The Dresden Manuscript, Lute Sonatas | Vol. 2/5 | Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) | Le Luth Doré

The Dresden Manuscript

The Sächsische Landesbibliothek of Dresden has six volumes of French tablatures, referenced as D-Dl Ms. Mus. 2841-V-1,1 à 6. The 34 solo sonatas therein, of various origins, are written in French tablature for the baroque lute (11-course for the earliest, but mainly 13-course). They are scrupulously arranged by key in five volumes, plus a volume of ensemble music of which only the part of a single lute is extant. All pieces were composed by Silvius Leopold Weiss, from 1706 to the last days of his life in 1750. These manuscripts constitute one of our most precious sources for the composer's music.

The sonatas, either autograph or meticulously copied, were compiled by a collector. He classified them according to age and tuning of the bass courses, very carefully assembled and, later, bound them. Several annotations, pencilled in by Weiss at a late stage, denote an elderly hand.