Facsimile Reprints

The Printed Music and Recorded Sound Department holds an important collection of facsimile reprints, representing a rich resource for research.

The facsimile of the <em>Basse Dance Book of Margaret of Austria</em>. The end of the 15th century
The facsimile of the Basse Dance Book of Margaret of Austria. The end of the 15th century

The book belonged to Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. The manuscript contains melodies of basse dances (medieval court dances, distinguished by soothe, slow motion), accomponied with explanatory texts to choreographic steps. Each page has 14 golden lines, clefs and explanatory texts are written in gold, notes (mensural notation) - in silver. Scientific comments in three languages (text is not duplicated) were published in a separate volum.

An Austrian facsimile of the Basse Dance Book of Margaret of Austria was created to match the original volume. The manuscript from the end of the fifteenth century has been faithfully reproduced in detail: black paper, gold and silver ink, wooden covers of binding etc.

The book belonged to Margaret of Austria (1480-1530), the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. The manuscript contains melodies of basse dances (medieval court dances, distinguished by soothe, slow motion), accomponied with explanatory texts to choreographic steps. Each page has 14 golden lines. Clefs and explanatory texts are written in gold, notes (mensural notation) - in silver. Scientific comments in three languages (text is not duplicated) were published in a separate volum. 

The Leipzig edition of 1975 by the Peters firm represents a facsimile of the School of Dancing by Lambranzi Gregorio, published in Nurembergе in 1716. The facsimile is illustrated by engravings by Georg Puschner, notable for delicate craftsmanship and irresistible humour.

The facsimile of the
The facsimile of the "School of Dancing" by Lambranzi Gregorio

The facsimile is illustrated by engravings by Georg Puschner, notable for delicate craftsmanship and irresistible humour. The facsimile was printed by the Peters firm in Leipzig in 1975.

Facsimile pages of the
Facsimile pages of the "Medieval Music and Musicians". 13th century

Facsimile pages from the 1994 Medieval Music and Musicians Edition, issued by the British Library in London, enable readers to examine a fragment of the manuscript Sumer is icumen in /Summer has come in/, one of the most famouse compositions dating from the mid-thirteenth century. It is the oldest extant example of canonical polyphony (6 voces) of the beginning of the second millenium. A sample of old square notation.

Facsimile pages from the 1994 Medieval Music and Musicians Edition, issued by the British Library in London, enable readers to examine a fragment of the manuscript Sumer is icumen in /Summer has come in/, one of the most famouse compositions dating from the mid-thirteenth century. It is the oldest extant example of canonical polyphony (6 voces) of the beginning of the second millenium. The canon was scripted using square notation.

The facsimile of Alexey L'vov's autograph of
The facsimile of Alexey L'vov's autograph of "God Save the Tsar!"

A page from the country's first facsimile reprint — the national anthem of Imperial Russia God Save the Tsar! by Alexey L'vov, dating from 1840. It reproduced the autograph of L'vov's clavier and the autograph of Vasily Zhukovsky, the author of the lyrics. Only small number of copies will be made available. All copies are divided into two types: plain and presentation ones. The two copies of this rare edition are held in the printed music collection of our Library.

By chance, the country's first facsimile reprint was a music publication. It was the national anthem of Imperial Russia God Save the Tsar! by Alexey L'vov, dating from 1840.
It reproduced the autograph of L'vov's clavier and the autograph of Vasily Zhukovsky, the author of the lyrics. Only small number of copies will be made available. All copies are divided into two types: plain and presentation ones. The two copies of this rare edition are held in the printed music collection of our Library. 

A quantity of facsimile reprints appeared in the twentieth century. Some of them were created by request of the National Library of Russia.

The facsimile of the drawing The Hut of Baba Yaga on Hen’s Legs by Viktor Hartmann depicting a clock in the Russian style. This sketch inspired Modest Mussorgsky to compose the piano piece The Hut on Hen’s Legs (Baba Yaga) in Pictures at an Exhibition. The original of the drawing is housed in the Manuscript Department of the National Library of Russia. The facsimile of the original was commissioned by the National Library of Russia.

The facsimile of the title-page of autograph of the piano suite
The facsimile of the title-page of autograph of the piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky

The facsimile of the title-page  bearing an inscription by Mussorgsky's hand.

The drawing
The drawing "The Hut of Baba Yaga on Hen’s Legs" by Viktor Hartmann.

The drawing inspired Modest Mussorgsky to compose the piano piece The Hut on Hen’s Legs (Baba Yaga) in Pictures at an Exhibition. The original of the drawing is housed in the Manuscripts Department of the National Library of Russia. The facsimile of the original was commissioned by the National Library of Russia.