross wer ein doppel octaff.
Item vor das drit register / ein kiirtz weit moss das etlich Gemser
horner nennen. auch ein octaff vber die principaln / oder ein doppell
octaff in einem grossen werck.
Item ein zymmell sol nit gross sein / als etlich machen / das man
octauen vnd quinten / schier ander registern gleich hort. Sonder klein
scharpffschneiden daz man nit leichtlich merck was stym~sie habe /
das laut zii alien registern wol. Item den hindersatz. Item das
d ij
Das funfft Capltell.
secht die rauss pfeiffen. oder vff schallmeyen art. Item vor das siebendt
ein hultze glechter. das ist seltzam vn wunderlich zii horn. Nemlich in
grauibus. noch meim urteil gleich dem baffen dar vff die freyen gesellen
mit loffel spiln.
Das Act / wer der zinck so er recht gemacht wirt / ich habs gehort
dz sie wol etwas vff zinkisch art laute.
Es wirt auch eyn Register gemacht / solt sich den schwigeln ver-
gleichen / wiewol die an gen / loss ich ander vrtheiln / doch mag mann
teglich ein ding endern vnd bessern.
Item ein ander Register verstehe ich vff der ban sey in orgeln
gantz werck zii machen / welchs vor funff jahren etlich vnserm aller
gnedigsten hern dem Romischen Kaysser. als klein instrument gleich eim
positiff ein regall oder super regall gut kunstlich funden gemache vnd
o &
zii wegen bracht des stym anmutig vnnd seltzam dem gehor / vnnd seyner
pfeiffen fast tzii verwondern / welcher sie nitt kendt / wer auch nur
yr form propoprtz oder mensur zii erdencken vnmuglich gewest / aber
teglich wachsen kunst vnd kommen mee. adams kinder feyren nit.
Item wie aber sollich ytzt gemelt vnd ander fremdt hieuor vnd
noch bestympt pfeiffen gemacht sein / loss ich den orgelmacher zii
O “
gefallen hie rugen / do mit ich nit geacht werd yr kunst vn heimlichkeit
zii offenbarn vnd gemeyn zii machen mir nutz do mit zii schaffen / oder
mein sichel in eins ander e m zii schlagen rc. Sie geniessen bill ich yr
arbeit. kunst vn gutter werschafft.

41
Das funnft Capitell. Das. xi. blat.
Item mitt den principaln ym pedal geet die octaff wol / doch das
die principaln ab zii ziehe sein / so man wil das die octaff allein gee /
als auch der hindersatz.
Item Trometten oder basaun Etlich machen auch in das pedall zymmeln
vnd klein octauen nennen sie sedetzlen / sollen meins bediinckens all
i
beidt nit dohin. j
Item gut ist das die register ym manual vnd pedal all vn iglichs
in sonderheit ab zii ziehen sein / der vrsach / das mann ein iglichen
gesang dar vff spilen mog manualiter vnd pedaliter der mit gleichen
stymmen ist / dann der schickt sich vff kein orgell do das pedal ein
octaff oder meer under dem manual ist die gutte species vncosonantzen. **
werden verkert vn verandert / als vss den quinten werden quarten / vss
den tertzen sexten rc. Das halben nott ist die principaln ab zii ziehen
dem gesang sein art zii lessen, vn das ist zii thon wan die principaln
ym manual / vnd die octauen in dem pedal mit einander geen oder vff
ander registern do das pedal nit ein octaff vnder dem manual ist /
sonder gleich stymmen sein.
Auch ist gut die register all ab zii ziehen das der organist gleich
register allein eins noch der andern horn mag lassen. wie ym oder ander
geleipt. dan fast__lustig zii horn etwas zwey register zii sammen / als
die zymmeln zii den principaln / and andern wie obgemelt.
5 Changed by hand in the margin from incosonantzen.

42
Etlich werck haben in dem manual vnderscheidlich stymmen ab zii
ziehen / aber in dem pedal nit / als ich nemlich ein redlich werck weiss /
nitt mit kleine kosten
d iij
Das funfft Capitel.
gemacht gar in einem reichen herlichen stifft des hindersatz in dem pedall
nit ab zii ziehen das ein grosser begrech / vnd in der erst groblich
vbersehen ist. do fur wol hundert gulden zii geben were.
Item die register mag man in vil weg zii einander zeihen vn endern
£
das den orn fremdt zii horen ist. Auch yr keins das nit gut zii den
rausspfeiffen vn trompten vnd sonderlichso der hindersatz scherpff
thein schneidet. nicht grober mixtur ist / gefelt mir vber die moss zii
gemelter zweyen registern rausspfeiffen vnnd trompten.
Item noch ein Register in eim igliehen Chor grob tertzen vnnd
quinten / dar vff mann kein concordantz greiffen mag / dan welch claues
oder chor ziisamen genomen werden die discordiren / vnd lautten vbel /
das doch gantz wider die musica vnd von keinem werd ist als ein iglicher
verstendiger zii ermessen hot.
Sie machen auch ein register ein pfeiffen vff eim chor ein quint
vber die principaln / oder rechten ton der wercks wem das gefelt der
lob es rc. Ich red mit herlaub es wirt vil versucht ytz das / dan ein
anders. Es ist gut lernen in frembden kosten / do mann vmb den Ion nit
sorg / vnd materialia genug hat. Mann findt etlich die verachten ander
leut / berumen vn vermessen sich gross / machen doch zii zeitten das sie
es selbs wider dannen / vnd nit anders an stat thup. die heiligen ver-
£
mogen den vnkosten bass dan sollich werk leut. Des Gleichen geschicht
mit den positiuen / machen sie zwey

44
Das funfft Capitell Das. xii. blat.
oder drey an ein werck. Eins zii ruck / das ander forn an die brust / das
drit ym werck dient nergent zii. dan zii verlengerung der zeit / vnd tnerung
vnnutz kostens vill bru vn wenigk fisch. Ein gut positiff zii ruck wer mir
. £ —
genug sein registern als die principaln holtzen oder zynne pfeiffen vff
die hultzen art / dar zii ein gemsslein Ein guts rheins zymmelein / vnnd
das hindersatzlein doch das iglich register sender ab zii ziehen vnd allein
zii bruchen sey / zii andern registern ym werck als sonderlich das hinder-
O 6
satzlein ym positiff zii den russpfeiffen gut zii horn ist. Des gleichen
axrch die hultzen pfeiffen jm positiff fast frembdt vnd anmutig zii der
£
octaff jm manual zii horn sein / mit gleichen stymmen noe oder ferr von
einander rc. Es reden etlich dar von als ob die russpfeiffen vnd
trompten nit wirig oder bestendig sein solten / der meynug halt ich
nit / sonder gleich so man iglicher yr rechtmensur vnd proportz geb

£ Q
das sie lang weren mogen. Ich kan zeigen rausspfeiffen vnd trompten
bey neun jaren in eim werck gestanden vnnd gebrucht / die sich der zeit
von hitz oder kelt nit geendert haben / sonder sich vff diessen tag frey
£
lassen horen als in der erst Ob dan zii zeitten in eim werck sollicher
pfeiffen zwo oder drey sich endern / mag ein organist baldt wender /
welcher das weiss. Darumb sein gemelt register nit zii verachte / sonder
O 6
als ein neu herlich / brechtlich / frolich vnd ein wonderbarlich ding
£
in den orgeln zii horen / got zii eren / woll zii machen vnd zii halten.
Item die register zii ziehen ist gelegner das sie vbersich / oder
vndersich / oder beseitz gezogen werden / dann

45
Das Sechst Capitel.
forsich gegen dem organisten - die etwan bey einer spannen lang vor das
corpus hervss / mit notten vnd krefften gezogen werden miissen / ist nit
dester wlriger.
DAS SEGHT CAPITEL.
Das Secht Capitell sagt von der mixtur oder locatz wie eim jden
61 0
orgelmacher not an zii sehen die hoch vnd weytte oder grosse der kirchen
die mixtur darnach zii stercken / noch dem auch das werck gross oder klein
ist / dan in eim kleinen werck das mensur ym zweytten capittell gezeigt
ist / vff dem obersten chor / ongeferlich sechtzehen sibentzehen oder acht-
zehe pfeiffen solt meins bedunckens in einer grossen kirchen woll ergeben.
vnd horlich genug / vnd soli die mixtur scharpff schneident sein / nit
von quinten oder tertzen die man bescheidlich horen mag / vnd eim ver-
0 —
stendigen meer widder vnnd schewlich dan lustig zii horen sein / Sie mache
kein lieplichkeit / sonder verderbent vill gutter species vnd consonantzen
durch yr schreyen / das ist also zii mercken / so man nympt zii samen ein
quint cfaut vnd gsolreut der ein iglichs ein quint in jm selbs hot / so
ist die quint in gsolreut dlasolre / vnnd dar vnden cfaut / das gibt
ein dissonantz / ein non oder secund. Der gleichen dissonantze / mache**
auch die tertzen / nym elami zii dem cfaut so wirt die quint in elami
bfabmi ein septima gegen cfaut / das thunt nit allein die negsten quiten
als die alten gemacht habe / vnd noch in etlichen wercken sein / sonder
auch die andern ein octaff hoher ein duodecima / wiewol nit so vil oder
hart al$ die negsten / sein
6 This seems to be the intent of a hand correction in the margin from

mancher.
46
Das Sybendt Capitel. Das. xiij. blat
sie doch zii meyden wie klein die sein / so man sie hort / es sey jm
pedal oder manual, rc. Es soil auch nit vber setz sein mit andern grossen
pfeiffen / die dz werck ruch vn grob / gut schweynisch mache / als die
seuw schreyen rc. Sonder von klein pfeiffen die selbigen recht propor-
cionirt machent ein gut zart schneident mixtur vnd wie woll in selben
auch mogen kleiner quintlein sein / doch das sie nit gehort werden /
scherpffen vnd stercken auch woll.
DAS SYBENDT CAPITEL.
Das Sybendt capitel sagt / das ein iglicher chor in ym selbs

O 0 —
luter vnd gerad / auch die chor all gegen ein ander vo vnden an biss
oben hinvss recht proporcionirt sein sollen / einand nit vberschreyen /
einer starck vo guten pfeiffen / der ander chor dar neben schwach vo
bosen oder. iij. oder iiij. pfeiffen mynder die dannocht nicht all gut
sein. Etwan werden zapffen vor die pfeiffen in die locher der laden
_ 6
geschlagen / das fast hesslich vn gross defect / wan die chor nit gleich.
An eim ort oben vss ym discant / oder vnden auss stercker oder schwecher
sein. des gleichen sol auch das pedal vnd manual gegen einander gemerckt
werden rc.
Item sollen in iglichen register die chor vergleichen werden / das
nit ein pfeiff frey starck lut. die ander kum halb / wie vor gemelt.
Item ist nutz das ein iglicher clauis durch all clauir vn register /
sein eigen chor hab / vnd nit bletzwerck sey. als in etlichen wercken /
etwan ein register oder mer
e
47
Das Acht Capitel.
nit ferrer vndersich geen / dan in dz cfaut oder bmi. aber claues ferrer
hlnab in ander register fallen / od gar still schweigen / das zii moll
vnwerglich vnd den orgelmechern verkerlich ist / ein werck also zii rad-
brechen vnnd stymeln. dweill als philosophus sagt. ein missformig gelid
macht ein gross verenderrung vnd missstalt ann einem gantzen leib. Wie
geschickt oder wol gestalt ist dan ein werck das vill gelider gar mangelt
vnnd nit hot. et cetera.
DAS ACHT CAPITTEL.
Das acht capitel ist von stymmen der orgell vnd zii welcher zeit
es zii thun / wie ein iglicher chor der pfeiffen hoch oder nieder in der
stym sein soli / species oder cocordantzen dar vss zii machen / das ist
vnisonus. quinta, octava. quarta. sexta. tercia. durch wellich all music
menschlicher stym / oder instruments musicalia volbracht wirt / wie aber
ytz gedachten species getailt vnd genent werde / perfect oder imperfect,
ist on not hie zii declariren / sonder durch vnser autores die musici yr
vill noch leng erhort rc. N8n wiewol die offtgenenanter species iglich
in yr selbs volkhommen vn gantz begert in gezogen zii sein. Auch am
besten also zii horen ist / so sie anders allein gebrucht wirt rc. wollen
doch nit zwo mit einander cocirdirn / so iglich in yr selbs gut ist.
als ein gantze quint cfaut vnd gsolreut. sol dann die tertz etwas dar
zwiche elami / gut zii dem gsolreut sein. als ein tertz imperfect /
oder tercia minor, semiditonus / so

48
Das Acht Capitel. Das. xiiij. blat.
wirt sie zii dem cfaut als tercia perfecta / oder tercia maior ditonis
nit gut / sonder zii hoch. dan wan die quinten gerad eingezogen sein / so
6 —
werden die tertzen wie ytz gehort zii hoch. schewlich vn hart, dz magstu
also probirn. Nym ffaut / darnach. iiij. quiten vber einander / so gibt
die letzst das ist alamire ein tertz perfect oder doppel decima vnd
doppel sext zii hoch gegen dem ffaut vn csolfaut rc. Machstu dan die
tertzen all gut / so werde die quinten zii hoch. Nym. iiij . vber einander
cfaut. elami. gsolreut. bfabmi. dlasolre / so findestu wie die quinten
werden / und also auch mit andern.
Ite sein drey tertzen perfect vber einander in jm selbs gut / so
ist die letzst stym ein octaff gegen der ersten. aber doch zii nieder
vnnd nit hoch genug / als cfaut. elami. post sol oder fa. in alamire
csolfaut. Nympt man dan ein gantze volkhommen quint / vnnd vber die
selbigs quint ein quart in yr selbs gut / so wirt die letzst gegen der
ersten zu hoch / vnd nit ein gut octaff. als cfaut. gsolreut. csolfaut /
so ist das csolfaut zii hoch gege der octaff cfaut rc. Ascendirt man dan
durch. iiij. quarten als gamaut. cfaut. ffaut. bfabmi post re. oder fa.
in elami post wirt das selbig post re zii seiner sext / oder doppel sext
gamaut oder gsolreut / zii nieder. So nun die species iglich in yr selbs
gut bey einander nit stallen. oder sich leyden wollen / muss man yn
beyden abbrechen vn sie verein / das eine der andern helff tragen wie
hiernach geschreiben / vff das sie miteinander zii briichen sein. also
das die discondantze. we11ich die orgelmecher den wolff
e ij
49
Das Acht Capitel.
nenne. So vill muglich geteilt vnd geordnet werden. so sie am wenigsten
irren rc. Dan kein werck der orgell oder positiff / was pfeiffen die
haben vo metal / holtz / bapir / duch oder glass / des gleichen ander
instrumenten musicalia vo metallichen vnd schoffen seiten / als claui-
cordia. clauizymmell. simphonien. lautten. harpffen. vnd ander / all wie
die genent werden. Nemlich die semitonien haben keins durch vss an allenn
ortten recht in gezogen oder concordirt werden mag. Darumb mey vnsern
zeitte auch vngeweifelt vor vns gross fleiss vnd arbeit angelegt ist /
solchen mangel vnd defect zii emendirn als nelich jmwendig zwolff jarn
ist ein werck gemacht worden das hett doppel semitonien ym manual vnd
pedal / der v. sach was die gemein pflegliche semitonien zii hoch oder
nieder weren / solten die andern mit jren sonderlich pfeiffen vnd choren
erstatten. we11ich man nent halb semitonien / oder ignoten. es war aber
vergaven vn vmb sunst / nit zii briichen. Des halben es auch widderumb ab
gethon wardt. Der furwitz was gebust nit mit kliene vnkosten. Die selbigen
zwen orgelmacher so ytzt berurt werck machten / meinten etwas newss zii
bringen / vn sonder ere vor ander meister ein zii legen. die doch selbs
vorhin vill faltig versucht vnd erkundt haben / yn zuran aber der kunst.
was eben als so die organisten vo newem lernen sich einer ander vbung zii
spiln / annemen vnd gewenen wolten. dar auss doch / als ich gedenck / nitt
wurde. Die weyll nun sollichs alles vnuerfencklich geschicht / vn man
dannocht die orgeln bruchen muss / hab ich mich geflissen

50
Das Acht Capitel. Das. xv. blat.
den orgelmachern ein vnderweysung vnd bericht zii geben meins bedunckens
fast forderlich vn nott die werk zti stymmen vn zti ziehen wie noch folgt
rc. Doch nit allein den orgelmachern / sonder auch den organisten. Ob
etlich der ding nit sondern verstandt oder erfarung hetten geschickter zti
werden den orgelmechern sollichs an zii zeigen ynen dester hilfflicher vnd
erschiesslicher zii sein die werck wol ztiuollenden.
Item fach an in ffaut jm manual sein quint ascendendo cffaut / die
mach dar zti nitt hoch genug / oder gantz gerade in. sonder etwas in die
_ 0
niedere schwebe. so vil das gehor leyden mag / doch das sollichs so man
gemelt quint briich nit leichtlich gemerckt werd. sonder so die claues
oder chor gedachter quinten gerurt vn ein weill still gehalten werden
0 Q
das mann horen mag wie es etwas vnstet laut mit schiicken / sich spert
vnd bass oder meer in einander beger rc. So nun das cfaut eingezogen ist.
so mach sein quint ascendendo gsolreut auch also. Des gleichen die quint
vber gsolreut / dlasolre rc. so hastu vier chor / vnd drey quinten. Do
mit aber ferrer durch quinten vff zti steigen das die pfeiffen nitt zti
klein werden / eygentlich vnd wol zti horen. So fach wider vnder an die
octaff vonn dlasolre so ytzt letzst gemacht ist / die ztich gerade vnd
gut ein. Dar nach die quinten ascendento vo dsolre / alamire. die lass
vff die nieder schweben so vil es leyden mag. Des gleiche die negst quint
dar vber elami auch also, dann mach sein octauen descendedo elami /
gantz gerad ein. Aber sein
e iij
51
Das Acht Capitell.
quint ascendento ml / In bfabmi. oder bdur / auch In die nieder gezogen
wie von den andern vor genanten quiten gesagt 1st. So nun die gedachte
_ 6
claues od chor also gemacht sein / dan so gib lgllchen sein octauen
descendendo vel ascendendo das sie gantz vnd wol jnn steen / so hastu
all claues naturalies. Dann vor alien dingen sollen die octavten lautter
vnd gut in einander sein. Das aber die quinten wider yr natur gezwungen
vnd niederer sein mussen wan sie begern / ist nit on vrsach / dan so man
sie gantz vnd gut H e s s wurden die tertzen zii vil starck vnd zii hoch /
dasselblg ziiuerkommen / muss man die quinten schwecher / vn in die
niedere ziehen / dan ein iglicher chor zii seiner quint vndersich gerade
in vnd perfect ist als elami / gegen dem alamire. so man das elami briicht
zii seim ditono oder tertz perfect vndersich zsolfaut wirt er zii hoch.
Et sic de aliis rc. Wiewoll die tertzen perfectu nitt gut / sonder all zii
hoch werden / ist doch not vnd acht zii haben die drey tertzen. cfaut /
elami / ffaut / alamire / gsolreut vn bdiir. besser zu machen. so vil sie
yr quinten halb vnder sich leyden wellen dann die andern. Ursach sie
werden gar offt vnd meer gebriieht dann die andern / wie vill ytzt
genanten tertzen besser sein / so vill wirt das post soil zii dem elami
vnd bdiir boser. Aber an dem ist nit so vill gelegen als an den ytzt
genanten tertzen / wie dan hiernach vo dem post soil meer gesagt wirt rc.
Ferrer von den semitonien oder bmollen oder coiunction wie die
genent werde rc. fach an Jm ffaut das dan

52
Das Acht Capitel. Das. xvj.blat.
vor gemacht ist. Nym sein quint vndersich bfabmi / das bmoll. oderfa in
bfabmi / das ziiche gegen dem ffaut hoch genug / also das die quint nicht
6 O
gut. sonder schwebent in die hoch gezogen sey / so vill es muglich ist
vmb seiner tertz willen vbersich dlasolre. Auch das die quinten vnder
bfabmi / als post rc. post sol. zii yrn tertzen dar zwischen gsolreut
vnd csolfaut dester hocher vnd besser komen die sunst fast vnlieplich
wtirden wo yn nit durch ytzt gerurten quinten indie hoch gezogen hilff
geschech. So dan das bfabemi also gemacht ist /Ziehe sein quint
descendendo fa in elami post re / oder dis / wie <^u es nennest. auch
in hoch gegen de bfabmi. wie von der negsten quinten gesagt / vn geb
dan dem ytzigen post re sein octaff ascendendo gantz jnn. Darnach zii
dem selbigen post re / mach sein guint vndersich fa / in alamire. post
soil oder gis / nitt in die hoch / sonder etwas vmb das brifen niederer
dan die quint begert. das kompt dem elami vn dem bdiir zii hilff in die
clausell alamire / wiewoll dannocht das post soil also gemacht nit ein
gutte tertz oder sext perfect gibt zii der quint elami vnnd bdiir zii
clausulirn in das alamire / als dan so man clausulirn oder ad. rc.
perfectione kommen vnnd ein sedem halten will, wie das ein iglicher
nendt ein sext perfect oder sexta maior tonus cum diapenthe / fuir
gen soil. Ist es doch meer an dem wan an eim andern ort zii dulden /
angeschen das es ein clausel vnd nit von notten est / das post soil der
discant gleich den andern stymmen lang gehalten werd / sonder mag mann
sollich clausell den discant am anfang mit eim

53
Das Acht Capitel.
peusslein oder gerader diminutz / tectlein / leufflein / risslein oder
floratur / wie du es nennen wilt, wol verschlagen vn bergen / das die
hertickeit offt genanter clausell nit gemerckt wirt. als ein geschickter
organist zii thun wol weiss / das kein man in andern concordantzen post
soli / post re. csolfaut nit thon / dann das wirt nit gebraucht als ein
clausel in das post vt / sonder sunst gesetzt vnnd in organis gemacht
als ein ander concordantz. iij. oder iiij. stymme zu samne die der cotra
punct gibt. Hierumb ist not das die eingezogen vn gestimpt sein das man
sie briichen mog. als dan die music herfordert / vnd die semitonia nit
vergebes funden oder gemacht sein. Aber etlich halten die ander meynung
sprechent. es sey besser das man das post soil zii dem elami vn bdiir gut
mach zii clausulirn in alamire. wan das es zii dem csolfaut vnd post re
gut sey rc. das mich hoch von yn befrembdt die music also zii schwechen
vnd yr recht eygenschaft / als die sussigkeit gutter vnd frembder con
cordantzen zii benemme. wellich on die semitonien nit so wol gemacht

e
vnnd noch einander formirt werden mogen. als sie dan gesteen miissen.
Auch one zweiffell ob sie es schon selbs nitt kiinnen / ist yn doch von
andern ergetzlich vn lustig sollich gut melody mit hilff den semitonien
als eim rechten natiirlichen menschen zii horn / meer ziiuerwondern vnd zii
loben dann zii verachten vnd dar wider sein rc. Douon han ich vil red
gehabt / vnd mir zii vnderweysung gefragt die hochsten vnd berumpsten
musicos speculatiuos vnd practicos so bey vnsern zeit meiner achtug
gewesst und
54
Das Acht Capitel. Das. xvij. blat.
noch sein / vn jr meiner meynug funden / der gleich etlich organisten vnd
orgelmacher so vor jaren die ander meynug hielton / vnd fast wider mich
fochten / sich haben nun gewent vnd vo yr meynung gewischen. sich der
meinen geflissen / das zeigen yr werck seyt der zeit gemacht. Nun wie
dem ob noch etlich der ander meynug weren sich schempten / so lang geirt
habe. vnd yr jrrug zii bekenne / darumb vff yren eilff augen beharren
wolten / den selbige sol der orgelmacher wyll farn sich fleissen das
werck ein zii ziehen / wie ym angezwiget wirt. So dann siinst alle ding
gerecht sein hot er genug gethon rc.
Weyter fach an in bfabmi / mi. oder bdiir. so folgen die vberige
semitonien auch noch. Item dem bdiir geb sein quint ascendento mi / in
ffaut / post fa / oder fis. schwach in die nidere schweben / do mit
die tertz zwische dsolre vnd alamire / oder die sext perfect zii alamire
mit seiner quint dsolre briichlich / vnnd nicht zii hoch werd. Als dan
die clausell in gsolreut gar offt begert vnd gemein ist / das in der
quint bdiir vnd post fa. nit geacht vnd selten gebriicht wirt post fa.
sein quint vbersich fa. in dlasolre post vt / oder cs. zimlich ein /
das es zii dem alamire vnd elami zii briiche sey. als ein gemeyne clausell
in dlasolre. vn wiewoll das selbig post vt wirt zii nieder gegen seiner
quint vbersich post soil / das ist nitt zu achten / dan es nit gebriicht
wirt man woll dann gantz per ficta musica geen. Durch all semitonien
wellichs doch on not ist. Auch die coponisten kein gesang also gar vss
den frembden notten setzen rc. Ob yr eyner
f
55
Das Acht Capitel.
dan vss fuirwitz vnnd seltzamkeit per flcta musica sich geylen wellt /
als primu tonu bfabmi / oder qulntu In elami rc. dz muss darumb ein
organist nit vss dlssen notten spiln. sonder mag es in h o h e m oder
n i e d e m machen. angeschen die semitonien. Welllch am meinsten discordim /
als post vt. vnd post soil rc.
Hie bey felt zii ein frag in welcher zeit des jars die orgeln zti
stymmen sein rc. dar vff die Orgelmacher antwort gebe vn spreche das
jm sommer forderlich wan des winters seiner kelt halber zii stymmen sey /
dann so man die pfeiffen vss heb werde in den henden etwas warm das sie
yr stym e n d e m vnnd hoher werden. So man sie dann vff die laden setzt /
muss man zii zeitten wartten biss sie wldder erkalten vnd ir recht stym
horen mag / dar zii sein L i d e m hentschuch gutt die pfeiffen mit an zii
greiffen von natur kalt / do vo das metall nit werm entpfangen mag als
von den henden. Item zii winter zeytten begibt sich of ft / so eyner eyn
pfeiff in mundt versucht das die feuchtigkeit durch den fuess der pfeiffen
geet an das mundtloch / dar an gefreuert vnd auch die stym endere / das
dan vber dem feuer od sunst vssgedruckt werden muss. Item die kurtzen
winter tag ist nit vil zii arbeiten / es geschee dann mit l ichtem rc.
Solcher vnd andern vrsachen halb ist das stymme in dem sommer am
gelegesten vn nutzsten rc. Ob aber die werk der zeit halb ym sommer od
winter gestympt dester wiriger sein / kan ich nit sagen. dan ich welss
werck wellich in dem winter gestympt vnd geendt sein noch

56
Das Neund Capitell. Das. xviij. blat.
bestendig / der gleichen weiss ich auch ym sommer also gemacht.
DAS NEUNDT CAPITTEL.
Das neund capitel sagt von der Laden / die sol sein von einem gutten
aichen holtz das do glestig geng on Est geschlacht alt vn durr ist /
wasser hat schier gleich dem schamlot. als etlich nenne gespigelt aichen
holtz rc. wiewol nuss baumen holtz auch zii laden gebriicht. ye doch das
aichen meer gelopt.
Item das hertz oder marck hervss gethon / dar nach dz holtz vff
einander verwendt / vn so meer verandert so besser / als kern and schwart
gegen einander / vnnd so der stuck drey oder meer sein. mag mann sie
noch der leng auch v e r k e m / also das das holtz an keinem ortt wider
vereint als es vor gewest / vnd mit eim gutten armproster leym zii sammen
gezwungen / sauber zellirt / die zellen vnd ander locher mit einem
zimlichen leym gedrenckt. Item die Lad Register vn Ventil gerad abgericht
woll vnd gnaw vff einander gefugt. als die meyster zii thon wissen selbs
oder durch ein gutten schreyner rc. ist nott vnd gut.
Item die Register nit zii dun das sie hart gezwungen mussen werden
gerad oder schlecht zii bleiben vnd dester vngerner geen. sonder vier
finger dick vo gutten aichen holtz die bleibendt gerad / geent sanfft /
— 0 —
vn darff man sie oben herab nit zii hart notten gnaw vff zii lige oder
das sie sich nit krumme / sein sie dester leichter vnd besser zii
ziehen rc. A
f ij
57
Das Neund Capitel„
Item die ventiln vo dennem holtz lang vn schmall wie vor in dem
dritten capitel sagt / doch das sie breitter vnd lenger dan die zellein
sein / vnd an alien orten fur geen ob sie zii sommer zeitten in der durre
eingingen vnd schmeler wiirden / das sie dannoch die zellen bedecken vnd
0
gnaw schliessen mogen.
Item so man die ventill / des gleichen die register / die Laden /
0
vnd clauir vor das wetter mecht vnd bereit / das sich nit zogen oder
wunden oder krumpten. were zii moll gut / wie dann holtz zii bereitten
ist / als mich einer hochs stands gelernt hot / dem der almechtig got
gnedig sey. das es sich nit ender vo hitz kelt / feucht oder driickene.
0
sonder gerade schledit in ein bleib wie die zill holtz pfeill rc. So in
feucht wetter vnnd berg oder regene geschossen werden rc. Ich hab auch
sollich bereit holtz versuchen lassen vnd erfaren das es sich leymen
lasst vnnd fest helt / on leym fugen / sonder schlecht gespalten die
0 -
selbigen ortten wid der vff einander das doch mynder noch meynug
erfamer werck leut halten solt / als ich dan vo eins fursten schreiner
od kystner bericht werd. wie aber oder wo mit ein holtz also zii mache
— 0
vn zii bereytten sey / mocht ich hernoch eins in eim andern druck zu-
uerstehen geben.
Item soil mann vffmercken haben das die register gern geen / vnd
der wint nit von eim in das ander lauff so man eins abzucht das dannocht
etlich pfeiffen oder chor in dem selbigen lautten vnd heulen wan man
yr claues rurt. Item die lad lang vnd breydt geniig den
58
Das Neund Capitel. Das. xlx. blat.
pfeiffen vnd choer raum zii lassen daz sie nit eng in ein ander stecken do
mit sie dester bass etwan zii bessern / vss vnd ein zii heben sein. Auch
offt so sie als noe vn hart einander an ruren / endern sie yr recht
stymme / werden schottem scharpff laiitten gleich den geygen vn tromp-
scheit / oder als do einer durch ein strell singt rc. Das geschicht
auch zii zeitten so die blech der pfeiffen zii dun sein.
Item die register sollen geraum geniig sein das yr stangen nit zu
eng haben sich an einander streiche / vn an wiirgen / des gleichen auch
mit zuigen vnd wellen.
Item die Lad inwendig weit genug das frey hinein zii greiffen vnd
zii reichen sey. So es der schern oder ventiln vnnd der secklein rc.
notturfft erheisst / als sich woll begibt das etwas kleins zwischen
- 0
ein ventill vn die lad kompt dases nit schliessen mag. Darumb der selb
chor heult. Auch etwan ein scher bricht / lam wirt. oder vss springt. rc.
Item die lad sol nit mit leder oder andern verleimpt das man es
muss vff reissen vnd wider zii leymen. sonder mitt eysen gewerblein oder
kloblein beschlossen / die vo stund an so es not ist zii of fen vn wid
zii schliessen sein. So das selbig brit oder thurlein vor die laden mit
einem leder gefuttert ist / auch eins an der laden oben vn eins vnder
die solllch thurlein vff belden seitten vnnd ortten inwendig bedecken /
mag der wint nit hervss / vn darff keins leymens / wo es also beheb vnd
recht versehen / das ich nit an eim werck allein erfaren hab / das
f iij
59
Das Neundt Capitel.
ist der grosten gebrechen einer wo die laden nit versorgt vn bestedig
sein Doch mocht man es (als der bosen fortelein ein) loben / dan etlich
werck so bald die belg geen so thiint die pfeiffen selbs das best /
lassen sich horn on hilff des organisten. Er woll oder nitt. Es begibt
sich auch das ein werck etwan vss kleinen vrsachen heult / dz doch
leichtlich zii wenden ist. Als do die zuig zii eng habe / einander anruren
vn halte. oder die dret der zuigk so vnden an den clauir. Des gleichs
oben an den wellen ein ander anstreichen / oder so die dret an den
ortten not recht gebogen vnnd von einander gewent werden. Des gleichen
mit den wellen vnd yr ermlein nit raumbs genug haben. Etwan auch die
zuig an den registern anstreche. zu zeitten auch das clauir geschwilt
vn stecken bleibt vo feuchte des wetters / oder etwas der zwlschen felt
das sie nit frey geen mogen. Ich habe auch funden das sich ein wellen
bret vo dem wetter gewonden vnd gekrumpt hot / das etlich wellen nitt
geen mochten / was yn doch bald geholffen rc. Der ding moge sich vil
begebe das ein werck heult ein gross geschrey macht vn geacht wirt als
ob es verderbt sey die doch leichtlich gewent werden / wo ein organist
baldt dar zii kommen mag / wellichs die orgelmacher billich am ersten
— 0
bedechten / die lad vnd das corpus der moss zii mache das man es offen
vn hinden. fornen. beseitz. oben vn vnde / auch zii den clauirn baldt
komme mocht. etwan bricht ein drat an dem clauir vnd zuigen vnden oder
oben oder strecken sich das die clauls zii nieder vnd vngliech werden
oder nitt genug / die ventill offen. das ist zii zeitten
60
Das Zehendt Capitel. Das. xx. blat.
baldt gewendt. auch die weill mann in den gotlichen emptern singt. vnd
ee dan der organist wider anfacht. Mann muss zii zeitten ein orgelmacher
beschicken eim werck zii helffen / das wol der organist that wann das
. 0 6 6
werck gemacht vn zu offen were wie ytzt gehort.
Item es ist auch fast not das werck ziiuersorge das radten vn meuss
nit hinein mogen / wo sie vff die lade komme zerbeissen sie die pfeiffen /
Q — 0 £
stossen sie krump vn vss den lochern. Wo dan etwas in die locher feldt
mag leicht zwischen ein ventil kommen das es heulen vnd pfeiffen wirt.
das werck zii brauchen vngeschickt. Ich hab selbs mit andern fundenn.
Stro / netzfaden / lautten seitten / klein spenlein - vnd anders das die
ratten in ein werck zwischen die pfeiffen getragen vnd geflochte haben.
Es sit ein vnniitser gast vor dem wol zii schliessen ist rc.
Item die flugell so das werck fornen vnd die pfeiffen vor staiib /
mucken vnd andern bedecken. Das gleichen vor fledermeuss vn so in die
kirchen dommen vff die pfeiffen. auch in die mundtlocher fliegen vnd
schmessen mogen / solle nit schwer oder brecht sein dz sie sich vndersich
_ O - g g
sencken. selbs vberwiege vnbruichlich vn mit notten kommerlich vff vnd
zii zuthon sein. sonder vff das geringst vnd leich gemacht / das sie
danfft vnd sittig zii geen / nit hart anstossen oder bollern / die
pfeiffen bewegen vnd erschiitten.
DAS ZEHENDT CAPITEL.
Das zehendt capitel Von de windt / dan ein yedes

61
Das Zehendt Capitel.
werck ein relchen steten haben sol / dan wo des wlndes zii wenlg 1st /
mogen die pfeiffen yr stym nit volkhommen gebe. vnd laiitten als so der
windt starck vnd wirig ist / vn zii eim werck / der gross / fornen ym
zweytte capittel bestympt vn bezeichnet. acht ich not funff oder sechs
belg / yeder neun zehen schuch leng / vnd bey drey schuchen breit vo
guttem dicken drylungen. so die gehobelt vn bereit werden / das sie
dannocht dreyer finger dick bleyben / vnnd ist forhal holz besser dan
das dennen oder aichen / dryling ist auch gut zii arbeitten / feisst
vn zech / reisst nit so baldt als dan dennen vo den negeln so man das
leder vff niegelt. Item zii den belgen ist alt geschmeidig rindere leder
das best. Es geet gern vff vn nieder / legt sich gnzw vff einander /
vn ist zech Es soil aber eins losss oder zweyer meer habe dan ander
lader vn nit zii woll gees chert sein / wie es dan die leder gerber zu
bereitten wissent rc.

0
Item wo mann die belg legen mocht das der windt vbersich ging wer
bequemer / dann er wider sein natur als ein leicht ding gezwungen
vndersich geen muss.
Item ist not das die belg geheb vnd gantz sein von holtz vn leder.
Des gleichen des Canall von den belgen in die lad wol versorget sey.
Vn dz die belg sanfft geen. nit schiicken oder stossen das mann es all
wege an den pfeiffen hor wan die belg vff vnd nieder gen. sonder das
die windt stete on all schwencken sey rc. sollichs zii probirn. halt
vff dem gantzen werck ein cocordantz. v j . oder vij. claues jm manual
vnd pedall zii saxnen so lang als zimlich ein mensch mag betten zwey
oder drey pa-

62
Das Zehendt Capitell Das. xxj.
temoster / so horestu es wol ob der windt stet vnd sein genug sey rc.
Ite gut vn not ist das vetiln britlen oder durlein vnde an den beige die
den wint fange vn beschliessen bereit sel dz sie sich nit krumpte sond
gerad bleibe vn wol schliessen / dan so ein werck vff gutte starcken
wint bestimpt ist. vn den selbe dan gantz od ziim verluirt so nimpt es
ab vn mag wol verderbt heissen rc. Darub sol man auch die belg s c h i m
vor die radte vn meuss dz die belg gantz vn vngeletzt bleibe / wie od
die schmir zii mache sey. lass ich auch ruwen biss vff ein and zeit.
Ite etlich mache eyge belg kamer vor die radte dz die nit dar zii
komen solle. hilfft doch nit all weg / etlich haben ein and meinug die
belg frey zii lege vn vnbeschlossen - so solte die radte minder dar zii
b e g e m vn jnen schaden thun. vn spreche es sey des thirs aigenschafft
vn art dz es mer beger vn arbeit in den heimlichen beschlosses ort zii
komme dan do es frey vn offen sey. das ich auch glauben mag / dan ich
weiss ein werck des belg vff eim gewelb ligen frey offen vnuerschlage
vn vnbeschlossen sein nun also bey. xx j a m gelege / vn habe jnen wedder
ratte noch meuss schaden gethon rc. Ob es aber des selbige od schmirs
schult sey weiss ich nit / ich wolt aber rate daz die belg anfenglich
— © —
mit einer rechte schmir vor diesse bose thier versehen. vn ye vber. iij.
oder iiij. jaren aber ein geschmirt wiirden. nit allein der ratten halber.
sonder auch dem leder zii gut - dz es dester geschickter vnd wiriger
bleib. nit zii durr hart vn erspert wurd / vff riss. vn locher dar ein
fallen, als offt geschicht das dan eim
g
63
werck ein grosser schad ist. dan so es vff ein reiche gutte wint
gestympt wirt vn der selbig ab nimpt / wie mag dan sein wirckung bleiben
rc. Es solle auch die yhenne so die belg dretten od mit den henden ziehen
wie an etlichen ortten pfeglich gewest bescheiden sein / sie steet vn
sittig nieder dretten vnd sanfft vff legen geen / nitt mit schucken
gelinge / nieder stossen vn vnwirss vff lassen f a m oder schnappen /
dan dz wie auch ander ding das vber not vn gezwunge wirt / ist nit bleip-
lich od wirig.
Ite ein werck dz vo neuwen gemacht wirt sol vber ein jar od zwey
wider renouirt vn vbergange werde vn dan so es recht gehalten wirt / mag
es lang steen vnd gut bleiben rc. vn ist nit gut noch fiir treglich. als
etlich meyn die werck zii sparn nit dar vff spiln / da mitt sie langwirig
sein / sonder sie teglich vben so es sich gebirt vnd yr mit spiln nit
schon / behelt sie ehe vn bass in wesen dan so sie gantz vngeubt sten.
darumb wo in der fasten vn jm aduent die orgell ruwen miissen / sol man
sie dannocht zii zeitte versuche vn dar zii liigen vnratt ziiuerhuten. als
rost. staiib. spinweppen. velleicht auch ratte meuss / vn anders do von
vil ding an dem werck vngeng vn baw fellig werde mag / das alles miissig
steen mer in wurtzelt dan so es in vbug bleibt. Es wer dan dz ein werck
nit gebiirlich od recht gebriicht werde. als so eins organist die vernunfft
hinder jm liess vngeschickt were / vo wem oder siinst zii vil freide vn
stercke entpfinge / das er ein register oder anders vber not vnd zerbrech .
als ich v e m e m an eim ort gescheen sey / doch hab ich es nitt gesehen.
wo dem also were, deiicht mich

64
Das Zehendt Capitel. Das. xxij. blat.
schlaffen oder holts hauwen solt einem soliche bass zymmen dan in organis
spiln / wer auch dem werck nutzer Nun ferrer do von zii schreiben ist on
not. Welcher orgelmacher oder organist etwas verstet der nem dz
selbig vn diss biichlein zii eim forteil fleiss sich dem jhenne so jm
t
verdingt vn vertrauwt wirt genug zii thon. Es sy die werck an geben zii
__ _ 0 _
machen od examinim / so mag er vn ander mit ym so jnnen fordern ere vn
danck erjage das siist of ft feldt vn dz wider spill noch folgt. Wo man
leyder d ding nit erfarn vnd vnwissen hinan get. Ich habe sie gekent /
0 —
die nit woll kundten pfeiffen intonirn oder ander dar zii gehorend vn
dannoch durch jr geschickt furtrage vo fursten vn andern gut meister
angenomen worde / die finge die werck gar frey vn brechtlich an /
volenden sie aber nit also, wan sie yr werck adprohja goben so wass weit
fell vn wenig geleist / des sie sich vermessen vn zii thon begebe hette.
Darumb auch jr etlich gar nochgiltig kleiner ern vn belonug abscheidt
name, billich den vnkosten vn schade vo yn erwachsen wo es in yren vermoge

f '
gewest wer / wider geleut hette. sie werden es villeicht sparn biss an
die gross rechnung. nichts dester minder warn die werck verderbt dz man
sie vo newen ander meistern verdinge miisst. das ist mir nit allein mit
leyen sond auch mit geistliche begegent warlich drey ydr eins sondern
ordens die in orgelmache grossen vnrat geschafft habe. den ich schein-
M 0 0
barlich zeige mocht bey fursten styfften. Pfarren vnd Klostern / got wol
dz ynen keiner mer also blindtlinge nich folg in yr fuss stapffen tret
sich selbs argwenig halt / der ding ge-
g ij
65

_ — Q
ntigsam bericht zii habe / sollichs auch sein obern vber red vn vertrost
gross ere vn nutz mit zii eriagen vn jm feel, als es biss her offt gefelt
hot. sonder die auge der vernunfft woll vff thu. vorhin zii lerne ein
schuler sey. Eedan er sich selbs bered ein meister sein do mit niemant
durch sein vnwissenheit verfurt oder betrpge werd. Ich glaub das einer
ein dor oder kleiner erbarckeit sey der so schnell vnerfern freuenlich
vn verachtlich sich eins solliche dings vnderzeiicht do ein ander lang
zeit jn fleissigiste vbug bey sein muss zii erlernen vn erkunde / vnd
dannocht gliicks darff dz selbing bewerlich zii briichen. vil sein orgel
macher geistlich vn weltlich / aber wenig deren yr meisterschafft bewert
habe werden funde / vnd dz vil werck verderbt werde / ist kein wonder /
wo man nit vor hin frag vn rat hat eins geschickte geubten organisten
mit wem man verschen sey / darumb ist nitt all weg gut frembden vnbekante
6 0 -
leiite vff yr schon red yn selbs on ander forderniiss zii glaube vertrawen
vnd sie ongelopt vo yrn wercken annemen. Welcher jm vertraut vn willen
hot zii halten vn recht zii were der mag ym zii lob vn sicherheit des wercks
verstendig leiit bey ym leyde / aber war denen so sprechen yr dorfft
keins organiste do bey / ich wil euch genugsam versorge vnd werschafft
thiin. bedunckt mich fur ziiseen sein / dan zii letzt findt es sich / wan
man dan verfarn vn die sach verhont hat so sucht man erst rat vn komen
solch rewkauff. nitt allein von vnendtlichen kunstlosen. sonder auch
etwan denenn die vor meyseter geacht sein die sich filrchten vn scheiiwen
yr werck examimim zii lassen / sagen jre werck also gemacht dz es
niemands straffen
66
Das Zehendt Capitel. Das. xxiij. blat.
mag / vn sie wolte daz sie die besten organisten examinirn solte / aber
man behalte den kosten wol es bedarff sein nit / wan sie dan also dar von
• 0 6
komme meynen sie woll geschafft hon. gedencken nit dz faull behelff boss
list / vn betrvig keinen beschirmen oder redten / sond die warheit furgeet /
6 — —
so h e m o c h teglich die werck von viln gehort vn iudicirt werde. was
einer nit darjn findt od versteet. dz thut der and. dan wer zvi wege
0 —
arbeit der hat vil meister die etwan auch ein g e m lopten vn forderte
so sein aige werck nit dar wider wer. So man jnen dan die gebreche vn
mangel eins wercks zeigt oder fur helt. spreche sie man sey ynen svinst
abholt / het lieber andern do hin gefvirdert sie habe yre werck gemacht
daz die organiste der selbige werck cotent sein / dar vff hab man sie
auch bezalt vnd ab gefertiget rc. so dan ein organist gefragt wiirt wie
sollich defect so grob vbersehen sein / spricht er. ich habs nit
verstande vor nit gepflegt od gewisst also zu examinirn / habs auch
meynem hern gesagt vn geredaten ein andern zu beschicken der erfarn vn
geubt sey. haben sie mir nit sonder dem orgelmacher gefolgt / vnd
geglailbt / ich hab das meyn gethon rc. Also fuirt ein blind denn andern /
wirt ein kleiner kost gespart vn ein grosses gewogt. zvi zeitte halb
verspilt. Es ist nit als gewin dz man vor gewin rechet On zweifell so
einer ym selbs ein huss zvi mache od ein andern baw fur genomen hett.
Er wiird sich nit allein vff den zymmerman vn meurer so den baw volbringe
solten lassen Nemlich so sie nit berumpt vn bewert wern. Sonder dar
nebe anderer des bauws verstendig auch rats pflege sein schade vn spot
ztiuerhUten. rc. Also ist auch not

67
vn billich sollich fur sorg vnd fleiss zii habe orgeln vff zii richte.
Nochden vill als. iiij. funff. sechs hudert. Etwan tausent auch zwey
tauaent guide vff ein werk gewendt wiirde gemeinlich der heilige vn kirche
giiter die vmb gets wille gebe sein dz selbig niitzlich ziiuerbawe vn
getreulich zutierdiene / dan es ist schmall gluck dar bey wie etwan wo
weit conscientzen sbin / die vil durch lassen wiischen. nit achte vo
wanne her oder wie es verdient werd / als vil erfarn ist. Ich rede
gutter treuwer meinug. Ob man gleich wol eim berumpte meister ein
werck ziimache befellen vn verdinge wolt der sich selbs acht vn meint zii
_ 0
wissen was darzii not wer zii vn gehort ist danner gut ein organisten der ding
erfarn vn geubt darbey zii habe. als ^in baw meister an zii geben radte
vn helffen gedencken dz werck zu gutte endt zii bringe. Es wirt danct offt
etwas verseumpt vnd nit bedacht das not vnnd ym anfang leicht zu machen -
wer aber h e m a c h schwerlich od gar nit zii wider bringe ist Zwen gedencken
meer dan einer allein sonderlich die ein werck briiche vn vben. Es muss
ein fursichtige wescherin seut der / nie kein windel entfloss. Also auch
in andern sachen der man sich freuenlich vermist so gering vnnd vor gewiss
acht / nit gedenckt. Das die freidige hund am erste wondt werden. Est
ist nit zii vermuten dz ein orgelmacher wie geschickter sey. on angebung
vn mit radt eins erfarenden organiste eih werck volkomme mache / vn all
gebreche vnd vnbreiichlicheit wie ytzt pfleglich ist verhutte mag. der
orgelmacher wer dan selbs auch ein berumpter organist / Der ich doch
noch kein der es also bey einander gesehen oder gehort hab. vnd nochdem
die
68
Das Zehendt Capital. Das. xxiiij. blat.
kunst nun der zeitt gewachsen vnd in hocher scharpffe vbug ist. sond wo
zwen od meer der sach verstendig. erbars gemuts treulich handeln / ein
ander folge. nitt y m eygesond des wercks vn baws forteil suche / die
0 _ Q
moge niitz schaffen. Es sein etlich verdacht die ich doch nitt dar fur
halt ein sondern heimliche verstandt mit einander zii habe in dem wan ein
organist vmb ratt beruffen werd. koch er zwen brey in eine haffen. als
so ein werck geendt vn nit werschafft sy dz er dan de organiste vmb sein
sonderlich vertrug zii gefalle dz selbig gut erkennen vn vrteil rc. Nun
sie handlen redlich od wie sie wolle. wan die baw meyster so die werck
mache lassen / dz yr thun sein sie etschuldiget. Ich glaub vngefreuelt
das die selbige vss yr vnuorsichtickeit rc. Des gleichen die orgelmacher
vn die organisten vss vnwissen vnd vermessenheit die werck zii mache /
zii examinirn vn iudicirn die kirche meer beschediget habe dan etwan ein
gemeiner land kreig dz mich offt hoch bewegt / vn zu diesser einfeltige
vnformlichi schrifft geursacht het / nit do von geert oder gerumpt zii
werden / dan ich mein vngeschicklicheit wol weiss. vn mich vo hinde zii
_ _ Q
scheide den ersten acht. sonder gemeyne niitz zii gut hin fur die offt
genante gebew / wo nit gar / doch ziim teiln zii bessern vn yrn unkosten
mindern. niemant zii wider od dz sein so ym gebiirt ab zii schneide allein
vor berurter vrsach Als got weisst. Der ere vn lob wir hie suchen vnd
vben so lien vns geschickt zii mache / das selbige dort ewiglich zuuol-
bringen rc.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Mirror of Organbuilders and organists, very useful to all monaster
ies'*' and churches which have organs or are having organs built,
carefully written by the famous and skillful Master Arnold Schlick,
Palatine Court Organist. Published and issued by the Roman Imperial
Majesty’s special praiseworthy privilege and favor.
Letter of Privilege
We, Maximilian, by the grace of God chosen Roman Emperor, at
all times enlarger of the realm in Germany, King of Hungary, Dalmatia,
Croatia, etc., Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, and
Count Palatine, etc., commend to all Electors, ecclesiastical and
secular Princes, Prelates, Counts, Barons, Lords, Knights, Squires,
Captains, Provincial Governors, Governors, Magistrates, Prefects,
Administrators, Officials, Village Mayors, Burgermeisters, Local

2
Judges, Judges, Aldermen, Burgers, Printers, Publishes, Commoners,
1 "Stiften" actually includes all monastic foundations.
2 With the exception of the printers and publishers, this list clear
ly consists of groups of titles in descending order. Where the titles
given have several meanings they have been given translations that
carry appropriate rank.
69
and moreover all other vassals and subjects of us and of the Empire
and also of our hereditary princedom and lands, in whatever dignity
station or rank they may be, to whom this our letter may come or
be made known, our mercy and all good things.
Venerable, right honorable, respected, noble, worthy, pious
dear Nephews, Uncles, Electors, Princes and Subjects: our and
the Empire's dear subject, Master Arnold Schlick, organist of
Heidelberg, has indicated to us that he, on account of the fre
quently reiterated request and desire of the late Palatine Count
Philip, also of other princes and ecclesiastical and secular
personages, has, with assiduous diligence, brought together into
one booklet diverse precepts teachings and directions as to how
one should make and install an instrument of pipes and other ele
ments, artistic and also useful for the choir's singing, and for
the organist.
He has decided to bring this booklet to the press first to
the glory and honor of God, and also for the common good; that it
may obviate the tremendous expense which from time to time has
been involved in organ building on account of the lack of standard!
zation, by making this knowledge generally available to everyone
in one publication. And, to make it more accessible he found a
skillful book printer who set his booklet and work carefully with
a clear and readable type. And that he might have some recompense
for his work and effort through the sale of the same, he has
humbly asked and prayed that We provide him with Our Imperial
71
privilege: that, in the next ten years, commencing with the date
of this letter, no one, without his knowledge and consent, may
reprint the aforementioned newly completed work, this book, nor
the other, consisting of Tabulature of the sort suitable to the

3
organ and also string instruments, that he is shortly to complete
and intends to make available at that time. This we are inclined
to do for the aforesaid reasons, and especially for the furthering
of the common good. We accordingly commend to all of you, and
command and desire each of you individually that you firmly pro
tect the said Master Arnold Schlick, organist, for our sake in
accordance with our previously determined grace and privilege, and
that you not permit that the aforementioned work, his book and
the other, as included above, be reprinted by anyone else without
his knowledge, permission and consent in the time stated, or, if

4
the same is printed in Italy or another nation beyond your command
or administration, neither allow it to be sold by any means, nor
do so yourselves, but in accord with the indicated Master Arnold
Schlick or the publisher whom he has undertaken to employ, so
that no other action is necessary to carry out our privilege. Mark
our meaning earnestly. Given at our and the Empire's City of Stras-
3 This is the Tabulaturen etlicher Lebegesang und Lidlein. (Mainz:

Peter Schoffer, 1512). Modern reprint edited by Gottlieb Harms
(Hamburg: Ugrino, 1957).
4 "Welscher" includes all the lands to the south, with a derogatory

implication.
72
borg, on the third day of the month of April, the year of our Lord
fifteen hundred and eleven, of our Roman rule the twentysixth and
of Hungary the twentyfirst year.
For the King By the very command of
pp m the Lord Emperor
5
Serintiner.
sszt.
5 "Serintiner" was probably the name of the official writing the

letter. The initials below his name may possibly have indicated
his position.
Introduction
INGRATITUDE, as the wise men of old write, is to be reproached
above other vices. So however, I, Arnolt Schlick, servant of the
Palatinate and least among organists, created by the Almighty as
a man, and (as Tully writes) not for myself alone, recognize that
I have wasted my life, in not sufficiently expressing gratitude
and praise to God. Also I have received special grace, favor,
advantage and advancement from many men, clerical and secular,
of high means, and low rank, especially the praiseworthy memory
of that late luminary, the right honorable Prince and Lord, Lord
Philip, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Bavaria, Arch Lord
High Steward and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, also the present
Elector, Lord Ludwig, Lord Philip of Freisingen, Lord Johann,
Bishop of Regensburg, the guardian of Master Friderich, Lady Eliza
beth, Margravine of Baden, and their brothers and sisters, Counts
and Countesses Palatine of the Rhine, Dukes and Duchesses in
Bavaria, my gracious and merciful lords, ladies and maidens.
Since human will is superior to that of the animals, I have
considered that I should use the time remaining to me, not to idle
silently like unreasoning creatures which by their nature bow their
73
74
heads to the ground and live in obedience to their bellies. It is
seemly for me as a man, and a recipient of mercy and kindness, to
be seen to be grateful and to devote my time to a work through
which God is praised and honored, and the abovementioned merciful
and gracious lords, ladies and maidens, and all Christian men be
diverted and pleased. Furthermore, may other people, more highly
endowed by God and nature, more certain in matters of art and
more experienced, improve, supplement and perfect this that I
incompletely set forth, so that leisured and art-loving people,
to whom unfamiliar reading material causes vexation, may be lured
to read.
All human power rests in intelligence and in the-brfdy. The «-
first we share with the angels, the second with the irrational
beasts. So I consider that since human life is short, this may
serve the aforementioned my gracious and merciful lords, ladies
and maidens as a memorial to me, their graces' least servant.
I have produced this work from these considerations: may it be
used in accordance with them.
Following the irrefutable and indestructable utterances of
the unsurpassable Christian teachers Jerome, Aurelian, Augustine,
Ambrose, Gregory, Ignatius, Cassiodorus, Basilius, and the state
ments of the old kings, princes, and lords and of many living
people, noble, learned, eminent and excellent, some of whom have
described and some of whom have practiced music, and not a few of
whom yet practice it, I have cultivated a part of this praise-

75
worthy, noble, most sweet and true music. Music, according to
the statements of all teachers, is justly to be honored because of
its inventors, splendid people, also for the sake of those nine
talented female personages, the Muses, among whom it is said to
have originated, and further is to be honored for its nature, for
as Boethius says, it is a true friend of unity and concord, a
foe of dissension and discord.
Music is also to be justly and highly honored because of its
effectiveness in the service of God, adding earnestness and enter
tainment to the holy services. According to David, it encourages
joy, in war, slaughter and truce; it quickens and delights, it
makes the angry calm, brings again to the senseless their reason.
As the physician Aesculapius has written, it exorcizes the evil
spirits, like David with his harp (1st Kings: 16). It drives out
immorality, as Pythagorus writes: one rescued a youth, through
music, from an evil, illicit love. Also, as Guido tells, music
is useful to all men of every age, and is especially a friend of
nature which it strengthens and aids. On this account it is
called a medicine for the body and the soul. It is good for the
young, it sharpens and makes keen the mind, it heals and doctors
the infirmities of the body, as when Thales of Crete expelled the
pestilence by the sweetness of the harp, and brought the raging
men to repose. Aristotle says that music makes a legislature capable,
restores the fallen and desperate, strengthens those in a state of
preparation, disarms the murderer, and eases sleep, melancholy,

76
sadness and all burdens, not only of mankind but also of irrational
animals: birds, horses and others, and above all most suitably
6
ministers to men's spirits.
This booklet is based upon much experience, and [on] reasons
stemming from the basis of music, and brings together some rules
for the building and improving of organs. This is the preeminent
instrument of music, since the greatest number of voice parts,
as many as six or seven, may be controlled by one man. It is
customarily used in churches for the praise of God, to facilitate
choral singing, and to refresh human spirits and vexations. It
is produced with great and heavy outlay and expense, and certainly
through ignorance it is easily wasted, ruined, and all the cost
may be vainly expended. Through these rules, if they are made use
of, observed, and taken to heart, and if the proper proportion
is granted to each [rule], with the proper understanding, in the
beginning and preparation, also the negotiation and carrying out
of each part of the organ, the work without doubt will be carried
out with the elimination of much unnecessary work and expense and
the shortening of the time, and be pleasant, gratifying and to be
praised, and out of this the fruit of these rules will appear.
i
This booklet is divided into ten sections that I believe to
be most fruitful to understand, since any instrument ignoring them
6 This brief and rather inaccurate survey of the legendary history

of music was included as a polite bow to the traditional musical
treatises, before coming to the actual practical subject of the
Spiegel.
77
will not justly be praised. I humbly beg, where I have overlooked
anything that is worthy of censure or not examined it clearly (for
I am not familiar with many works like this) that all readers will
not reproach me, but by their diligence make these same more com
plete and better, and that they have excused me and commend me
among themselves, graciously, favorably and kindly.
Chapter One. Tells how the instrument may be placed according
to the layout of the church, to be heard and seen and to last for
a long time.
Chapter Two. Tells about the scaling of pipes, and a good
choir pitch, suitable for singing to and for the organists to play.
Chapter Three. Teaches how to make the instrument useful for
the organists according to the custom of this time.
Chapter Four. Tells about the properties of the pipes and
their metals.
Chapter Five. About the registers.
Chapter Six. About the mixture or "locatz".
Chapter Seven. How an individual register should be, byitself
and with others.
Chapter Eight. How and at what times the instrument should be
tuned.
Chapter Nine. Tells about the windchest of the instrument.
Chapter Ten. Tells about the wind and the bellows, etc.
Chapter One
One must decide where the organ is to be placed so that it
will be properly heard in all parts of the church. [It must] not
[be] too far from the choir, as one finds in some large churches,
so that a person singing can hardly tell whether the organist is
playing the chant or something else, especially if he uses single
registers, which are somewhat weak, and not the whole chorus.
Similarly, the organist may hardly understand or hear what the
priest at the altar sings, or when the singing ceases and it is
proper for the organist to begin as at Gloria in excelsis, at the
Epistle, at the CredoJ the Offertory, at the Preface, the Sanctus.
etc. Rather one must consider the architecture and circumstances
of the church, and also how it appears, whether it is decorative
and more commendable, for while the organ is primarily to be heard
and to praise God, to strive for heavenly things, and to assist
the godly singers, it is, however, not very much less an ornament
to the church, if it has a proper appearance, with proper figures
and paintings which encourage devotion, not lightminded wrong and
7 "Zu zeitten des Patrem".
78
79
evil. For example, such a one built a few years ago in the cloister
of a mendicant order, there was, just for effect, a rather large
figure of a monk under the organ, which, when one played on it,
lunged out of a window as far as its waist and then snapped back
in again. This often shocked young and old, men and women, so
that were some were excited to swear and others to laugh. This
should properly be avoided in church, especially by the clergy.

g
Likewise, the grotesque faces with wide mouths that open and
9
shut, and long beards, and complete figures that strike about,
encourage improper manners. Also rotating stars with little bells
that ring, and other such things do not belong in church. But
when our Lord God holds a church fair the devil sets up his stall
next to it. What rewards they win henceforth, they who hinder
the people in piety and good works and entice them to evil, I leave
to their father confessors to judge. It is not necessary to
plant lice in fur, or to send thieves to the Frankfurt fair. They
come by themselves, before one wants them.
Also to be considered is a suitable site in regard to the
weather, avoiding humid walls, arches and windows, or drips that
may fall from a roof into the instrument, as recently happened in
8 According to GWtze's FrOhneuhochdeutsches Glossar. p. 179,

"Roraff" is the same as "Brullaffe", defined as "groteske figur
an der Strassburger Munsterorgel.11
9 "Gantze bildt die auff deschen slagen" must indicate some sort
of articulated figures, but exactly how they moved is obscure.
80
one locality and ruined the instrument. Also the bellows for
similar reasons must not be situated unprotected under a roof on
which the sun shines, for the leather will quickly become parched,
cracked, hard and useless, and break down all the sooner. But if
it is not possible to find another suitable location, one may build
a special bellows chamber or something else that will protect the
bellows from the sun and from storms.
Furthermore, take care that the tribune or base and the frame
that the joiner makes do not sag or sink so that the chest and
pipes fall out,as rot lotg aga happened at a cathedral, resulting in
much trouble and expense.

Chapter Two
The instrument has to be pitched for the choir and rt cn

31 H-
fD X
ti
be tuned suitably for singing. For where this is not er (IJ
o fl>
p. 3
considered the people must often sing too high or too rt
O H-
10 hi g
(D
low. The organist then indeed plays using the semitones, rt W
3*
id ti
er
[i.e., transposes] which is not convenient for everyone. 13 h>-
H* 03
13
<T> H->
However, such a measure for the pipes, convenient for 0>
S 3
H- 00
rt ti
pitch and for the choir's singing, cannot be given wholly er er
o
e h-
rt CD
and certainly since people sing higher or lower in one
rt 3
er
n> oo
place than in another, according to whether the people have o
Hi O
o a.
o
small or large voices. Nevertheless, if the longest pipe,
>» G e-
r
o
Hi H*
the F below gamut G in the pedal, measures sixteen times O H
H
13
H*
the line given here, from the open top to the foot, it rt
0h G
e-
r
seems to me that this should make a satisfactory choir O Hi
• o
H
pitch.^ But if one would like an organ a fifth larger,
10 Schlick's word "semitonien" meaning our "black keys" or "sharps",

has been retained as "semitones" throughout this translation, since
there is no unequivocal word in English for the non-natural keys.
11 Schlick's line is five inches long. This makes his pipe length
six and two third feet, which, in our conventional expression of
eight-foot C, would make Schlick*s pipe for F (or for C in his other
tuning) about the pitch of our D sharp.
81
82
then tenor C in the pedal should have this length. If however one
wants to have an instrument that is still larger, one may make the
pitch given here an octave lower. The very biggest organs have
their longest pipes twenty, twentyfour or thirty feet long. These
may be found in many places, made at great expense by the old
builders. It is not possible to hear clearly what is played on
them, because of the length and number of the pipes. Also the
organist cannot bring off his performance as freely or as power
fully as on smaller instruments because of the high wind pressure,
large pallets, springs, stop knobs, rollerboards and other things
that make trouble, as the organbuilders and organists know.
Furthermore for a reasonably small organ I would advise that
sixteen times the length given above be used for F below gamut G,
and that for a larger instrument the longest pipe be as long again.
The reason for this is that the greater part of the choir chants
end on low notes, as these in the first mode: Salve regina. Ave
maris stella. Gaudeamus. Vita sanctorum and others, which for the
12
choir are pitched on tenor G. And it is very good for making
free basses against them to have the lower octave so that these
cadence and finish on low G. Also, to play the chant in the pedal
12 These chants are then in the transposed Dorian mode with a B

flat. The chants mentioned in this chapter have been traced and
their ranges confirmed by Arthur Mendel, in "Pitch in the 16th
and Early 17th Centuries", Musical Quarterly, XXXIV (Jan. 19A8)
p. 34. For these three chants Mendel found all except Vita
Sanctorum. Only the Salve regina goes out of the (untransposed)
compass c to middle d, to dip once down to tenor A. This either
was not in the version of the melody known to Schlick or was dis
regarded by him.
83
on other organs; the said chants must be pitched on tenor D,
which is not as suitable since the melody and also the counter
point, if in the pedal, will go up into the next octave and higher,
so that the organist will take this to advantage on the manual.
Playing only on the manuals has been standard practice outside
the German countries up to now, but now they are studying the
pedals as well, and not without reason, for with the hands alone
it is impossible to play every piece containing many parts
correctly and with the parts in proper relation. But if one has
the pedal to help, taking two or three voices, and also four in
the manual, this makes seven parts altogether, which is impossible
on the manuals without the pedal. Not only polyphony, but also
many smaller songs and other pieces with three or four parts,
cannot be played perfectly on the manuals, as is the case when
parts go too far from each other, so that one voice must give
way to another or be silent at times altogether because one cannot
reach it with the hands. Also sometimes the voices come too close
together, so that they coincide, as at a cadence. This may be
done perfectly, and each part may better have its own tone and be
heard, if the pedal and manual are used together.
Now furthermore this measurement for the pipes is well suited
also to the chants in the third mode, on tenor A, such as Pange
13 That is, on those with the C compass, not the F compass.

84
14
lingua. A soils ortus t Hostis herodes. etc.
Likewise chants in the fifth mode that go up almost an octave,
or even over that, are suitable for the choir played from tenor F.
But if they remain low, as in the sixth mode, they prove satis
factory on tenor B flat. The accomplished organist will know how
to consider the circumstances of peoples' voices.
Likewise chant in the seventh mode is also more convenient in
the aforementioned measure than in the other measure a fifth larger.
For such chants when played on organs with this pitch have their
correct natural notes and keys, starting on G, as, it was said
above, does the first mode. Thus both these modes may be sung
from the one pitch, which is very comfortable in height and
range for the choir to sing. But in the other measure it is not
so convenient for the organist to play the first and the seventh
tone from one note, for then they make the seventh begin on tenor
C while the first mode begins not on the same key but on the D, so
that the choir must sing a note higher. The same is true [in this
other measure] for the third mode on tenor E, which is a tone higher
yet. The organist wants then, by musica ficfa. to play the E mode
on tenor D . ^ This is probably good to do, but not familiar to
everyone.
14 "These melodies, untransposed, all have a compass of tenor D -

middle d." Mendel, (op. cit.) p. 35.
15 Schlick says: "der organist woll dan per fictam musica spiln mi
in dsolre". He means that the organist transposes down a whole step,
compensating for the modal differences by using chromatic notes, thus
using a phrygian scale (written enharmonically) of: D, E flat, F, G, A,
B flat, C, D. This agrees with the conclusions of Mendel (op cit. p. 38).
85
Thus in all ways the first and forementioned measure for the
pipes is better, since the first and seventh modes remain on one
note, tenor G, and the third on tenor A, only one note higher. And
these three modes may very well be played on organs or sung by the
choir on these two tones mentioned. If, however, a chant in the
third mode hovers too much in the upper octave or higher, an
organist may accordingly play it from tenor E. There are many
chants with the high and low points a twelfth or thirteenth from
one another, for instance, these sequences: Laus tibi. Christe
for the feast of St. Mary Magdalen, Psallite regi. for the behead-
1f t
ing of John the Baptist, and others that are similar. An
organist knows for himself how to accomodate the voices of his
choir.
Further, some chants, such as the sequence for the Holy
Trinity, Benedicta sit semper, etc., and the last Et in terra, as
customarily sung, begin in the seventh and eighth modes and end in
16 Mendel, (op. cit. p. 36) found that "Laus tibi. Christe has a
range that, transposed, fits Schlick’s pedal board except for the
top d which occurs only three times in a very long melody". He
could not locate Psallite regi.
86
the first. ^ This is much more convenient for the organist to play
on G, because then he can play the major and minor thirds as they
occur in these chants on B natural and B flat. But if these chants
were played on tenor C, then the major and minor thirds come on E
and E flat, or if they are played on tenor D, then they come on F
sharp and F natural. It is, then necessary and praiseworthy for
a masterly organist to play fluently and securely through the semi
tones; but not everyone is practiced in this. This is all the more
reason why the oft-mentioned and first measure is better than the
other, etc.
A second point: this same measure is better than the other
because [in it] the chant does not cadence as often on tenor A as
it does with the other pitch. This is good, because G sharp is
too high in the cadence on tenor A, as will be discussed further
hereafter.
17 The sequence, found by Mendel (op. cit. p. 36) does just this,
but he says: "I am not sure which Et in terra Schlick means. The
first of the ad libitum Glorias given in the Liber usualis is in
the eighth mode and has a range of D-a. Schubiger fDie Sanger-
schule St. Gallens, (Einsiedeln and New York, 1856), in which Mendel
found many of these chants] prints a transcription of this melody
(p. 58 of examples) and a fragment in facsimile from the Cod-
Einsidl. Frag. I: in this version the melody has B and B vari
ably. But this would make the variable degree E-E which is just
opposed to what Schlick says. Nor would the twelfth G-d be
playable on Schlick's pedal keyboard (although the top note is
touched only thrice in the course of the long melody, and without
it the melody would fit)."
18 See Chapter Eight.

87
A third point: the first pitch heretofore described is the
best for some newer registers or pipes, such as the rauschpfeif
or krummhorn and trompette such as are now made. These, in the
other pitch, will be too high or too low, and may not have their
right proportions, as they will in this [pitch], etc. If one

19
could shift the whole of the organ a tone higher or lower when
it is already tuned to the correct choir pitch it would be a
great advantage to the organist and singers. I have heard that
a Positive was made thus years ago. But I know of only one really
complete instrument, which with its Ruckpositiv. two manuals,

2i
pedal and all registers, which are many and unusual, can be drawn
a tone higher and down again as often as one pleases and the
demands of the chants and other melodies require, which instrument
I use daily. This device is especially desirable and useful for
measured music where there are competent instrumentalists and
singers.
19 Schlick has "ziehen". Everyone, even Mendel (op. cit. p. 37)

assumes that this means "transpose by means of a stop". The
literal translation is "if one might draw the work of the organ a
tone higher or lower".
20 "Ziehen" again: this time it translates literally as: "...

work...is drawn one note higher and down again". Essentially one
is shifting the position of the keyboard relative to the pipes.
Given the relatively unsophisticated mechanics of Schlick’s organ,
it would seem most feasible to do this by sliding the keyboards and
pedalboard laterally by one note. Draw would be a reasonably good
word for this process. To assume that pulling an actual stopknob
did this seems unrealistic. The concept of movable manuals persisted
as late as the eighteenth century, as in the couplers in Dorn Bedos,
L ’Art du Factor d* Orgues. (Reprint, Kassel: Barenreiter, 1963) Vol.
II, Plates 42 and 43.
It sometimes happens that two or more masses, similarly the
Magnificat. in one mode, are set on the same line or space, but
with one requiring to be sung a tone or note higher than the other
For instance, both the masses in the sixth tone are pitched on
tenor C. The polyphonic bass in the one mass stays on that C,
not going lower, and in the other mass the bass goes a tone or
more lower to the B flat or A. When this is too low for the
basses and makes this part too weak against the others, then it
is necessary to sing the piece a tone higher. Now if, on the
other hand, the first mass or its bass line, stays on tenor C, it
can conveniently be played in the normal way on an instrument in
C. But the other mass needs to be played on D, which makes F in
the D hexachord a major third, thus sharped, C sharp or C natural
must be played instead of B natural or B flat, and G played as A,
which is difficult, even impossible for some organists to do, so

21
they have not attempted it. But, if one may, as described above
make the instrument move a tone higher, then the organist plays
the C and the pipes accordingly in D.
21 This transposition is correct for the chromatic alteration

encountered in moving the sixth mode, with its plagal range of
C to C, and variable B flat - B natural, on to D, and seems to
agree with Schlick’s hexachordal designations.
Chapter Three
Chapter Three teaches how, in the third place, a special
attention and diligence is needed to make the instrument useful for
organists. The claviers for the manuals must have twentyfour natural
keys, with four F's and four A's, that is, three octaves and a major
third, and must not be too wide or have such broad keys as the ones
made before our time, or be so narrow and small as are found on
some instruments, as if children should play on them. But the size
should be right, so that an organist can manage four
or five parts thereon, and play an octave freely. The
line given here, doubled, gives the width of the octave.

2 O
H" H CD
n
Also the keys must be the right length, for if <t> P M
CD
rt 3 3
3* P OQ
they are too short and one reaches two or three parts H- rt rt
te C 3*
H
H* P H>
with one hand, especially using the semitones, the o 1— * O
3 i-C
OQ
n» P
board over the clavier [i.e. the nameboard] is too H* v<i
• CO
CO
CD
P
close and hinders one greatly. Thus it is necessary 3 &
rt
O O
O 3
that the semitones and the other, natural, keys have rt P
P .
<
fl>
their right lengths from this board. These lengths
are shown here. The shortest is the size for the
semitone and the longest the size for the other
keys out in front of the board, etc. And the semi-
89
90
tones should not be too thin or too low so that wh^n one strikes
them they go below the other keys or even with then, but rather
they must remain higher and above the other keys so that when one
strikes them the neighboring keys are not depressed and sounded.
One should not make the clavier hard or stiff, but rather as smooth
and light as is possible. It will help and encourage this to use
small light rollers, and similarly, long narrow pallets of firwood,

22
curved toward the back on both sides, and sharp. These make th£
wind not offer as much resistence as wide ones.
Also the [pallet] springs must not be too short, for that
makes the keyboard stiff and heavy. Also consider that the pull
down attaching the tracker to the pallet needs to be hung so that
it opens properly but does not make the keys too deep. When it is
hung on the front of the pallet, then the keys must go deeper
than when it is attached further back. It is also necessary to
take care of the little arms of the rollers, since the closer the
holes where the trackers attach are to the roller [i.e. if the roller
arms are made shorter] the heavier and stiffer the keyboard; and the
further [they are] from the roller, the lighter and easier it will
be. Similarly the trackers have their [place of] advantage for
23
being attached on the keyboard. Long keys connected in the right
22 "Gegen dem rtick zii gewelpt."
23 "Des gleichen haben die zuigk an dem clauir au hencken jrn

forteil."
91
way and light trackers of fir wood: such things help each other
so that it is more usable, not so deep and stiff as if one did
not take care with these things. And yet is is actually almost
necessary if one is to play on it and be able to achieve the runs
that are the present style and practice. This the organ builder
should justly consider to make the instruments usable for the pur
pose for which they are intended. It must be playable with the
fingers, not so stiff, sticky and clumsy that one should hit it
with a sledge hammer or a flat iron. Each individual object is
designed for its own job. A knife that does not cut, or a horse
ry t
that does not go, are useless, fruitless, and not serviceable
for the purpose for which they were created or manufactured. How
ever excellent an organist may be, that which is given him by God
and nature and attained by much arduous work can not be perfected
25
on such distorted, clumsy instruments. But often they must sacri
fice the artistry which is to their honor and is useful and profit
able, and also would be pleasant and delightful for others to hear,
because they have been hindered by the ignorance of inartistic
organ builders. If their own tools with which they earn their
bread were as useless as their organs are for the organists, they
would learn to do it otherwise, and also to be more diligent.
24 "Einem messer" and "einem pferdt" are dative, yet must be the
subjects of the sentence.
25 It is tempting to read into Schlick’s "bloch werken" a depreca

ting reference to the undivided Blockwerk instruments of preceeding
generations, but this does not seem to be justified by any contemp
orary use of the term.
To make good free bass counterpoint in the pedal, it is, in
my opinion, necessary to have a twelfth of natural keys, together
with the semitones between them, from F under the gamut to middle
c. One can do a great deal with this, not only one part, going
high and low, but also two or three parts together. This sounds
really fine, full, and splendid, with other parts and is also
lovely alone, without the manual. Two voices in the pedal and
then in the manual, alternating like this, as the organist has
the knowledge and skill, sometimes makes a different and happy
change for the listener. And although some people say that the
lowest two semitones, F sharp and G sharp are not necessary, one
should for the sake of this process not want to leave them out,
for this is destroying a good staircase by leaving out two steps.
Those w!io think and talk this way are wrong. I myself have said
and shown to some of them how these same notes serve well for the
chant and at other times for consonances. A1thought not everyone
knows how to use them, one should not on this account leave them
out and make the whole instrument incomplete. This is as if a
person who was ivot able to keep fruit or grain and wine built a
house, and on account of this would not build any cellar or store
room in it. He who then may possess the house after him, if he
knows well how to use a cellar and storeroom and chests, and how
to devise means for [adding] them; he must pay for the original
owner's ineptitude because the house is not complete.

93
Further, the keys in the pedal should not be too thin and weak
so that they break easily, as may well happen, but strong, of good
wood, so that if one must walk on the pedal board, as may happen
at times if the space for the bench is narrow, the pedals can
endure it.
Now the aforesaid [pedal] keys should also not

<0 n>
width
be too short or very long, but a sensible, ordinary size.
vs
to
A suitable length for a key, between the board through
of three keys
which it goes and the ledge at the back of the key is 3*
<T>
five times the line given here. [This] is convenient X)
n>
Cl.
to
for everyone.
to
n>
in the pedal, with

Also, do not make these keys too narrow or too
H-
wide, as is found in many places, but rather a seemly, <
(t>
average size, usable for everyone, on which one may 9

CD
CO
also play two parts with one foot. So three keys with rf
cr
H*
the two spaces between them areas broad or wide as CO
M
O
their
the line shown here is long. 3
09
Furthermore, the keys and spaces are not of the

spaces, is this
same width, but on the contrary the keys are smaller
and not as wide as the spaces„ Theorgan builder should
pay special attention to this proportion and give each
its appropriate size.

long.
Also the space between the lower rollerboard where the
keys of the pedal go through the back toward the bench should
94
not be too narrow, but about two feet wide, so that the feet can
be used behind one another and may cross in running passages or
scales in the pedal, etc.
Also the semitones in the pedal should not stand forward and
high up, but lie down low. The length from the board as is given
above as one fifth of the long keys, and jthey are) not quite so high as they
26
are long. This will serve well to sharpen the bass line.
Now the B natural just below middle c in the pedal should not
be a long key as is B natural in the lower octave in the pedal,
but rather should be short and high as the other semitones, so that
B flat lies where our predecessors were accustomed to have it, and
where at this time it is more useful to everyone. In that until
this time, few organs have had pedals that go above the high B
flat, therefore when top B flat is a semitone and B natural is a
natural key, the same as the lower octave, (as I have found in a
few instruments) this is almost unknown to the organist and often
makes for confusion. To mitigate this and to avoid the strain
and labor of accustoming oneself to or learning something new,
the familiar form of the thing is best.
Furthermore, the claviers of the manual and pedalshould be a
sensible distance over one another so that the organist does not
26 This pun is really there, since Schlick has "zu scharpffen",

but probably was not intentional since he does not use the word as
we use "to sharp" for raising a note a half-step.
95
bump his knees on the manual. If there happen to be two
Six times
manuals, the lower one might be so low that the organist
would not have enough room to maneuver, especially if he
has long shinbones. The specific height between the pedal
this
and the manual, and similarly the height that the bench on
long is the height between

which the organist sits should be, are not easy to give
because people are not uniform— one is larger or smaller
than the other. However, I think that if, from the top
clavier to the pedal clavier is six times as long as the
line given here, so that the one would be so high above
the other, this should be well suited to a man of roughly
average size. But if an instrument has only one manual
the pedal
one might accordingly make it so much lower.
If there are two manuals, the top one is at the
and manual.
right height for the organist when he sits on the bench,
if this manual is at the same height as his stomach

27
and belt. I think that this will be suitable, etc.,
for if one must hold his hands in front of him higher
than the elbow it becomes harder and more difficult than
if [their height] is the same or lower.
27 The keyboard is to be even with the organist's "Weich und

gurtel", his "soft parts" and girdle. This puts it well below
his waist, as is confirmed by the hand position not being "higher
than the elbows".
96
Also the bench [must be] high enough that the
organist's feet hang or hover over the pedals. For if
From
the bench is so low that his feet lie on the pedals he
the pedal keyboard

must lift them off all he notes. This does not permit
scales or running passages in the contrabass.
Also, since the pedal keys in some instruments are
two or three fingers thickness above the ground or floor,
and the ledge that goes behind the pedalboard is also
to the bench
rather thick and high, one should not measure the
height of the bench from the ground or from this ledge,
but rather from the pedal keys, as long as is given
is five
here times five.
Further, the bench should not be fastened down,
times
but be moveable, to slide back and forth with respect
to the pedalboard as is comfortable to each person, for
this
in some instruments that have two or three claviers the
long.
topmost is inset so deeply into the case that it is
28
hardly to be reached and is unworkable.
Also one should underlay the keyboard with felt or leather so
that it does not rattle or squeak. One hears at times more of the
skittle-knock and chatter of the keys of the manual and pedal and
28 One slides the bench forward not so much to get an ideal posi
tion in regard to the pedals but to be able to reach the deeply
inset upper manuals.
97
the rollers and trackers than of the pipes, especially if one
plays on quiet registers. This is more suitable to the wooden

29
bells in Holy Week than to the organ.
Also the keys should not wiggle back and forth so that one
can get a finger between the keys, but remain steady. And if a
peg or stiff wire is driven between adjacent keys, then the keys
cannot rub one another, and also when one plays thirds and fifths
the notes in between and next to those [played] will not be
touched or caught so that they howl and spoil the other voices by
30
their noise, as is found in many instruments.
Further, it is good, workable and convenient, to arrange and
proportion the claviers for the manual and pedal properly over one
another. For although the pedal has not more than twelve naturals,
half as jmany as the manual, these stretch further, with the spaces
between them, than do the manuals. On this account it is necessary
to take care that the manual not be placed too far to the right
or to the left, but centered. The organist may then sit as freely
as possible, and not need to twist himself around to perform or
seek an advantageous position, or make do. For example, I found an
instrument twenty years ago in the Netherlands in which the pedal
29 The wooden bells were probably used in the Tenebrae Service of

of Maundy Thursday. See Arnolt Schlick, Spiegel, translated (from
Ernst Flade's 1951 version in modern German) by Franklin Miller,
Organ Institute Quarterly. VII: 4 (1958), p. 22, footnote.
30 If the keys adjacent to those one plays are partly depressed,

so that the pallets are opened a little, the pipes for these keys
will squawk or howl.
98
was so displaced in regard to the manual that when one played on
the manual and wished also to use the pedal, it seemed according
to ordinary practice and use to be a fourth higher than it really
was, and so it sounded lower and did not harmonize as it should
have. But the organist there was well accustomed to this and
skillful, and was judged superior to others. He wanted to have
it [arranged] thus and no other way so that he could be superior
to others. This may be so. If the lowest manual key, F below
gamut, comes or stands over low A in the pedal or between this a
and gamut G, and the highest key in the manual, top a, lies
over tenor B in the pedal or approximately between B and A, the
claviers are, it seems to me, well located over one another and
useable by the organist on both sides, above, and below.
i
Chapter Four
The fourth chapter tells about [the construction of] the
pipes. They should not be thin and weak, but of good seemly
thickness, and strong, that they may be long lasting. And
especially the principals should be good and strong. For them,
as indeed for the other pipes, tin is better than lead. Some,
31
on account of the smaller cost, prefer lead for the hintersatz,
and think also that these pipes are sweeter sounding than those of
tin. It is only a small difference, and, furthermore, lead is
not as long lasting or durable as tin, for lead easily oxidizes
from dampness, and holes appear in it from decay. Also it is
soft and pliable, so that rats and mice do more damage with their
biting and knocking over than to tin. For these and other reasons,
lead, in its pure state, is not suitable to be used for pipes.
Some mix together half tin and half lead, less or more as seems
good to each. But it seems to me that the less lead and the more
tin, or pure and all tin, is much better and more enduring, al
though it is harder to work and to cut, so that it is difficult to
31 A large mixture constituting the bulk of the chorus above founda

tion stops: see Chapter Six and the discussion following the trans
lation.
99
100
trim the pipes and make them correct when one tunes them. On this
account, organ builders prefer to work with or tune lead or a lead
alloy rather than all tin. But one should not consider this, but
rather the usefulness to the churches and to others who bear the
expense.
In addition, tin can be made even harder and stronger than
it naturally is, but whether it is usable when so treated I do
not know. I recommend as the most reliable good English tin, or
Seiffen or Oberstdorfer tin. They are often and much used and
proved.
Further, one should be diligent to voice the pipes well, so
that they give their proper, fully-developed sound, not speaking
their quint or octave, and do not squeak, whisper, speak at half
strength, or be' completely silent. But rather, as one touches a
key with a finger, as swiftly and forthrightly as one well may,
the pipes speak freely and do not fail.
To achieve this the organ builder does not use one scaling
for the pipes, but some shorter, [i.e. wider scale] the others
32
longer, [narrower scale]. For instance, the fifth, sixth, and
seventh parts, and between these, more or less, as pleases the
32 The scaling of pipes involves the ratio of width to length.

Schlick, considering the pipes in their flat, pre-soldered state,
gives this in terms of circumference to length. Thus the ratios
in the following sentence are 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, ranging from wide
(Schlick's "shorter") scale to narrow ("longer") scale.
101
Individual. The long scaling is sweeter than the short, but the
short scaling speaks faster than the long. Thus I would advise
(as I have done before and also had built) that each register in
the instrument that is a principal include a so-called koppel

33
or flute. That is, when the hintersatz, the zimbel and every
thing else is taken off and the principal sounds alone, that
each note on the manual might have two equal[-pitched] pipes,
but with different scaling, one somewhat shorter [wider scaled]
than the other. So the long pipe shares its sweetness with the
short one, and the short [pipe] helps the long, so that they speak
together and are heard forthrightly by the organist. This doubling
is otherwise hardly to be heard or noticed. If the organ builder
has a long scale alone and cannot voice it properly, as is often
found, then a key in the manual or pedal can be held down almost
as long as an Ave Maria before the pipe begins proper speech, if
it ever does. This has been found in instruments recently made,
examined, delivered, and pronounced to be good. So to take the
holy property thus loosely and lightly is a pity.
33 This indicates a two rank principal, but only one rank of

principal (narrow) scaling, the otherfrider)flute, which may have
been a stopped rank. The koppel could also be a single rank used
as a substitute for a principal: see Chapter Five and the discus
sion.
Chapter Five
The fifth chapter is about the registers. It is not commend
able to build many registers, especially that sound rather like each
other. Rather one should select those which are to be heard and
recognized as different from one another. With eight or nine good
registers, which go well together and yet are interchanged with one
another [for tonal variety], one may give much pleasure to the hearer.
Now, for the first, the principal, sometimes called koppel or
flute. Next, an octave of long scale, or, if the instrument is very
large, a double octave.
Then, for the third register, a short wide scale, that some
call gemshom, also an octave over the principal, or a double octave

34
in a large instrument.
34 The pitch relations of these stops are quite clear for the
samller organ: 8 * principal and/or koppel (flute), 4' octave, 4 ’
gemshorn. However, it is not so simple to determine the pitches for
Schlick’s larger organ, because the meaning of "double octave" is not
clear. It might mean: double as opposed to single, i.e. two ranks;
or, double as opposed to single octave, i.e. two octaves higher; or,
— twice as fcigi, i.e. an eight foot instead of four foot octave. The
meaning could also differ between the usage in reference to the octave
- stops and that about the gemshorn. It is very probably that Schlick’s
larger organs were pitched an octave lower (see Chapter Two), so this
stoplist probably should be based on a sixteen foot principal, despite
the assertions of Rudolf Quoika (see Vom Blockwerk zur Registerorgel.
Kassel: Barenreiter, 1966, p. 30) that it is based on an eight foot
principal like the smaller organ. The probable stoplist is then:
16' principal and/or koppel (flute), 8 1 (and/or 4') octave (maybe two
ranks or octave and koppel), 4' (or maybe 8 ') gemshorn.
102
103
Also a zimbel, [which] should not be large [low pitched?] as
some make i t , s o that one hears the octaves and quints almost as
separate registers, but small, sharp-cutting, so that one cannot
easily tell what each individual pitch is. That sounds well
with all registers. And then the hintersatz. Then for the sixth,
the rauschpfeife, after the fashion of a schalmei. And for the

35
seventh, a wooden percussion, that is strange and wonderful to
hear, especially in the bass. In my opinion, it sounds like a
bowl that an idle journeyman hits with a spoon.
The eighth should be a zink. If it is properly made, I have
heard, it may well sound very zink-ish.
There is also a register made which is supposed to resemble

36
the Schwegel. How well it does this I will let others judge.
But one can daily advance and improve things.
35 "Hultze glechter." According to Grimm (on. cit.) IV:a:2:2844,

this is the 16th century holzene gelachter or strohfiedel. Geiringer,
in his Musical Instruments (New York: Oxford University Press, 1959)
p. 145, gives these as German names for the xylophone, which was of
eastern origin, and consisted of twenty-five wooden bars laid on
straw (hence the name strohfidel). He does not mention Schlick's
use of the term. Sachs, in The History of Musical Instruments (New
York: Norton, 1940) p. 439, says that Schlick*s use of the term is
the first mention of it, and translates it as "wooden percussion.
Apel (Harvard Dictionary of Music) p. 819, gives 1500 as the date
of introduction to Europe Quoika (Blockwerk zur Registerorgel) p. 68,
lists it as a "mechanical register" which also existed at St. Viven
in Rouen under the name of "synphronie". However, other authorities
have said that it was a mixture: see Franklin Miller's translation
of the Spiegel. Organ Institute Quarterly VII:1, p. 13 footnote.
36 A three-holed flute played with one hand and used with the tabor,
(Gieringer, Musical Instruments, p. 85).
104
Also, I know of another register in organs which is being

37
discussed, to make the instrument complete. Five years ago one
was made well and artistically for our all-merciful lord the
Roman Emperor as a little instrument similar to a positiv, a regal
or super regal. Its sound was charming and unusual to the ear.
Its pipes quite astonish those who are not acquainted with it,
who cannot possibly conceive even of its shape and scaling. But
the arts thrive and multiply daily— Adam's children never rest.
But I will pass over how these and other strange pipes
mentioned before and after this are made, for the benefit of the
organ builders, so that I am not considered as revealing their
art and secrets and making them open and common, in order to
aggrandize myself, or use my sickle on someone else’s crop. In
fairness they receive profit and good payment for their work,
art, and flawless wares.
37 "In orgelm gantz werck zu machen" does not seem to mean that
this stop, the regal, is either a complete organ in itself (although
it had been made this way previously) nor that it is necessarily a
division with only one stop. Flade (Spiegel 1951) p. 28 footnote
suggests that this was an apfel-regal, since ordinary regals were
common before this. It might also have been a kopflinregal: see
Flade, "Literarische Zeugnisse sur Empfingdung der Farbe und
Farbigkeit bei der Orgel und beim Orgelspiel in Deutschland ca.
1500-1620", Acta Musicologica. XXVIII (1956) p. 177. The
kopflinregal is described by Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum Band II,
De Organographia (Wolfenbuttel; Elias Holwein, 1619), facsimile
edition, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt (Kassel: Barenreiter, 1958)
p. 126, 148. It had a knob on the top of the short resonator
with a slit in it "like an open helm", and the sound was "good
and lovely".
105
In the pedal, the octave goes well with the principal. How
ever, the principal must be separable, so that if one wishes one
can use the octave alone, and also the hintersatz.
Also trompetes and posaunes. Some make also in the pedal
zimbels and small octaves, called "sedetzlein". In my opinion

38
these should both be omitted.
Furthermore, it is well that the registers in manual and
pedal all be individually controllable, so that one may play a
specific piece registered with similar sounds in manual and pedal.
This is not convenient in any organ where the pedal is an octav^
or more under the manual. This makes good counterpoint unconsonant,
inverted and altered so that fifth become fourths, and thirds,

39
sixths, etc. On this account it is necessary that one be able to
take off the [sub-octave] pedal principal to leave the characteristic
sound for such pieces. This is done when the principal in the manual
and the octave in the pedal go together [resulting in the same
pitch]; or similarly with other registers if the pedal is not an
octave under the manual but of the same pitch.
Also it is good that the registers all be separable so that ^
the organist can hear each register alone, one after the other, as
38 That is, omit the zimbel and small octave, but the trompete or
posaune stay in the stoplist.
39 That is , if one takes a higher voice in the pedal and a lower

one in the manual the lower pitched pedal will result in inverted
intervals. Hence he wants the two divisions at the same pitch:
eight foot pedal and manual, or sixteen foot pedal and manual.
106
he or others please. It is sometimes pleasant to hear two registers
together, such as zimbel and principal and others mentioned above.
Some instruments have distinct separable voices in the manual
but not in the pedal. For instance, I know an honest instrument,
made at no small cost, in a rich, splendid monastery, in which
the hintersatz in the pedal is not separable. This is a great
defect and a gross oversight in the first place. It could be
corrected for a hundred gulden.
Now, one may draw the registers with each other in many
ways, and have results that sound strange to the ear. Further,
there is nothing that does not go well with the rauschpfeife and
trompete^ and especially the hintersatz, [which is] sharp, pure
[and] cutting, [and] not a low-pitched mixture, pleases me beyond
measure with the aforementioned two registers, rauschpfeife and
trompete.
There is also a register with, on each note, a gross tierce
and quint, on which one cannot play consonant chords, for whatever
40
keys or notes one plays together are discordant and sound evil.
This is wholly contrary to the music, and of no worth, as an
intelligent individual must conclude.
40 This would be a sesquialtera, which sounds well only on solo

lines.
107
They also make a register with single pipes sounding a fifth

41
over the principle or correct pitch of the instrument. Whoever
finds this pleasing, let him praise it, etc. I say, by your per
mission, that many things are attempted, first one thing, then the
other. It is good to learn at others' expense, if one does not
worry about the pay and has enough materials. One finds some
who are disdainful of other people, full of pride and presumption,
yet they do now what these [others] have done before, and nothing
different. The saints are able to bear the expenses better than
these workmen.
The same thing happens with Fositiv [divisions]. They make
two or three in one instrument, one at the back [Ruckpositiv] ,

42
another in the Brust. a third inside the instrument, serving
no purpose but to prolong the time and unnecessarily raise the
useless costs. Much broth and little fish. A good Ruckpositiv
has enough registers for me with a principal, of wood or tin pipes

43
made like wood, plus a small gemshorn, a good pure zimbel, and
the small hintersatz, each on its own slider and usable alone or
with other registers in the instrument. Especially it is good to
41 If the principal pitch is eight foot, this would be a five and

one-third foot register.
42 This may have been an Oberwerk, a windchest mounted over the

main chest.
43 That is, voiced to sound like wood, so that the voicing of the
register of basic pitch on the Ruckpositiv would be more articulate
than that of the Hauptwerk.
108
hear the small hintersatz in the positive with the rauschpfeife.
Similarly it is also very strange and unusual to hear the wood pipes
with the octave on the [main] manual, with the voices near or far
from each other.
Some say that the rauschpfeife and trompete will not be as
reliable and stable as other [registers]. I do not hold this
opinion, but, on the contrary, if one gives each of these their
right size and scaling, they may last a long time. I can point
to rauschpfeifes and trompetes that have been in an instrument
and in use for nine years and in that time have not changed with
heat or cold, but sound as good on this day as on the first. If
at times two or three individual pipes in an instrument should
slip, an organist who knows how may soon remedy this. This type
of register should not be scorned on this account, but should be
well built and maintained as a new, splendid, useful, joyous and
wonderful thing to be heard in the organ to the glory of God.
Now it is more convenient and more durable to draw the
registers if they pull out above, below or beside than toward the
organist, since they may perhaps have to be pulled out a long way
44
from the case, with effort and force.
44 With sliders three inches thick it is no wonder that the stop

knobs pulled out a long way. It would take a great mechanical
advantage to move such a heavy slider.
Chapter Six
45
The sixth chapter tells about the mixture or "locatz".
Every organ builder must consider carefully the height and width
or size of the church in determining the strength of the mixture,

46
and also whether the instrument is large or small. For in a
small organ, of the measure given in Chapter Two, about sixteen,
seventeen or eighteen pipes in [each of] the top notes should,
in my opinion, turn out well and be audible enough in a large
church. The mixture should be sharp-edged, not of fifths and
thirds that one may hear distinctly. These are, to one who under
stands these things, more repellent and horrible than merry and
pleasant to hear. They make no beauty, but destroy good counter
point and chords through their screaming. It is also to be noted
that when one takes together a fifth, tenor C and G, in addition
to the fifth that this makes itself there is the fifth to the G,
middle d, which with the C below, gives a dissonance, a ninth or
45 From the Latin locatio. place. This is Schlick's term for big
mixture which was the remainder of the old Blockwerk.
46 This probably refers to the pitch of the instrument, rather

than the number of registers. (See Chapter Two and Chapter Five).
109
a second. Similarly the third makes a dissonance. Take tenor E
with C. Then the fifth to the E, B natural, makes a seventh
against the tenor C. Not only the lowest quint, as was formerly
built and is still found in some instruments, but also the next
an octave higher, the twelfth, [does this], though it is not as
noticeable or as harsh as the lower [quint's effect]. These
should still be avoided, small as they are, because one hears
them, whether in pedal or in manual. It should also not be
overladen with other large pipes that make the instrument rough
and gross, fit for swine since they scream like sows. But
rather, making a good sweet keen mixture of small pipes, and

47
also with the small quints as tiny as may be, so that though
they will not be heard they will help to clarify and strengthen.
47 In other words, put plenty of one and one-third foot, two-

thirds foot and one-third foot ranks in the locatz, but not
too much two and two-thirds foot and no five and one-third foot.
Chapter Seven
The seventh chapter says that a single note in itself
should be pure and firm, also the notes should all be properly
proportioned with each other from down in the bass to high up,
not out-shouting each other; one strong, with good pipes, the
next note weak or bad, or with three or four pipes less and even
these not all good. Sometimes valves are pounded into the holes
in the chest in front of the pipes, that are offensive and a

48
gross defect. It is likewise bad when the notes are not
equal, for instance, one place high in the treble or down low is
stronger or weaker. In the same way the pedal and manual should
be compared to each other.
Further, in single registers the notes should be even, so
that one pipe does not sound very strong and another just halfway
as described before.
48 These valves must have been to control the wind supply to the
pipes; they offended because they were a substitute for proper
regulation and voicing of the pipes.
Ill
Also it is useful that each individual key, through all the
keys and registers, have its own note and not be borrowed, as in
some instruments when one register or more does not go further
down than, for example, tenor C or B natural, but the keys below
affect another register or even are silent. This is unworkable,
and organ builders are wrongheaded to thus mutilate and bungle
an instrument, because, as the philosopher says, a misformed
limb makes a great difference and deforms an entire body. How
convenient or well formed, then, is an instrument that has many
members thus lacking and missing? Et cetera.

Chapter Eight
The eighth chapter is about tuning the organ, and at which
times it should be done, how an individual note of the pipes should
be high or low in its tuning in order to make intervals and con
cords; that is, unison, quint, octave, fourth, sixth, third, through
which all music for human voice, or instrumental music, is realized.
But how these said intervals are to be divided and named, perfect
or imperfect, it is not necessary to set forth here, but much has
been heard about this from authors on music. Although the oft-
mentioned intervals want, each in itself, to be perfect and wholly
"in drawing" [i.e. without beats], and it is best to hear them
thus if they are used alone, nevertheless two [intervals] will not
make concord with each other if each is good in itself. For
example, a pure fifth tenor C and G: should the third somewhere
between them, tenor E, be good with the G as an imperfect third,

49
minor third, or semiditone [these three terms are synonymous]
it will not be good with the C as a perfect third, major third or
49 In Pythagorian tuning, a semiditone equals two whole tones

minus a mfc-jor semitone, but for Schlick it seems to be any minor
third.
113
114
d i t o n e , [ l i k e w i s e synonymous] but rather too high. For when the
fifths are "in drawing", the thirds are too high, horrid and hard.
You may prove this thus: take tenor F, then four fifths over it;
then the last one, a, gives a major third or double tenth [an
octave plus a tenth] and a double sixth [an octave plus a sixth]
that is too high with the tenor F and middle c. If you make the
thirds all good then the fifths are too high. Take four [thirds]
— ^ over each other: as 6 , E, G, B natural, and middle d. Then you
find out how the fifths come out, and thus also with others.
Further, if three major thirds are over each other, each good
in itself, the last note is an octave against the first, but still
too low and not high enough: as tenor C, E, G sharp, middle c.
If one then takes a completely perfect fifth and over this same
fifth a fourth good in itself, then the latter will be too high
against the first and not a good o c t a v e , a s tenor C, G, middle
c, where the middle c is too high against the octave, tenor C. If
one ascends through four fourths, as gamut G, tenor C, F, B flat,
middle d sharp or e flat; the same d sharp will be too low as the
sixth or double sixth [octave plus a sixth] with gamut G or tenor G.
50 Two whole tones.
51 This is not true. A pure fifth plus a pure fourth makes a

perfectly good pure octave.
Since the several intervals, good in themselves, will not blend
or be bearable with each other, one must do violence to them both
and unite them, so that one assists the other as hereafter described,
so that they can be used with one another. In this way it is
possible to divi"de and distribute the discord which organ builders
call the wolf so that it causes the least irritation. For no
instrument, organ or positive, whether it has pipes of metal, wood,
paper, cloth or glass, nor similarly other musical instruments
with metal or gut strings, such as clavichords, clavicembalos,

52
"symphonien", lutes, harps, and others as they may all be called;
none has semitones that may be made to sound properly in tune or
concordant in all places. On this account great diligence and
labor has been expended in our time and doubtless before, to amend
this great deficiency and defect. For instance, in the last twelve
years an instrument was made that had double semitones in manual
and pedal, so that if the commonly used semitones were too high
or too low then the others with their special pipes and notes
should be substituted, which one calls half-semitones or "ignoten".
It was however vain and wasted, not usable; on account of this it
was removed. This inventiveness was atoned for with no small expense.
The same two organ builders who built this said instrument intended
52 According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music p. 721, symphonia

applied in the 16th century to a type of clavichord.
116
to produce something new, and especially to gain honor over other
masters who themselves had attempted and explored such things in
many ways before, but their art failed them. This is just like the
organists who would undertake to start over and wish to adopt and
accustom themselves to play in another practice. To my way of
thinking nothing would come of this.
Since everything involving these matters has turned out to be
insignificant, and despite this one must use the organs, I have
applied myself to give to the organ builders an instruction and
statement, in my opinion very effective and necessary, to tune
and to "draw in" the instrument as follows hereafter. However
[it is] not only for organ builders but also for organists, be
cause some may not have special understanding or experience in
these things, to become more skillful so that they may be all the
more helpful and useful to the organ builders toward the perfect
ing of the instrument.
Now, beginning on gaijiut F in the manual, the fifth ascending
from it to tenor c: do not make it high enough, or completely

53
pure, but hovering somewhat lower, as much as the ear can stand,
yet in such a way that one does not easily notice the above
53 "Schweben" - this is the verb used to describe the Spirit of

God hovering over the water.
117
mentioned deficiency unless the keys or notes of this said fifth
are touched and held still for a while. Then one may hear how it
sounds somewhat unsteady, with wavering, resists, and wants to
come more together. Thus now the tenor C is "drawn in", so make
its ascending fifth, tenor G also like this; similarly the fifth
above G, middle d, etc, so you have four notes and three fifths.
But as you continue to progress through the fifths, in order that
the pipes do not become too small, and may be heard exactly and
well, begin again below on the octave below middle d, which you
last attended to, and tune it to be pure and good. Next the fifth
ascending from tenor D, the A: let it hover on the low side as
much as it can endure. Likewise [make] the next the next fifth
over it, to middle e, similar. Then make its descending octave
to tenor E completely pure; but its ascending fifth, B in the G

54
hexachord or B natural, is also drawn on the low side as has
been said of the other fifths previously mentioned.
When the above mentioned keys or notes have been tuned, give
its upper and lower octaves to each so that they stand properly
and well in [tune]. Then you have all the natural keys. Above
all things the octaves should be pure and good with each other.
But that the fifths, contrary to their nature, must be forced
54 "Mi in bfabmi oder b dur"

118
and lower than they want to be is not without reason; for if one
should let them be perfect and good the thirds would become too
strong and too high. To prevent this, one must draw the fifths
weaker and on the low side. When every note is perfect and "in"
with its fifth below, as, for example, E with A, then if one uses
the E with its ditone or perfect [major] third below, C, it will
be too high, and the others the same. Although the perfect
[major] thirds do not come out well, but all too high, it is
nevertheless necessary to pay special attention to the three
thirds C to E, F to A, and G to B natural, to make them better
than the others, as much as they can stand on account of the fifths
below them. This is because they are very frequently and more
used than the others. The better these sound the worse G sharp
to E and G sharp to B natural become. But that is not as important,
as the above mentioned thirds, as more will be said hereafter about
the G sharp.
Further, about the semitones or flats or "conjuncten" as they
are called: begin on tenor F, which has been taken care of before.
55
Take its fifth below, B flat o r B in the F hexachord,, and draw it
high enough against the F that it is not a good fifth, but is made
55 "bmoll oder fa in bfambi"

to hover on the high side, as much as is possible on account of
the third above it, D. Also the fifth below B flat, that is E
flat,"*^ that makes the thirds between C and G, will come out all
the higher and better. These would be very unpleasant without
the help of these said fifths being drawn on the high side. So
when B flat has been tuned thus, tune its descending fifth, E
58
flat also on the high side in relation to B flat, as is said
above about the adjacent fifths, and then give it its octave
right in tune. After this, make the fifth below the same D sharp
the G sharp, not on the high side, but lower than the fifth
59
desires. That comes to the help of the E and the B natural on
the cadence ^toj A. Even then the G sharp tuned in this fashion
56 Since Schlick is tuning his semitones in descending fifths,

raising the lower note results in a smaller fifth, but see Miller
Spiegel translation Organ Institute Quarterly, VIII: 3 p. 29, and
footnotes, where he says these fifths are larger. Flade (Spiegel
1951) pp. 35-36, has "das ziche zu dem F so hoch ein," which is
correct. This is the text from which Miller was working.
57 "Post re postsol."
58 "Fa in elami post re / oder dis / wie du es nennest."
59 The error which produces the wolf has piled up, making the
G sharp much too high, so it must be tuned with a larger than
normal fifth to the D sharp, leaving the error on a little-used
fifth.
120
does not give a good third or major sixth with the fifth E and B
natural for cadencing onto the A, when one should proceed to
cadence or come to perfect intervals and wants to hold a "sedem",
as everyone calls an interval of a perfect or major sixth, a whole
tone with a fifth. It is nevertheless better to be endured in
this place than in another, seeing that it is a cadence and it is
not necessary that the G sharp of the discant be held equally as
long as the other voices, but one may, as one wishes, from the
beginning of such a cadence make a little pause, a light touching,
a little run, a little ripple, or flourishes, in the discant.
These will thoroughly hide and conceal so that the hardness of
the often mentioned cadence is not noticed, as a skillful organist
well knows how to do. No one does this in other chords, since A flat
E flat, and X sharp are not used [together] as a cadence onto C
sharp, but placed otherwise and "in organis", like any other chord,
60
[with] three or four voices together, which makes the counterpoint.
Therefore it is necessary that they [C sharp and G sharp] be "drawn
in" and tuned so that one is able to use them as the music requires,
and the semitones not be vainly founded or made. But some people
hold other opinions, saying that it is better that one make G sharp
good with E and B natural in order to cadence on A, rather than
60 In other words, the offending C sharp and G sharp occur in a

normal polyphonic context and cannot be covered up with ornamenta
tion.
with C and E flat.^ This astonishes me, so to weaken the music
and take away its proper characteristics, such as s w e e t n e s s
of good and strange concords, which without these semitones
cannot be so well made and formed after the other, as they [who
think thusj must confess. Also without doubt they themselves
could not do it, it is as delightful and merry for them as for
a proper natural man to hear such good melody from others. ^Such
musicQ is more to be admired and praised than scorned and derided.
I have had many conversations about this and have asked, for my
information, those who in my opinion have been the highest and
most famous speculative and practical musicians of our times, and
found them to be of my opinion. Likewise some organists and organ
builders who years ago held the other opinion and fought firmly
against me, have now retreated from their position £and] devoted
themselves to mine, as the instruments they have made since that
time demonstrate. Now some, who, like the above, held this opinion,
were ashamed to have gone astray for so long, and to confess their
62
error. Therefore they want to "persist with their eleven eyes."
As to these, the organ builder should comply with them and be
61 In the chord based on A flat.
62 To persist in their point of view, insist obstinately on their

rights. The reference is to the spots on dice, possibly to not
changing what one is betting on. See Kieth Spalding, An Historical
Dictionary of German Figurative Usage (Oxford: Basil Blackwell,
1958) Vol. I, p. 118.
122
diligent to tune the instrument as is indicated to him. Then if
everything else is right he has done enough.
Again, begin on the B in the G hexachord, B natural, the rest

63
of the semitones follow. Give B natural its ascending fifth, F
64
sharp, hovering weakly on the low side, so that the third between
D and A or the perfect sixth to A, with its [lower] fifth D, are
useful and not too high, since the cadence to G is quite often
desired and is common. Thus the use of the F sharp in the fifth
B natural and F sharp is not important and seldom employed. The
fifth above F sharp, C sharp, is properly "in" so that it is usable
with the A and E as a common cadence in D. And although the same
C sharp is too low against its fifth above, G sharp, that is not
regarded unless one wants to go through all the semitones by
musica ficta. which is however not necessary. Also the composers
do not write pieces wholly on these strange notes. Although one
of them might want to play around with such chromatics out of
inventiveness and curiosity, such as the first mode on B or the
fifth on E, an organist does not have to play it on these notes
but may make it higher or lower, taking into account the semitones
that are most discordant, such as C sharp and G sharp.
63 The following directions are for tuning the semitones by ascend

ing fifths, coming back to the offending G sharp from, as it were,
the other side.
64 "Mi in ffaut, post fa, oder fis".

123
The question as to the time of year at which the organ should
be tuned has been ignored up to now. The organ builder says about
this that it is more profitable to tune in the summer than the
winter because of the cold. For if one then takes the pipes into
his hands they become somewhat warm, so that they change their
pitch and become somewhat higher. If one then puts them on the
wind chest one must wait for a time until they cool again and one
can hear their proper pitch. Leather gloves, [which are] cold by
nature, are good to hold the pipes with, for through these the
metal cannot receive warmth from the hands. Furthermore in the
winter it often happens that if one tries a pipe with the mouth
the moisture goes through the pipe to its mouth, freezes there,
and changes the speech. This must then be extracted over the
fire or otherwise. Moreover the short winter days allow little
work unless it is done with lights. For these and other reasons
tuning in the summertime is most useful and suitable. But
whether the instrument is more lasting tuned in summer or winter
I cannot say, for I know instruments which are tuned in the
winter and remain stable-

, similarly I know some done in the summer.
Chapter Nine
The ninth chapter tells about the windchest, which should be
of good oak wood that is smooth, workable, without branches, well
formed, old and dry, that which has grain like camel's hair cloth,
that some call "speckled" oak. Although walnut is also used for
windchests, oak is more commended.
Now the heart or pith is taken out, then the wood is stacked
together, (the more assorted the better, as heartwood and barkwood
against each other) so that there are three or more pieces [to
gether]. One may also reverse them lengthwise. Thus the wood
at no place touches that which it formerly joined. Then clamp
them together with a good crossbowman's glue, make the tone
channels neatly, and drench the channels and other holes with a
suitable glue.
Further it is necessary and good that the chest, sliders
and pallets be planed level and tightly fitted together, as the
master knows how to do himself, or by a good carpenter, etc.
Also the sliders must not be so thin that they have to be
severely constrained to remain straight or flat and therefore
move reluctantly; but if [they are] four fingers [about three
124
125
inches] thick, of good oak wood, they remain straight more easily
and one does not need to hold them hard from above so that they
lie properly or so that they do not warp. They are therefore

65
lighter and easier to draw, etc.
Also the pallets [should be] of firwood, long and narrow,
as was said before in the third chapter, but so that they are
wider and longer than the [openings of] the tone channels and
extend beyond them in all places so that if they shrink and
become smaller during the summer time when it is dry, they may
despite this cover the tone channel and close it tightly.
Further, it is desirable that one make and prepare the pallets,
similarly the sliders, chests and keyboards, against the weather,
so that they do not warp, twist, or bend. It would be well to
prepare the wood as a person of high standing has taught me (God
be merciful to him), so that it is not affected by heat, cold,
damp, or dryness, but remains straight like the shaft of an

66
arrow that is intended to be shot in damp weather, and mountains
or rain. I have also had such prepared wood tested and find that
it takes glue; and holds fast fitted together without glue, rather,
simply split with the same pieces put back together, although some
65 However, the weight of these extremely thick oak sliders necessi

tated a very long travel for the stopknobs in order to have suffi
cient mechanical advantage to shift the sliders. See Schlick’s
reference at the end of Chapter Five to stop controls that "pull out
a long way with difficulty and force."
66 "Mountains" seems illogical, but Schlick plainly has "berg". Per

haps he was thinking about the colder weather at high altitudes.
126
experienced workmen hold that this will not be as durable. So I
have been advised by a prince's carpenter or joiner. But how, and
with what, such wood is to be made thus and to be prepared, [is a
subject] to which I may return later in a special publication.
Also, one should be attentive that the sliders move easily
and that the wind does not run from one to another so that when
one takes off a register some of its pipes or notes sound or howl
when the keys are pressed. Also the windchest is to be long and
67
wide enough to allow the pipes and notes room, so that they are
not placed tight to one another, but rather so that it is possible
to adjust them and lift them out and back in. Also, often if
they stand so near and hard by each other that they touch, they
lose their right quality, sound thin and sharp like a violin or
6Q
tromba marina or as if one sings through a comb. This also
happens at times if the pipe metal is too thin. Also the sliders
should have enough room that their rods are not too close to each
69
other and are choked off, and similarly the trackers and rollers
[need enough room].
67 "Pfeiffen and choer". "Choer" in this context means the pipes

of each note of a compound stop.
68 The marine trumpet had both sympathetic strings and a bridge with
one leg free to vibrate against the soundboard, but it was probably
the latter component of its sound that reminded Schlick of the vibra
tion caused when two pipes touch each other.
69 Schlick probably means that if the control rods operating the

sliders are too close together and foul each other, the air to the
pipes (of the register whose slider is moved) will be cut off or
restricted.
127
Also the interior of the windchest [should] be large enough
that [one can] grasp and reach freely inside, if the springs
or pallets or little pouches^ require attention, as may well
happen if something small comes between the pallet and the chest
so that it does not close and its pipes cipher, or if a spring
breaks or becomes weak or jumps out [of place], etc.
Further the chest should not be sealed with leather or anything
else that one must tear off and glue shut again, but rather close
with iron hooks or wedges that undo when it is necessary to open
the chest, and close again. If this same board or little door of
the windchest is lined with leather and also the chest is covered
[with leather] over and under this little door on both ’:■* i..>=> and
around the inside, the wind cannot get out, and no glue is 'aeded,
where it is thus sealed and properly provided.
I have experienced, not on one instrument only, that it is
the greatest of omissions if the windchest is not carefully made
and durable. Then it may happen (as one of the evil tricks) that
in some instruments as soon as the bellows start the pipes sound
by themselves without the help of the organist, whether he likes
it or not. Sometimes it happens that an instrument ciphers for
lesser causes that are easily to be prevented. For instance, the
70 "Der Secklein", probably the little leather pouches that seal

the windchest where the trackers or pulldowns go through.
128
trackers may be too close [together] so that they rub and hinder
each other, or the wires of the trackers below at the keyboard may
stick. Similarly the rollers may rub against each other, or wires
not be properly bent in places and will hinder one another.
Similarly the rollers and their little arms may not have enough
room. Sometimes too the trackers and the sliders stick open.
At times also the keys swell and stick, on account of the dampness
of the weather, or something falls between them so that they cannot
move freely. I have also found that a rollerboard has twisted
and bent on account of the weather so that some of the rollers
cannot move. This is soon remedied, etc. Many such things that
happen, that cause an instrument to cipher and make a great noise,
and cause fears that it is ruined, may, however, easily be changed
if an organist can get to it quickly. Because of this the organ
builder should properly consider from the first [how] to make the
windchest and the body of the organ so that one may open them and
quickly reach the back, front, sides, top and bottom and also the
keyboards. Sometimes a wire between the keyboard and tracker breaks
above or below [the keyboard], stretches so that the key is too
low and uneven, or does not open the pallet sufficiently. That is
quickly remedied, even while one is singing the holy service, before
the organist begins again. At times one must send for an organ
builder to take care of an instrument, but often the organist can
do so if the organ is build so that it opens, as is described here.

129
Also It is quite necessary to protect the instrument so that
rats and mice cannot get in. If they get on the windchest they
gnaw the pipes, bend them and jostle them out of their holes. If
something then falls into the hole it may easily get between the
pallet [and the chest] so that there is a cipher and the sound
makes the instrument unusable. I have myself, among other things,
found straw, twine from nets, lute strings, small splinters and
other things that the rats have dragged and twisted among the
pipes. They are uninvited guests against whom it is well to lock
up, etc.
Further, the w i n g s ^ that go in front of the instrument and
cover the pipes against dust, flies and other things, and similarly
[keep] bats and such that come into the church off the pipes (whose
mouths they may fly into and befoul), [these doors] should not be
heavy or clumsy, so that they sag, weigh themselves down, and make
it difficult to open and close them properly, but be made very
slight and lightweight, so that they move softly and smoothly,
not shutting hard or banging [and thus] moving and jarring the
pipes.
71 The wing-shaped covering doors common on Gothic and Renaissance

organ cases.
Chapter Ten
The tenth chapter [is] about the wind, which should be of a
plentiful steadiness in every instrument, for if the wind is too
slight the pipes may not speak their full tone as when the wind is
strong and steady. And for an instrument of the size designated
and determined before in the second chapter, I deem necessary five
or six bellows, each nine or ten feet long by three feet broad, of
72
good thick boards that are planed and prepared so that they
remain three fingers [about two inches] thick. And pine wood is
better than fir or oak. Such lumber is also good to work with,
stout and tough, and does not split away from the nails with
which one attaches the leather as does fir. Further, old, supple
cowhide is best for the bellows. It readily goes up and down,
folds on itself tightly, and is tough. It should be soaked in tan
bark once or twice more than other leather, and not be too well
limed, as the tanner knows how to prepare it, etc.
Further, it is more suitable if one can lay the bellows so
72 "Dryling". According to Gotze, op. cit. p. 54, Dreiling is a

board about three inches thick.
130
131
that the wind goes upward, for it is against its nature as a light
thing that it must go downward.
Also, it is necessary that the bellows lift up properly and
be entirely of wood and leather. Similarly the ducts from the
bellows into the windchest ought to be well provided for, and the
bellows move softly, not waver or surge so that one always hears
in the pipes when the bellows go up and down, but rather that the
wind be steady, without any wavering, etc. To test this, hold a
chord on the entire instrument, six or seven keys in manual and
pedal together, as long as a man may fitly pray two or three
Paternosters; you will then well hear whether the wind is steady
and sufficient, etc.
Also it is good and necessary that the valve boards or little
doors at the bottom of the bellows, which catch the wind and
enclose it, be prepared so that they do not warp, but remain flat
and close well. For if an instrument is tuned on good strong
wind and then loses it, wholly or partly, it fails and may well
be called ruined. On this account one should also smear the
bellows [with repellent] against rats and mice, so that they remain
whole and uninjured. How to do this or to make the repellent I
shall let re3t until another time.
Now, some build a bellows chamber so that the rats will not
get in. This does not always help. Some hold another opinion:
the bellows should lie free and unenclosed, the rats should be
less attracted to them thus and do no damage. And it is said of
these animals' peculiar character and kind that they come more
132
readily and work in secret enclosed places than where it is free
and open. I too believe this, for I know an instrument whose
bellows have lain on a platform, free, open, unenclosed, and
uncovered, for nearly twenty years, and no rats and mice have
done damage, etc. Whether this is due to this factor or to
the repellent I do not know. I would however suggest that the
bellows be treated initially with an appropriate repellent against
this evil, and that it be renewed every three or four years, not
only on account of the rats, but also to benefit the leather,
so that it remains more usable and long lasting, not becoming
parched, hard, and stiff, even ripping apart and developing holes.
That this happens to an instrument is a great pity, for when it
is tuned on a sufficiently strong wind and loses the same, how
can its effectiveness remain, etc„
Also the men who tread the bellows or pull them with their
hands (as occurs in some situations) should be instructed that
they tread steadily and gently, and proceed softly, not managing
73
by rocking [the bellows], pushing down and letting go brusquely,
or snapping [them] shut, for these, like other things that are
forced more than necessary; are not lasting and durable.
73 This probably means that a side-to-side motion of the bellows

will injure them.
133
Also an instrument that is newly built chould, after a year
or two, be renewed and checked over, and if it is thus properly
maintained it may last a long time and remain good, etc. And
idleness is not beneficial, as some think to spare the instruments
by not playing them, so that they are long lasting. But rather,
to use them hard every day and not to spare to play them really
preserves them better than to let them stand completely unused.
Because of this, when the organ must rest during fasts and
Advent, one should nevertheless try it out at times and thus
examine it to ward off rubbish, such as rust, dust, spiderwebs,
perhaps even rats, mice and other things that may get into the
instrument and make it unusable and delapidated. This happens
more when an instrument is idle than when it remains in use,
unless it may happen that an instrument is not used decently or
correctly, as when an organist has left reason behind him, and
is unskilled. By him, or in some other way, it may be treated
with too much boldness and strength, so that the registers or
other things are overpowered and broken. I have heard that this
happened in one location, although I have not seen it. To me it
seems better that such a one should sleep or chop wood than play
on the organ. It would also benefit the instrument. Now to write
more about this is not necessary.
Whatever organ builder or organist understands [these] things,
let him take this same [understanding] and this booklet as an

134
advantage, [and] apply himself for the one who has contracted with
and trusted him. This will be sufficient. If he is supposed to
build or examine an instrument, he, and others who encourage him,
may win honor and gratitude. However, this is often lacking, and
the opposite often happens, if one unfortunately starts to work
in ignorance and is not experienced in a thing. I have known
some that could not regulate a pipe properly or do the other
things involved, and despite this through their adroitness have
come to be accepted by princes and other good masters. They began
the instrument very boldly and grandly but could not conclude it
thus. When the work came to be tested it fell far short and so
little fulfilled what they had ventured on and set out to do.
Therefore they took their leave with their miserably small honor
and recompense. Justly, they should have remedied as much as
they could the expense and grief which they had caused. They
will, perhaps, postpone this until the great reckoning. In any
event the instruments were ruined, so that they had to contract
anew with another maker. I have met with this not only with laymen
but also with clerics, indeed, three of them, each from a different
order, have done great damage in organbuilding which I might in
- fact show at princely foundations, parishes and monasteries. God
grant that no others thus follow blindly in their footsteps, but
rather that everyone be suspicious of himself, of the adequacy of
his knowledge, and of confidently convincing his superiors in order

135
to gain great honor and profit, and then be Inadequate, as It has
often happened. Rather let the eyes of reason be opened. To
learn, it is necessary to be a pupil before he convinces himself
that he is a master; so that no one is deceived or seduced through
his ignorance. I believe that one is a fool or of little integrity
' who so quickly, in spite of inexperience, outrageously and contemptu-
osly undertakes such things which someone else must spend a long
time in the most diligent application in practice, learning and
investigating. And then further, one needs to use and practice
his art constantly to have success. There are many organ builders,
clerical and secular, but few who have been proven to deserve their
mastership. And it is no wonder that many instruments are ruined
if one has not previously sought advice and counsel from a skill
ful and experienced organist with whom one is acquainted, because
it is not always good to believe and trust strange unknown people
by their pretty talk alone, without other corrorboration and

74
trust and accept them unvouched for by their instruments. Who
ever trusts himself [and] is of a mind to abide by and preserve
the right, he will, for his own reputation and the security of
the instrument, want to allow knowledgeable people around. But
he who then says that he wants no organist around— "I will satisfy
you and pledge security"— it seems to me that what turns out at
74 That is, without seeing an example of their completed work.

136
length is only to be expected. When [the purchaser] has proceeded
thus and the instrument has been ruined, only then does he seek
counsel; and he reaps appropriate penalties, not only from those
[builders] of infinite inartisticness but also from those who are
[falsely] held to be masters, who were afraid and shy of allowing
their instrument to be examined. [Such builders] may say that
their instrument is so made that no one can criticize it, and
although they wish that the best organists should examine it, one
could save the cost of this [examination] since there is no
necessity. If they can manage this they think it good business,
not considering that foul excuses, evil tricks and deception protect
or save no one, but rather, the truth takes precedence, since
from this time on the instrument will be heard and judged by many.
What one [person] does not find or notice, another will. He who
works in the road has many masters who would praise and encourage
him if their own work did not interfere. When one shows or
reproaches them with the weaknesses and deficiencies of an instru
ment these [builders] say that one is prejudiced against them for
no reason, [and] would like to see other [builders] put forward.
They have, [they say], built their instrument so that the organists
are content with this same work, and that they have been discharged
and paid in full, etc. When one then asks an organist how it is
that there are such defects, such gross oversights, he says: "I
have not understood [and] have never before engaged in, or attempted
137
to make, such an examination, [I] have also said and suggested to
my lord that another be put in charge who is experienced and skill
ful. They have not followed or believed me but rather the organ
builder. I have thus done my [part] etc." Thus the blind lead
each other. A small amount may be saved and agreat deal risked,
sometimes half lost. It is not always profit, even though reckoned
as profit. Undoubtedly, when one has undertaken to build a house
for himself, or another building, he will not leave it up to the
carpenter or mason how the building should be completed, especially
if they were not renowned and proven but rather have others near
who"counsel the builders, and experienced advisors to obviate
defects and to prevent ridicule. Thus it is also necessary and
proper to have similar care and diligence [in] erecting organs.
Besides this, often four, five, six hundred, sometimes a thou
sand or two thousandguilders will be spent on an instrument,
usually the property of the saints and the churches, which has been
given in accordance with God's will, that the [organ] be usefully
built and [the money] faithfully earned. There is little luck with
this when some who are of wide conscience allow many errors to pass
through, not paying attention to its [the money's] source or how
it is earned, as has often been experienced. I give a good true
opinion.
Even if one should happily order and contract with a famous
master to build an instrument, [a master] who respects himself and

138
thinks he knows what has to be done and is appropriate for it, it
is sometimes good to have an organist, experienced and skilled in
these things, around as a supervisor and to give counsel and help
to plan, so that the work is brought to a good conclusion. If
often happens that something that is necessary is neglected and
not considered, that could be done easily in the beginning but
is difficult or even impossible to accomplish later. Two think
of more than one alone, especially if one [of them] makes use of
and practices [on] an instrument. A washerwoman must always be
careful that no diaper floats away. Thus, also in other things
one is wantonly careless not to remember small things and exer
cise forethought, for the bold hound is wounded first. It is
not to be supposed that an organbuilder, however skillful he is,
can build a perfect instrument without suggestions and consul
tation with an experienced organist, and can prevent all defects
and impracticality that now occur. The organbuilder himself
would then be also a notable organist. However, I have never
seen or heard of anyone who is thus both in one, and this despite
the present growth of the art and the perfection with which it
is practiced. But if two or more experts transact the affair
honorably, good naturedly, act loyally, listen to each other,
not seeking their own success but that of the instrument and
builder, they may accomplish [something] useful.

139
Some are suspected, (though I would not accuse them) of having
separate secret understandings with each other that If an organist
is requested as consultant, he cooks two porriges in one pot, for
if an instrument is finished and there is no security that may
be forfitted, then he [the builder] obtains from the organist

75
his special promise to accept it as well made and satisfactory.
Now they act honestly or as they will. Let the architects have
instruments so built that their actions justify them. I believe,
without exaggeration, that they, by their lack of care (and simi
larly, these organbuilders and organists by their ignorance and
overconfidence in building, examining and judging the instrument)
have done more harm to churches than war to a land. This has often
moved me greatly, and has occasioned this simple and unformed text,
not in order to gain honor and fame, for I well know my awkwardness
and let my own person stay wholly in the background. But [I am]
first in concern for the common good, to improve, and to lessen
the expense, of the oft-mentioned building [of organs], if not per
fectly, then in part. I wish [to oppose] no one nor to deprove
him of that which is due to him, except as I have said before, as
God knows. We should seek here the honor and praise, and train
ourselves to have skills, in order to perfect them in eternity,
etc.
75 In other words, the consulting organist unethically accepts

a commission from the organ builder to approve an unsatisfactory
instrument.
SCHLICK'S SPIEGEL AND THE ORGAN IN THE EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Schlick*s Life
Little is known about the life of Arnold Schlick. Neither the
date nor place of his birth has been discovered; the accepted date
is around 1460, but the place has been the subject of considerable
speculation. One school holds that he was born in Bohemia, on the
grounds that Schlick is a name common in that region and that
Arnolt mentions the Bishop of Regensburg in his introduction to
the Spiegel.^ The other thinks that he was born in Heidelberg,
basing its position on Schlick's use of the German language and
on a hypothesis, arising from the wording of his marriage contract,

2
that his father owned property there. The second position seems
more tenable.
Nothing is known about Schlick's early life. The first appear
ance of his name is in the marriage contract mentioned above, in
1 See Paul Smets, Spiegel, 1959 edition, p. 106; Ernest Flade,

Spiegel. 1951 edition, p. 6 ; F. Stein, Zur Geschichte der Musik in
Heidelberg (Heidelberg: G. Koester, 1921), p. 23.
2 See Karin Berg-Kotterba, "Arnolt Schlick" in M.G.G. XI, 1817.

Gerhard Pietzsch, Quellen und Forschungen zur Geschichte der Musik am
Kurpfalzischen Hof zu Heidelberg bis 1622 (Mainz; Akademie der Wissen-
schaften und der Literature, 1963) p. 686-687, giving the text of the
marriage contract, and p. 695-696.
140
141
which he is referred to by Philip, the Count Palatine, as "unserm

3
organisten Arnolt Schlicken." Unfortunately this document is
undated, but Pietsch has managed, by using the dates of service of
the copyist who wrote it, to conclude that the contract was made
4
about 1482. Schlick must then have been in the service of the
Palatinate. The girl he married was Barbare Struplerin von Vrach.
They are known to have had two children, Arnolt the younger and
Joseph
At some point in his life Arnolt Schlick became blind. Be
cause of the vivid language of the Spiegel and the clarity with
which Schlick describes technical aspects of the organ, one feels
justified in assuming that he was not blind from birth. Various
dates have been advanced for his loss of sight. It is certain
that he was blind when the Spiegel was published: Sebastian
Virdung refers acidly to Schlick's blindness in his attack on the
scholarship of the Spiegel in the Musica Getutscht published in
3 Ibid. p. 687.
4 Ibid. p. 686.
5 Ibid. p . 686.
6 Arnolt matriculated at Heidelberg University in 1511. Joseph

became a cleric, and seems to have received his education at Heidel
berg and Tubingen. (See Ibid. p. 696-697, and Smets, Spigel. 1959,
p. 108.) There was a Rudolf Schlick in Heidelberg in the 1580's,
but his connection with the organist's family has not been proved.
(See Pietzsch, op. cit. p. 697).
142
1511,^ and Arnolt the Younger also mentions it in his part of the
preface to the Tabulaturen etlicher Lobegesang und Lidlein. published

Q
in 1512. Schlick may have been the blind organist with court
connections who was described as playing at the selection of the

a
Emperor Maximilian in Frankfurt Cathedral in 1486, although this
might also have been Paulus Hofhaimer, who was then in service at
10
Innsbruck. However, it would seem fairly certain that Schlick
was the "Meister Arnolt dem Blinden" who approved the new organ in
Strasbourg between June and September of 1 4 9 1 , ^ so he must have
lost his sight in 1490 or 1491 at the latest.
Blindness does not seem to have inhibited Schlick's activities„
Besides his duties as organist to the Palatine Court, he seems to
have been much in demand to test and approve organs. He made other
visits to Strasbourg after the one mentioned above, in 1499 and

12
1512, and several to Hagenau and to Speyer. He may, of course,
have performed similar duties for churches in many other towns whose
7 Facsimile reprint, edited by Robert Eitner (New York: Broude, 1966)

p. 40. See also discussion below.
8 Modern edition by Gottlieb Harms (Hamburg: Ugrino, 1957) p. 7.
9 Pietzsch, op. cit.. p. 687.
10 Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, fifth edition, p- 724.
11 Pietzsch, op. cit. p. 687-688.
12 Ibid. p. 689-696.
I
143
records have not survived or have not been examined. He also made
a trip to the Netherlands, "twenty years ago" at the time of the

13
writing of the Spiegel. probably both to perform and to examine
instruments. In 1516 he was at Torgau for an "organ congress"
which involved, among others, Paulus Hofhaimer and Friederich der
Wei s e . ^
Schlick was also a composer. The Tabulaturen etlicher
Lobegesang und Lidlein. mentioned above, contains pieces for organ,
lute (or other stringed instruments) and for lute and voice. A
15
Mass setting has been discovered which may be by Schlick, and
also an organ piece, written in honor of the Emperor Charles V , ^
which is certainly by him.

17
The last mentions of Schlick occur in 1521, and he probably
died not too long thereafter. A date of death of "after 1521"
is accepted among scholars with a unanimity seldom displayed in
regard to any aspect of Schlick's life and work.
13 Translation, p. 97.
14 Smets, Spiegel 1959, p. 107-108.
15 Pietzsch, op. cit. p. 694.
16 This composition, usually refered to as Hommage to Charles V .

was discovered by Renato Lunelli in 1945, and published in Barcelona
in 1951. I have not been able to obtain a copy of the music, but
it has been recorded (by Pierre Froidebise, on Nonesuch H-71051,
Music from the Chapel of Charles V) . and the performance and jacket
notes provide some information about it. Schlick's "Maria zart",
from the Tabulaturen. is also included on this record.
17 Pietzsch, op. cit. p. 693, 696.

144
Schlick*s Organ and Contemporary Practice
At the time the Spiegel was written the organ had developed
from the Romanesque and early Gothic form of undivided Blockwerk
to an instrument capable of a good deal of contrast in registra
tion, but, at least in the south of Germany where Schlick was
active, it had not acquired all the characteristics of a werk-
prinzip instrument. The blockwerk organ was one of the three
forms of the instrument which had evolved during the Middle Ages.
The other two, the positive and portative, were much smaller, and
had keyboards much like those of a modern organ long before the
very large instruments could be so equipped. The blockwerk organ
consisted essentially of a very large number of pipes, usually with
the number of ranks per note increasing toward the treble, and
18
was usually, though not always, composed of open cylindrical pipes,
which, by the eleventh or twelfth century kept a consistent ratio

19
of length to width throughout the compass. The effect was that
of an enormous mixture, based on the sixteen foot or eight foot

20
harmonic series (and, in the North, often on the four foot series).
It is difficult to discover exactly what the composition of such a
18 For a Blockwerk containing conical and stopped pipe forms, see

Quoika, Vom Blockwerk (op. cit.) p. 10.
19 For evidence of this scaling in the eleventh century, see H.

Avenary-Loewenstein, "The Mixture Principle in the Medieval Organ"
Musica Disciplina IV, p. 52.
20 Quoika, op. cit. p. 16-17.

145
Blockwerk would have been, but the Salzburg Stier, a Hornwerk
or signaling device which played an F major triad on a similar
mixture, had up to twenty-six pipes playing one upper partial

21
and one hundred and thirty-three pipes in all. This mixture
sound was the only effect possible on the one clumsy manual of
such an organ.
The first large organ known to have had more than a Block
werk was built at Halberstadt in 1361. It represents a great
advance over its predecessors, since in its original state (a
pedal was added about 1495) it had three keyboards. On the top
manual there was a sixteen foot principal and a hintersatz of
thirty-two to fifty-six ranks, which almost certainly could not
be drawn separately. The middle manual had only an eight foot
principal. The lowest keyboard, playable with the hands or the

22
knees, had a thirty-two foot principal. A similar scheme occurred
in other places in the fifteenth century, usually with the lowest
rank on the pedal and consisting of stopped pipes, called "bourdons"

23
or "trompes". The secondary manual was usually in the position
of a Ruckpositiv, which seems to have first appeared at Zwolle in
21 Williams, The European Organ from 1450-1850.(London: Batsford,

1966) p. 71
22 See Praetorius, Organographia. p. 98-101, and Quoika, op. cit.

p. 11-13.
23 Vente, Die Brabenter Orgel (Amsterdam: H. J. Paris, 1958) p. 12.

1447.^ The main manual, called "das grosse Werk" or "Principal-
25
werk" or just "das Werk", is of course our Hauptwerk. A clear
pitch differentiation existed among these three embryonic divions:
if the Hauptwerk were a sixteen foot Blockwerk, the Ruckpositiv
stop, a principal or flute, would be eight foot and the pedal
usually thirty-two foot. A scheme of eight, four, sixteen, or
of twelve, six, twenty-four foot pitch was also possible. Smaller

26
organs did not have pedals.
The next stage was to start separating registers. This
occurred in two ways. The Hauptwerk was divided by being placed
on two separate chests with ventils to turn them on and off. The
principal, which might include an open and a stopped rank of the
basic pitch plus an octave, was on the first chest. This was con
venient for the display of the open rank in prospect in the case.
The rest of the Blockwerk was on the second chest behind this, the
Hinterlade. which led to the name hintersatz for these pipes.
Mechanical complications prevented the use of this system for

27
dividing a division into more than two stops.
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid. p. 13.
26 Williams, op. cit. p. 30, Quoika, op. cit, p. 14-15.
27 For a discussion of this Sperrventilsvstem. see Quoika,

op. cit. p. 18.
147
The other method of division, which probably appeared first,
was applied only to the smaller Positive division at this times
This separated the pipes of individual registers either by using
sliders (as Schlick describes, and as is standard practice in

28
modern mechanical action organs) or by means of a spring chest.
The latter system worked better on the rather high wind pressure
of the fifteenth century organ and for registers with large pipes.
In 1511 spring chests were still being built, especially in the
Netherlands, and it is interesting that Schlick does not mention
them. However, his unquestioning acceptance of the slider chest
as the only way to build foreshadowed its practically universal use
from the early seventeenth to late nineteenth centuries and its
return in the twentieth century. The first use of a slider chest

29
in Germany seems to have been in 1491. Once this separability
within the Ruckpositiv had been achieved, it could be made more
capable of competing in sound with the Hauptwerk, rather than
having only a principal as on the contrasting manual at Halberstat.
Dutch organs in the mid-fifteenth century had a mixture or smaller
Blockwerk as a second register, added to the principal or flute,
and sometimes the highest ranks of the Blockwerk were separated off
30
as a scharf. This developed into Schlick*s zimbel, and, as slider
28 See Williams, op. cit.. p. 20-21.
29 Quoika, op. ci t ., p . 22.
30 Williams, op. cit.. p. 29.

1A8
chest construction grew more sophisticated and was applied to the

31
Hauptwerk as well as the Positiv, soon appeared there also.
Once a workable system of chest construction had been developed,
builders were free to divide up the Blockwerk and to add new
registers as they wished. It is not surprising that a period of
great experimentation and much interest in the timbre of various
registers and combinations followed. Schlick*s interest in
imitative stops and his remarks about sounds that are strange
32
and pleasant to hear reflect this tendency.
The multiplication of Positiv divisions about which Schlick

33
complains began in the Netherlands by about 1450, with the
34
addition of the Brustwerk in the largest instruments, but seems
qc
not to have occurred in Germany until later. The Brustwerk
q£ 07
sometimes contained only a rank of regals, or regal and zimbel.
The Oberwerk seems to have begun as a raised chest, containing the
flute registers of the Hauptwerk, and only later acquired a keyboard
31 As at the Georgenkirche, Hagenau, in 1491, ibid. p. 59. It is

interesting that this organ seems to have had only a principal with
two ranks as its positive.
32 p. 106, 108.
33 p. 107.
34 Williams, op. cit., p. 29.
35 Ibid. p-. 55-56.
36 Ibid. p. 29.
37 Ibid. p. 31
149
of its own. It was widely used in the Netherlands, and had the
advantage over a Brustwerk that it could contain longer pipes, such

OQ
as eight foot open flues and reeds with full length resonators.
It provided, however, the least contrast in effect with the Hauptwerk,
compared to the focussed sound of the Brustwerk and the greater
proximity to the listener of the Ruckpositiv. This may be the
cause of the popularity of the Ruckpositiv in Germany, and of
Schlick's preference for it as the only Positiv division.
The degree to which these secondary divisions of the organ
are related to the Positiv as a small independent instrument is
difficult to determine. Structurally they were quite similar, with
the stop controls and even the keyboard located in the Ruckpositiv
case. However, the logic of the secondary divisions is based on
a principle of contrast to the Hauptwerk, and the Positiv acquired
its characteristic nature as a result of this principle, rather
than by attaching a previously extant little organ. The Positiv
as a division and as a separate instrument nevertheless interacted
to some extent.
Any comparison of the resources of the organ described in the
Spiegel with contemporary practice is complicated by the vague word
ing not only of Schlick's description but also of other stoplists of
the time. However, an approximation of Schlick's ideal would seem
possible.
38 Ibid.
150
For a small organ, the manual compass was forty-one notes from
F below Gamut G, with the lowest pipe about six and two-thirds feet
long; the pedal compass was twenty notes from the same F, pitch
39
preferably the same as the manual. In conventional nomenclature,
stated as an organ in C, this gives:
Hauptwerk
8 1 Principal (2 ranks, one "long" scale, one short")

4' Octave
4' Gemshorn
Hintersatz (up to 16-18 ranks at the top)
Zimbel (small pipes)
8 T Rauschpfeif
8 ' Zinck
Ruckpositiv
4' Principal (wood or metal voiced like wood)

2' Gemshorn
Small hintersatz
Zimbel (small and pure)
Pedal
8 * Principal (or 16’, but 8 ? preferred)

4' Octave (or 8')
Hintersatz
8 ' Trompete
For his larger organ, with the same compass but pitched an.
octave lower as directed in Chapter T w o , ^ and with all registers
that Schlick mentions as desirable included, one finds the following:
39 The list of registers is in Chapter Five, p. 102-105.
40 p. 105.
151
Hauptwerk
16' Principal (2 ranks, one "long", one "short" scale)

8' Octave
41 Gemshorn (might be 8 ’)
2' Schwegel
Hintersatz (presumably bigger than above)
Zimbel
8 1 Rauschpfeif
8 ' Zink
Ruckpositiv
8 ' Principal (wood or metal voiced like wood)

4' Gemshorn
Small hintersatz
Zimbel
Brustwerk (?)
8 ' Regal
Pedal
16’ Principal
8 ' Octave
Hintersatz
8 f Trompete or Posaune
41
Other registers mentioned by Schlick include the krummhorn,
42
which Vente equates with the rauschpfeif; and several stops of
which he does not approve— the sesquialtera, and a low quint,

A /i
and, in the pedal, the zimbel and the small octave or sedetzlein .
41 p. 87.
42 Brabenter Orgel p. 36.
43 p. 106-107.
44 p. 105.
152
How does all of this compare with contemporary practice? Doubled
principal ranks were not uncommon at the time, but often there were
two ranks of principal scaling, sometimes both in the prospect, and
occasionally with the pipes mounted toe to toe. Examples of this
practice existed in the late fifteenth century at Rhenen and in
the Nikolaikerk organ from Utrecht, now in the Rijksmuseum in

45
Amsterdam. The duplication of a principal rank by one of wider
46
scale occurred at Hagenau in 1491. The Hauptwerk principal here
originally included three ranks, wide, narrow and octave. When
Schlick tested this organ in 1510 he asked that the octave be put
on a separate slider. ^ Another doubled principal was built in

48
Antwerp in 1505, which had one open rank and one stopped, lend
ing support to the assumption that this is what Schlick intended
by "long" and "short". Another possibility for this so-called
koppel rank is that it was like Praetorius' koppelflote, cylindri-

49
cal for the bottom two-thirds, with an open conical top; it
might also have been an open flute, although these seem to have
been quite unusual. The choir organ at Alkmaar, built in 1511,
45 Blanton, The Organ in Church Design (Albany, Texas: Venture

Press, 1957) p. 197, 204, 206, 218.
46 Williams, op. cit., p. 59.

b
47 Pietsch, Quellen und Forschungen ... (Wieshaden: Akademie der
Wissenschaften, 1963), p. 690.
48 Vente, op. cit.. p. 33.
49 Organographia, Plate 38.

153
has a four foot open f l u t e , b u t I have never seen an eight foot
open flute specified from this period.
As for the gemshorn, not only its pitch but its shape is left
51
in doubt by Schlick. He says that it is "of a short wide scale,"
but if the generally accepted derivation of the name, from the
goat's horn, is correct, the pipes were probably tapered even in
Schlick's time. Two gemshoms (or possibly one, borrowed into

52
the pedal) were on the organ in Uberlingen in 1504. Praetorius
53
shows a pipe with the shape it now has.
The hintersatz existed as a standard stop on almost all
organs of the day, because it was the remainder of the Blockwerk.
However, there is a distressing lack of information about its
size and pitch composition. It would also be interesting to know
how often this stop was made with lead pipes, as Schlick says
some people p r e f e r . ^ Since he speaks in Chapter Six of the fifths
and thirds in the mixture, it may well have contained tierce ranks
as well as quints and unisons.^
50 Williams, op. cit.. p. 31.
51 p. 102.
52 Quoika, op. cit., p. 31.
53 Organographia. Plate 37.
54 p. 99.
55 p. 109-110.
154
Schlick is very concerned about the clarity and purity of

e /r
the zimbel, and that it be sufficiently high pitched. He
probably did not want it to contain any tierce ranks, since these
would tend to cloud the purity of sound.
The rauschpfeif, "or sort of schalmei"^ was clearly a reed
stop, not a compound flue as it is today. Vente equates it

58
with the krummhorn and regal. If this is correct it wouid
make the zink louder than the rauschpfeif. At St. Andreas,

59
Worms, about 1510, there was a regal called "rausswerk", and
Antwerp (1505) had a krummhorn in the Brust and a zink on the
Ruckpositiv.^
I have found no examples of the schwegel that were actually
built, but the organ builder Suys of Nurnburg, with whom Schlick
was acquainted, proposed one for Antwerp in 1 5 0 9 , ^ along with
several other imitative stops listed by Schlick.
An interesting problem is raised by the wood principal
suggested for the Ruckpositiv. If this rank were actually made
of wood, what would one put in the prospect for the division?
Fortunately, Schlick’s alternate suggestion of "metal voiced like
56 p. 103.
57 p. 103, 108.
58 Vente, op. cit.. p. 36.
59 Ibid. p. 39.
60 Ibid. p. 36.
61 Quoika, op. cit., p . 36.

155
wood" provides a solution. The octave separation of the Ruckpositiv
from the Hauptwerk was normal in contemporary practice, and is also
suggested by the remark that "it is also very strange and unusual
to hear the wood pipes with the octave on the main manual, with
62
the voices near or far from each other," which suggests duo
playing with two registers of equal pitch. The small gemshorn
would presumably also be an octave above its counterpart on the
main manual. The hintersatz and zimbel raise no particular
questions, being smaller counterparts in number of ranks and
probably higher in pitch than those of the Hauptwerk. Both these
ranks appeared frequently on secondary divisions of instruments
of the time.
Because of Schlick's disapproval of more than one Positiv
in the organ it is impossible to say that the Brustwerk was really
a part of his tonal scheme. However, he does recognize its
existence, and this, according to Dutch practice, is the logical

63
place to put a regal. Nevertheless, his wording does not make
certain this position for the regal, nor its constituting a divi
sion by itself.
Several aspects of Schlick's pedal disposition are surprising.
He assumes an independent pedal division, which was very unusual
62 p. 108.
63 Williams, op. cit.. p. 29; Vente, op. cit.. p. 49, 53.

156
64
for the time. Also, he wanted the pedal to have the same basic
pitch as the Hauptwerk. Quite a few instruments with pull down
or borrowed pedals managed nevertheless to have the pedal princi
pal an octave below the manual, sometimes because the Hauptwerk
"^continued down an extra octave. Schlick liked to take a lot of
parts in the pedal,^ but they were not always the lowest voices
of a piece, hence his concern about the horrible inversions that
result when the pedal pitch is below the manual pitch.^ Despite
his dislike of pedal zimbels, he did not ask that the one at
Hagenau be removed when he was recommending changes in the organ. ^
Although Schlick disparagingly mentions the sesquialtera and
the low quint rank I have not seen them on any organs of the time.
Schlick does not mention whether his organs had couplers.
It is possible to infer that they did from the direction to hold

68
a chord "im gantz werk", but by no means is this trustworthy
evidence. There was certainly one at Delft in 1458, and a few

69
others existed also, so Schlick might have assumed that they
64 See Vente, op. cit.. p. 34, 44, 53; Quoika, op. cit.. p. 24, 35;
Williams, op. cit.. p. 65.
65 See p. 83.
66 p. 105.
67 Williams, op. cit.. p. 59, Pietsch, op. cit., p. 690.
68 p. 33.
69 Vente, op. cit., p. 13

157
were Included.
The greatest mystery in the whole of the Spiegel is the "h&lze
glechter". Other theories besides those discussed in the transla
tion^® (that it was a mechanically operated xylophone, or a per
cussive-sounding mixture), have been suggested: that it might
have been a tremulant,^ or just possibly it might have been a
very chiffy wood flute or gedackt. Despite some objection the
strongest case can still be made for the mechanical xylophone
from a practical point of view, but it seems so strange that
Schlick should want such a thing in the organ at all, when heis
against distracting statues, zimbelstems and other such gadgets.
"When...God holds a church fair, the devil sets up his stall

72
next to it." Apparently even Schlick could be seduced fromthe
ways of virtue by an attractive novelty.
The fifteen registers in Schlick's smaller stoplist do not
seem impressively large to modern readers, but the number of ranks
included was much greater than appears at first glance. There
were sixteen to eighteen ranks at the top of the Hauptwerk hinter
satz, plus another hintersatz on the Positiv which was somewhat
70 p. 103.
71 Stein, op. cit., p. 28.
72 p. 79.
158
smaller, perhaps about twelve ranks at the top, and one in the pedal
of up to fifteen ranks. Also there were zimbels on the Hauptwerk
and Positiv, which would have been at least five and three ranks
respectively. This makes fifty-three ranks of pipes in the compound
stops. The doubled principal in the Hauptwerk had two ranks, which,
with the nine single stops in the list, makes sixty-four ranks!
The Spiegel stoplists were also large for their day, both in
number of registers and in variety of tone color. Of the comparable
stoplists from south Germany and the Netherlands, only St. Andreas,
Worms, with nine registers on its only manual has a division as large
as Schlick's Hauptwerk, which has eight. This is particularly
interesting since the Worms organ was based on four foot pitch, with
73
a hohlflote as the only eight foot flue. The organ at St. Florin,
Koblenz, as rebuilt in 1534-35, would have been as large as Schlick's
small organ, that is, fifteen stops on two manuals and pedal, except
that the pedal at Koblenz is borrowed from the Hauptwerk,^ reducing
the number of independent registers to twelve.
An important aspect of organ construction which is scarcely
mentioned by Schlick is the organ case. He speaks of it only to
suggest that it be made to open on all sides to provide access for
repairs to the mechanism.^ Because Schlick was blind a lack of
73 See Vente, op. cit.. p. 37.
74 Ibid. p. 47.
75 p. 128.
159
emphasis on the visual aspect of the organ is not surprising,
but it also suggests that he took the divisional construction
of the organ for granted and did not feel that variations in its
physical structure required comment. In the twentieth century
a knowledgable organist, even if blind, would be certain in
describing an instrument of classical design to mention that
each division has its own characteristic function as an entity
within the compound structure of the organ case, because the
revival of werkprinzip has encouraged attention not only to the
appearance but to the musical and acoustical results of a properly
designed case. The separate nature of the Ruckpositiv, and
probably of the Brustwerk, were taken for granted by Schlick. It
is frustrating that he did not make it clear whether or not the
pedal, whose independence of pipework he values so highly, was to
be cased separately from the Hauptwerk. Most organs of the time

X 76
and area did not have a visable, separate pedal division, but
then many of them borrowed their pedal pipes and so had nothing to
put in separate towers or compartments.
The bellows of the organ are often mentioned in the Spiegel,
for they caused many problems. A stable wind supply is necessary
for steady pipe tone, and there was great difficulty in obtaining
this from five or more very large bellows which supplied air to
76 Blanton, op. cit., p. 198, 204-209, 218, 220.

160
the windchest directly, without the intervening stabilization of a
reservoir.^ The bellows also needed a proper location, since they
could be damaged by climatic conditions and rodents, and must also

78
be carefully used by the men who operated them. Plate XXVI in
Praetorius* Organographia shows two men treading bellows which are
smaller than those suggested by Schlick, but there are more of
them, since at least twenty are implied by the drawing.
The part of the organ which Schlick describes in the most detail
is the keydesk. He prints lines in Chapter Three to give specific
lengths for almost all its vital dimensions, with the exceptions
of the front to back relation of the pedal to the manual keys and
the distance between manuals. The diagram on the following page
compares a modern organist at a console with the American Guild of
Organists1 standard measurements (drawn in dotted lines) with a
sixteenth century organist using the layout given by Schlick.
He looks uncomfortable, perched on the edge of the bench in order
to reach the pedals, despite the fact that his height is drawn as
five feet four inches, which would be tall in Schlick’s time.
(The A.G.O. member's height is five feet seven inches, which is
average or less today.) Quite possibly the manuals should be
further away from the organist than they are drawn here, in which
77 p. 131.
78 p. 132-3.
161
case he would have
to lean forward more
to play. If there
were a third manual
on the organ it would
go below the two
shown here for Schlick,
and above for the
A.G.O. dimensions.
Schlick also pro
vided measurements
for the keys in manual
and pedal, which are
very close to those
in use today. Both
the naturals and
semitones in the
Schlick 3" -*
A.G.O.
Keydesk: Comparing Schlick’s ^
with M o d e m Dimensions.
Lengths of Manual
Keys; Then and Now.
162
manual are about an inch longer than

Schlick
ours are. The length given for the
- 7 V —
width of the octave in the manuals A •G •0 •
— 7 V -
must be from the outer edges of the
Cl 171 £ 71 IT1 f p | .
79
two C keys. It results in an [ C l - S l E l F i g 1 M S i Cl
octave only three-eighths of an inch Manual key width
for an octave;
wider than that of modern standard Then and Now.
keys. The pedal dimension is for the
width of three adjacent natural keys

Schlick-
with the spaces (and the semitones) Schlick
between them. He says that the keys
A.G.O spaces.
are to be narrower than the spaces, s V
7/8 wide
but does not give a specific measure
ment for either. The A.G.O. standard

With of Pedal
Key and Spaces;
has seven-eighth inch naturals and Then and Now.
one and five-eighth inch spaces.
Schlick's naturals can hardly have
been less than an inch wide, which
would imply about one and one-half inch
spaces.
79 If one assumed that the line shows the octave size from the
centers of the keys, the total width of the manuals would be wider
than the total width of the pedal, which contradicts what Schlick
says on p. 97.
163
The key desk of Schlick's organ would not have been as wide as
ours, since his manuals had a range of three octaves and a major
third or forty-one notes and his pedal had a compass of a twelfth
or twenty notes, and, as shown above, his key widths were not
much larger than the modern standard. Schlick's total manual

80
width comes out to be twenty-five and five-eighths inches,
and his pedalboard, assuming one and one-half inch spaces, as

81
twenty-eight and one-half inches total key width. He asked that
82
the manual be centered over the pedal.
The only other part of the organ for which Schlick gives a
definite size is the length for the lowest pipe in his preferred F
tuning, or for the tenor C pipe in the transposing C tuning. Much
i n k has been spilled over the reliability of this length and the
relation of a pitch calculated from it to modern and historical
pitch standards. The simplest method of calculating a pipe length
from such a line length is to compare it in ratio with the theoreti
cal modern standard of the eight foot C pipe speaking at sixty-four
cycles per second. Schlick's line is five inches long times six
teen, which is eighty inches. This produces a calculated frequency
80 That is, three full octaves at seven and seven-eighths inches,

plus two extra naturals at one inch each.
81 That is, four of Schlick's three natural note groupings at six

inches each, plus three one and one-half inch spaces to go between
the groups.
82 p. 97.
164
of 76.8 c.p.s., which is, if middle a equals 440 c.p.s., an eighth
of a tone lower than E flat. This means that in Schlick's prefered
tuning his F key could produce a note just over a whole step lower
than our concern pitch F, and his pitch for middle a would then be one
and one-eighth notes lower than ours, 398.25 c.p.s. This is of
course an approximation, but it is quite close to results from
actual pipes. Alexander J. Ellis, in his intensive study of his
torical pitch, carefully experimented with real pipes, approxima
ting Schlick's scaling by using a principal scaled by Dorn Bedos,

83
and produced a result of 377 c.p.s. for a. Using the scaling
proposed by the early seventeenth century German writer Salomon
de Caus, and following Ellis' methods, Arthur Mendel obtained a

84
value of396 c.p.s. The theoretical pitch is about midway between
these experimental values.
83 The most convenient access to Ellis' data is in Arthur Mendel's

article, "Pitch in the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Century" part
IV Musical Quarterly. XXXIV:4 (October 1948) p. 578-593, in which
Mendel attempts to demolish Ellis' method and conclusions. While
criticizing Ellis' work in estimating Schlick's pitch Mendel states
that it is impossible to estimate the scaling of Schlick's pipe because
it is not known whether his scaling ratios of 1:5, 1:6, 1:7 are in
terms of circumference or diameter. This is ridiculous; if diameter
were intended Schlick's largest scales pipe would be nineteen inches
across at eight foot C. Also see Avenary-Loewenstein, op. cit.. on
the Mediaeval practice of measuring pipes in their flat state. In
regard to Ellis' conclusions in general Mendel exaggerates the affect
of scale on pitch by citing examples of the narrowest and widest scales
used by nineteenth century organ builders, which are absurdly unlikely
to occur in earlier instruments. He does not succeed in negating Ellis'
findings, but in showing that they are reasonably reliable though not
as accurate as Ellis may have claimed.
84 Ibid. p. 584.
165
The advantages of the organ with the F pitch, as stated In
Chapter Two, have to do with its greater suitability for the
accompaniment of chant. Schlick wants the organist to be able to
play either chant melodies or polyphonic basses for chants in the
pedal without needing complicated chromatics, without exceeding
the compass of a twelfth of the pedalboard, and without strain
ing the voices of his choir, who must have been singing an occave
above the basic pitch of the pedal. Considering the first mode,
85
which Schlick pitches on G, and vising my theoretically calculated
pitch, the final D for the Dorian mode is sung on a rather flat
concert F. Arthur Mendel, not realizing that an octave transposi
tion must be involved, has said that this is impossibly low. He
attempted to find an alternate value for Schlick's pitch, based on
natural voice ranges for male singers given by Rimsky-Korsakoff,
Piston and Hindemith, and arrived at a pedal compass of about con
cert A to e, with a value for middle a of somewhere around 550

8f%
c.p.s. However, modern practice suggests that liturgical pitch
is much closer to the pitch of Schlick's pipe than to that inferred
by Mendel from voice ranges. The Benedictine monks at both Solesmes
and Ottobeuren seem to pitch first mode chants with the final on F,
85 p. 82.
86 Mendel, op. cit.. part II Musical Quarterly. XXXIV:4 (January

1948) p. 40-42.
166
which is extremely close to my calculation of Schlick's pitch for

87
this mode.
This system of temperament to which Schlick devotes almost
all of Chapter Eight has also caused misunderstanding and contro
versy. Schlick's directions are certainly quite vague, but some
facts can be established: of the twelve fifths, ten are tuned

88
— smaller than perfectly pure fifths, "hovering on the low side"
and two (A flat to E flat, C sharp to G sharp) are tuned larger

89
than perfect fifths. All the thirds are too high, even the
diatonic thirds which are to be made better than the others, and
the thirds involving G sharp are the worst. Hence one uses orna-
90
mentation on the leading tone to A, to hide the bad G sharp.
91 92
Both J. Murrary Barbour and Heinrich Husmann have attempted
87 The Benedictines' pitch for Gregorian chant seems to be a con

sistent minor third above the written pitches of the Gregorian no
tation. See, for instance their recordings of the Easter Sunday
mass, on London 5222 and Archiv 3090. The example used to estab
lish the first mode pitch was the sequence Victimae Paschali.
88 p. 116-117.
89 p. 118-122.
90 This raises an interesting possibility for research: was there

special handling of this cadence in the music of the time, with more
ornamentation than occurred in cadences onto notes with better tuned
leading tones?
91 Tuning and Temperament (East Lansing: Michigan State College

Press, 1953) p. 137-139.
92 "Zur Charakteristik der Schlickschen Temperatur" Archiv fur

Musikwissenschaft XXIV:4 (November 1967) p. 253-265.
167
reconstruct Schlick's temperament in exact values. Barbour has one
noticeable error, since he states that Schlick "suggests a mean

93
value for G sharp". This lead him to make the two large fifths
the same size. Husmann, on the other hand, has the G sharp higher,
making the third between E and G sharp the sharpest third and the
fifth between C sharp and G sharp the largest fifth. His approxi
mation is therefore more accurate. The various fifths, as stated

94
in cents by Husmann, have values of
Ab - Eb - Bb - F - C - G - D - A - E - B - F# - C# - G#
706 698 699 698 698 698 698 698 698 701 696 714
resulting in an approach to equal temperament, but with the error
piling up in the traditional problems with G sharp.
Arnold Schlick's temperament deserves special honor,

for apparently he was the first writer in any country to
describe a temperament for each note of the chromatic
octave....His is a good system, holding its own in com
parison with systems that were proposed two or three
centuries later....[It] is superior to Mersenne's, Ra
meau's, Hawkes', and Gallimard's....[although] not as
good as that of Grammateus .^5
Neither registrations nor the use of the organ in the service
are described by Schlick in any deliberate detail. He mentions a
few registrational possibilities, mostly in passing as he is dis-
93 Barbour, op. cit. p. 137
94 Husmann, op. cit. p. 265
95 Barbour, op. cit. p. 138-139.

168
cussing the registers to be included in the organ.^ Directions
for registrations on specific organs of the early sixteenth century
do exist elsewhere and are considerably more comprehensive and use-

97
ful than Schlick's remarks.
The functions of the organ in the service can be deduced
farily clearly from the Spiegel. It accompanied the chant, probably
in unison with the voice as well as with polyphonic settings,
which may have been improvised or composed, and quite likely were
98
sometimes in a two part texture. It accompanied full scale poly
phonic masses and magnificats, and other polyphonic choral pieces

99
of lesser magnitude. Solo music was also performed, some written
especially for organ, some undoubtedly transcribed from vocal music,
and some improvised.
Schlick's own music for organ gives some idea of the style
and demands of the solo repetoire. He speaks in the Spiegel of the
"present style" with runs and r o u l a d e s , a n d this is evident in
his music, especially toward the ends of p i e c e s . H o w e v e r , as
Apel has pointed out, he is not to be classed with the later German
96 p. 105-108.
97 See Vente, op. cit. p. 35-39 for directions from Zwolle and Worms.
98 p. 82-84.
99 p. 83, 99.
100 p. 91.
101 See especially the first two of the three Da Pacem settings that
conclude the Tabulaturen (op. cit.) p. 36-37.
169
colorists, since he "is not only much too early but also much too
102
great a composer" to be grouped with them. Schlick makes
ample use in his music of the capabilities of his very modern
manuals and pedal, although some of the apparently huge reaches in
the manual parts were probably managed either by non-legato play
ing or by taking parts in the pedal where necessary, a procedure

103
of which Schlick seems to have been very fond. His pedal
writing is difficult even by our standards, and double pedal
abounds; of the thirteen organ pieces in the Tabulaturen four
have written double pedal parts. Schlick probably used his heels
in pedal playing, particularly on a natural following a semitone.
Because of the short pedal keys, as shown in the diagram above,
one would need to play fairly well forward on the naturals to have
sufficient mechanical advantage to depress them. This argues
against the use of the heel on a natural following or preceding
another natural played with the toe of the same foot. The Hommage
104
to Charles V has four part pedal in its ninth variation. This
surely must have involved using the heels. This variation also has
a ten part texture, which is even more impressive than the use of
seven parts which makes the organ "The preeminent instrument of
102 Harvard Dictionary of Music, p. 162.
103 p. 83, 93
104 Nonesuch recording H-70151. The preface to the Hommage is

quoted in M.G.G. XI:1819.
170
105
music." Schlick's music is by no means all large and scholarly.
Maria zart. ^ ^ undoubtedly his most performed piece, is gentle, and
owes some of its charm to the informal way in which the parts en
twine, without the concern for imitation that is visible in much of
his music.
Influence of the Spiegel
It is impossible at a distance of four hundred and fifty years
to calculate the effect of the Spiegel on the organs of its day.
Schlick undoubtedly had great personal influence as a consultant
in the construction of many instruments, and it is impossible to
say how much more was achieved by his book. Stoplists for succeed
ing decades are fairly similar to those of the Spiegel, and Peter
Williams says of the organ built for Weingarten in 1554-58 that it
"owed a great deal to Schlick, adding little to his plan," but
still the pedal was "ein octaff under dem Manual" and probably
partly b o r r o w e d , t h u s violating two of Schlick's main recommenda
tions .
Schlick and the Spiegel are mentioned in Virdung's Musica
getutscht, but in no friendly fashion. The criticism Virdung
105 p. 75.
106 Tabulaturen, p. 32
107 Williams, op. cit. p. 65

171
makes of Schlick, is that he does not distinguish among the three
traditional genera (diatonic, enharmonic and chromatic), with an
aside suggesting that one should take into account that Schlick's
10 8
eyes were closed, or the mirror (Spiegel) has grown dark. This
suggests that Virdung either misunderstood or was ignoring the
practical nature of the Spiegel and, as others have pointed out,

109
that he probably had a grudge against Schlick. It has also
been noted that the angry retort of the Schlicks in the preface
to the Tabulaturen about the accuracy and competence of Virdung
has a great deal more truth in it than Virdung's original criti
cism of Shlick.^"^
Schlick was also mentioned, this time favorably, by Ornito-
parchus in the fourth book of his Micrologus. but as an organ

111
performer, not for his published works.
The fact that only two copies of the Spiegel have survived,
and that it was not known to Praetorius a hundred years later,
suggests that the work did not have great continuing influence.
This is largely explained by the rapid development of the organ
after Schlick's time, which would have made his ideas seen old
108 Musica getutscht. p. 40-41.
109 See Hans H. Lenneberg, "The Critic Criticized: Sebastian Vir

dung and his Controversy with Arnold Schlick" American Musicolo-
gical Society Journal (Spring, 1957) p. 1.
110 Ibid. p . 2-6, and Tabulaturen. p . 9.
Ill M.G.G. XI:1819.

172
fashioned.
For us, however, returning to look at the Spiegel from a much
greater distance, it is strange and delightful (as Schlick might
say) to find that much of what he has to say is still true. Al
though his technology was primitive and his moralizing can be
wearisome, the problems he attempted to solve or mitigate are
still with us in large measure. Some affect the use of the
organ; such as keydesk dimensions, access for servicing, tuning,
regulation of pipes and action and many other things of a practi
cal nature. Other issues are less tangible but perhaps more
important; organ consultants are still suspected of taking bribes,
ignorant people still try to build organs and thus waste the
churches' money, and organists and builders do not take suffi
cient care to plan ahead and pay attention to detail to produce
a worthy and complete instrument. Perhaps the most endearing
thing about Schlick is that he cared about the situation. "This
has often moved me greatly, and has occasioned this simple and
112
unformed text..." he said, and everywhere in the Spiegel his
earnest wish that the organ be a truly great instrument shows
clearly through the mist of confusion and archaic language that
separates him from us.
112 p. 139.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Publications of Arnolt Schlick's Works
All known publications of Schlick's writings and

compositions are included.
Schlick, Arnolt. Spiegel der Orgelmacher vn Organisten.

[Mainz: Peter Schoffer, 1511]. 56 p.
_______ . Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. Edited by

Robert Eitner. Monatschaft fur Musik-Geschichte, I (1869).
_______ . Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. M o d e m German

version by Ernst Flade. Mainz: Paul Smets, 1931. 49 p.
. Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. Original text

in m o d e m typography, edited by Paul Smets. Mainz: Rhein-
gold, 1937.
_________ Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. M o d e m German

version by Ernst Flade. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1951. 47 p.
_______ . Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. Facsimile

reprint and modern German version by Paul Smets. Mainz:
Rheingold, 1959. 124 p.
_______ . Spiegel der Orgelmacher und Organisten. English trans

lation, not complete, from Flade 1951 version. Translated
by Franklin S. Miller. Organ Institute Quarterly. VII:4 p.
13-23; VIII:1, p. 11-17; VIII:3, p. 27-31; X:l, p. 16-18.
X:4, p. 15-19.
_______ . Hommage a L'Empereur Charles-Quint. Edited by M.

Kastener. Barcelona: Boileau, n.d.
_______ . Tabulaturen Etlicher Lobegesang vnd Lidlein.

Mainz: Peter Sch<5ffer, 1512.
_______ . Tabulaturen Etlicher Lobegesang und Lidlein. Tran

scription by Robert Eitner. Berlin: J. Draeger, n.d.
173
174
BIBLIOGRAPHY (continued)
Schlick, Arnolt. Tabulaturen Etlicher Lobegesang und Lidlein.

Reprint with transcriptions, edited by Gottlieb Harms.
Hamburg: Ugrino, 1957. 61 p.
_______ . "Da Pacem Domine" from the Tabulaturen. Kalmus Organ

Series (with works of Sweelinck and Raison). New York:
Edwin F. Kalmus, n.d. 16 p.
General Sources
Apel, Willi. "Orgelmusik III" in Musik in Geschichte und

Gegenwart. Edited by F. Blume. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1949-
_______ . Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, Mass.:

Harvard University Press, 1964. 833 p.
— Avenary-Loewenstedn, H. "The Mixture Principle inthe Mediaeval

Organ: An Early Evidence," Musica Disciplina. IV (1956),
49-53.
Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Fifth edition,
edited by Nicholas Slonimsky. New York: G. Schirmer, 1958.
1998 p.
Barnes, William H. The Contemporary American Organ. Sixth edition.

New York: J. Fischer, 1956. 376 p.
w *
Bedos de Celles, Dom Francois. L'Art du Facteur d'Orgues. Original
edition, Paris, 1776-1778. Facsimile reprint, edited by
Christhard Marenholz, four volumes bound in three. Kassel:
Barenreiter, 1963-1966. 202, 353, 209, 325 p.
Blanton, Edwin Joseph. The Organ in Church Design. Albany, Texas:

Venture Press, 1957. 492 p.
Berg-Kotterba, Karin. "Arnolt Schlick" in Musik in Geschichte und

Gegenwart. Edited by F. Blume. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1948-
British Museum General Catalog of Printed Books. 268 Vol. London:

Trustees of the British Museum, 1960-1966.
Flade, Ernst. "Literarische Zeagnisse zur Empfingdung der Farbe

und Farbigkeit bei der Orgel und beim Orgelspiel in Deutsch
land c. 1500-1620." Acta Musicologica. V:28 (1954), 180-187.
175
BIBLIOGRAPHY— continued
Geiringer, Karl. Musical Instruments. Translated by Bernard

Miall. New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. 340 p.
Graduale Romanum. Ratisbone: Friderci Puset, 1938.
Husmann, Heinrich. "Zur Characteristik der Schlickschen

Temperatur." Archiv fur Musikwissenschaft. XXIV:4 (1967),
253-265.
Lenneberg, H. H. "The Critic Criticized: Sebastian Virdung and

his Controversy with Arnolt Schlick." American Musicological
Society Journal. X (1957), 1-6.
Mendel, Arthur. "Pitch in the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth

Century." Musical Quarterly. XXXIV (1948) 25-45, 199-221,
336-357, 575-593.
Pietzsch, Gerhard. Quellen und Forschungen zur Geschichte der

Musik am KurpfSlzischen Hof zu Heidelberg bis 1622. Wies
baden: Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literature, 1963,
No. 6.
Praatorlus, Machael. Syntagma Musicum. Band II, De Organographia.

Original publication, WolffenETttel: 1619. Facsimile reprint,
edited by Wilibald Gurlitz. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1958, 288 p.
Quoika, R. Vom Blockwerk zur Registerorgel. Kassel: Barenreiter,

1966, 88 p.
Sachs, Curt. The History of Musical Instruments. New York: Norton,

1940. 505 p.
Stein, Fritz William. Geschichte der Musikwesens in Heidelberg

bis zum ende des 18 iahrhundert. Heidelberg: G. Koester, 1921.
151 p.
Vente, Maarten A. Die Brabenter Orgel. Amsterdam: H. J. Paris,

1958. 262 p.
Virdung, Sebastian. Musica getutscht und auszgezogen. Original

publication, Basel 1511. Facsimile reprint, ed. Schrade.
Kassel: Barenreiter, 1931. Ill p.
Williams, Peter. The European Organ from 1450-1850. London:

Batsford, 1966. 336 p.
176
Linguistic Sources
Bach, Adolf. Geschichte der deutschen Sprache. Seventh edition.

Heidelberg: Quelle and Meyer, 1961. 395 p.
Breul, Karl, Cassell's German Dictionary. New edition by

Harold T. Betteridge. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1958.
619 p.
Curme, George 0. A Grammar of the German Language. Second edi

tion. New York: Friederich Ungar, 1960. 623 p.
Eger, Gustave, and others. Technological Dictionary in the

English and German Languages. 2 Vais. Brunswick, Viewey,
and Son, 1884. 711, 970 p.
Flugel, Elix. A Universal English-German and German-English

Dictionary. Fourth edition. 2 Vols. Braunschweig, George
Westerman, 1894. 968, 1004 p.
Gotze, Alfred. Fruneuhochdeutsches Glossar. Berlin: Walter de

Gruyter, 1960. 240 p.
Grimm, Jacob and William. Deutsches Worterbuch. 15 Vols. Leipzig:

S. Hirzel, 1854-1919.
Spalding, Keith. An Historical Dictionary of German Figurative

Usage. Multivolume, not yet complete. Oxford, Basil Black-
well, 1958-
Sperber, Hans. Geschichte der deutschen Sprache. Revised by

Peter von Polenz. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1966. 320 p.
Recordings
Gregorian Chants: Easter. Choir of the Monks of the Abbey of

St. Pierre de Solesmes, conducted by Dom Joseph Gajard, OSB.
London 5222.
Gregorian Chant: Liturgia Pashalis III: Missa in Dominica Res-

urrectionis. Choir of the Monks of the Benedictine Abbey
of St. Martin, Beuron, conducted by Pater Dr. Marius Pfaff,
OSB. Archiv 3090.
Music from the Chapel of Charles V . Includes Schlick's Hommage

and "Maria zart" from the Tabulaturen played by Pierre
Froidebise at the Laurenskerk, Alkmaar. Nonesuch H-71051.

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MASTER'S THESIS _ M-1598

B ERRY, Elizabeth Irene

U niversity of Oregon, M .A., 1£68

University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

NAME OF AUTHOR: Elizabeth Irene Berry

PLACE OF BIRTH: Eureka, Illinois

DATE OF BIRTH: June 1, 1940

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED:

Bachelor of Arts, 1963, Reed College

AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST:

Teaching Assistant, School of Music, University of

AWARDS AND HONORS:

Corresponding Editor, Current Musicology

SPIEGEL PER ORGELMACHER UND ORGANISTEN:

A TRANSLATION AND CONSIDERATION OF ITS RELATIONSHIP

TO THE ORGAN IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

ELIZABETH IRENE BERRY

Presented to the School of Music

Das Erst Capltell

Das Ander Capitell

Das Drit Capittel

Das Fierd Capitell

Das Funfft Capittel

Das Secht Capitel

Das Svbendt Capitel

Das Acht Capittel

Das Neundt Capittel

Das Zehendt Capitel

Chapter Seven ............................................... Ill

Chapter Eight ............................................... 113

Chapter Ten ............................... . . . . . . . . . 130

THE SPIEGEL AND THE ORGAN IN THESIXTEENTH CENTURY ......... 140

Life of S c h l i c k .............................................. 140

Schlick's Organ andContemporary Practice ................... 144

Influence of the S p i e g e l .................................... 170

Diesser leng gut chor moss, f oder c .......................... 22

Diesser leng zwo ein o c t a f f ................................... 28

Claues naturales ........................................... 28

Diesser lang ffinff claues jm pedal ........................ 32

Diesser leng drey claues breyt jm P e d a l l .................... 32

Diesser leng sechss...zwischen pedall vndmanuall ........... 34

Diesser leng funff van dem pedall clauirvffdem stull .„. . 35

This length is a good choir pitch for F or C ................. 81

Twice this long is the width of the o c t a v e ................... 89

The length for a s e m i t o n e ..................................... 89

For a natural k e y ..............................................89

The keys in the pedal are five times this l o n g ...............93

The width of three keys in the pedal...is this long . . . . . 93

Six times this long.. .between pedal and m a n u a l ............... 95

From the pedal keyboard to the bench is fivetimes this long 96

Keydesk: comparing Schlick's with m o d e m dimensions..........160

Length of the manual keys; then and n o w ...................... 160

Width of the octave; then and n o w ............................ 162

Width of three pedal notes; then and n o w .................. 162

earliest major source of information on the German organ. "It is the

first work printed in German on or gan building and organ playing."^

The date, as given in the letter of privilege from the Emperor

iiaximillian, is 1511. Eecause both extant copies of the Spiegel lack

is romantic and almost unbelievable. It was found in the mid-nine

The language of the Spiegel is New High German, which is dis