Anleitung zu der musikalischen Gelahrtheit theils vor alle Gelehrte, so das Band aller Wissenschaften einsehen; theils vor die Liebhaber der edlen Tonkunst überhaupt; theils und sonderlich vor die, so das Clavier vorzüglich lieben; theils vor die Orgel- und Instrumentenmacher. Mit Kupfern und einer Vorrede des Hochedlen und Hochgelahrten Herrn, Herrn Johann Ernst Bachs, Sr. hochfürstl. Durchlaucht zu Sachsen-Weimar und Eisenach würklichen Kapellmeisters

Erfurt: J. D. Jungnicol, 1758. Octavo. Contemporary dark ivory pastepaper boards with manuscript titling to spine. [i] (title), [i] (blank), [3]-30, 2, 814, [xxxiv] (index) pp. + 8 plates of engraved musical examples. Occasional decorative head- and tailpieces.

Old ownership stamps to front pastedown including "Ex. bibl. F. Blume;" manuscript ownership notes dated 1884 and 1898.

Binding worn, soiled, and bumped, with small identification label to upper; edges dusty; remnants of red sealing wax to front pastedown; blank free front endpaper lacking. Small rectangular library deaccession stamp to blank foot of title.

A (truncated) very good untrimmed copy in unusually original and fresh condition. First Edition. Scarce. Gregory-Bartlett p. 7. Hirsch I, 8. Not in Cortot or Wolffheim. RISM Ècrits p. 67.

"In Anleitung zu der musikalischen Gelahrtheit Adlung organized a vast collection of information for both the scholar and amateur. He recorded all the sources of knowledge known to him about a variety of theoretical and practical subjects such as: the history of music, music and mathematics (including problems of tuning), the organ’s history, registration, construction and building costs (material plundered from the Musica mechanica organoedi manuscript), descriptions of other musical instruments, the art of singing, thoroughbass, the chorale (including a significant description of various kinds of organ chorale preludes), the art of improvisation, the Italian tablature and the art of composition. This accumulation of factual data and the variety of Adlung’s own practical observations have as yet to be fully assimilated in modern research. As the testimony of a learned musician, this work offers a dramatic example of the accomplishment of German musical scholarship in the mid-18th century." George J. Buelow, revised by Quentin Faulkner in Grove Music Online. (Inventory #: 40147)