Between 5 and 9 October 2015 I conducted preliminary research at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich (Musikabteilung). Its purpose was to carry out a more detailed examination of a part of the collection of music items associated with the vocal-instrumental ensemble active in the 18th century at the Cistercian Abbey of Obra, items currently kept in Munich. Over the course of five days I carried out an in-depth analysis of 26 musical manuscripts. The Obra collection encompasses 181 manuscripts, including 16 sets (between two and six compositions in one manuscript). They originated mostly in the 18th century. The choice of manuscripts from the collection was inspired by my previous research into music items from Wielkopolska, and a desire to confirm, explain or revise some my research hypotheses. We know that the Obra manuscripts currently kept in Munich are not the complete collection the Obra ensemble used. The question is explained in the article. The analysed manuscripts can be divided into three groups: – Wojciech Dankowski’s autographs: Mus.ms. 5025, 5027, 5030, 5096, 5121; – compositions by other authors for whom Dankowski acted as a scribe: Mus.ms. 5017, 5063, 5066, 5083, 5084,5110, 5417; – other compositions: Mus.ms. 4996a, 5060, 5061, 5070, 5090, 5094, 5098, 5102, 5122-1, 5122-2, 5139, 6594,6596, 6597. The analysis of the selected manuscripts clearly demonstrates that there is a need for further research. The Obra collection should be examined in detail as a whole and compared with other music collections from Wielkopolska, especially with the one from Grodzisk Wielkopolski frequently mentioned in the article. The collection should also be digitised to make it accessible to scholars. My analysis of the 26 manuscripts has shown unequivocally that the musical manuscripts from Obra are an important part of the musical culture of 18thcentury Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and must be returned to it as quickly as possible through research.
Gdańsk was an important centre shaping the musical culture of the Republic of Poland in past centuries. It is evidenced by, among others, preserved musical instruments which were built by the makers working in the city, or were used by city musicians. The Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań has in possession two instruments which are associated with Danzig — the lute-cittern made by Johann Goldberg and the clavichord by Johann Adolph Hass. Both instruments provide a valid evidence of music-making in the old Gdańsk. Luthier and musician, Johann Goldberg was a promoter of Gdańsk’s musical life in the 18th century, and he especially valued domestic music making. He was on friendly terms with the most important musicians of the city. The fact that most probably Goldberg primarily produced lute-citterns may suggest that this kind of music-making among the inhabitants of the eighteenth-century Gdańsk was popular. The Hass’ clavichord in turn does not document the musical instruments making in Gdańsk, but it is a perfect example that instruments from the best European workshops were imported to the city. In eighteenth-century Germany one of the leading centres of the clavichords making was Hamburg. In that city worked the famous Hass family. It primarily consisted of father Hieronymus Albrecht Hass (1689–1752) and his son Johann Adolph (1713–1771). Their clavichords were among the best available at that time in Europe. To this day 27 instruments have survived from their workshop — 11 built by H. A. Hass and 16 by J. A. Hass. Instruments from Hass’ workshop were highly prized by the end of the eighteenth century. The content of article about Johann Adolph Hass’ clavichord and Johann Goldberg’s instruments is another small contribution to our knowledge about Gdańsk’s old instruments.
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