GUIDETTI Giovanni Directorium Chori ad usum Sacrosanctæ Basilice Vaticanæ, & aliarum Cathedralium, & Collegium Ecclesiarum.

Fétis, IV, p.144-145 ; Vervliet, “Robert Granjon à Rome”, in : Bulletin de l’Institut historique belge de Rome, 1967, p. 209 ; cf. Clavreuil & Perier, Les Français à Rome, n° 9.

Rare first edition of this important collection of Church music.

The book bearing pope Gregory XIII arms on the title is beautifully printed by Robert Granjon ; this is the only known book by the famous printer published with the Rome address. This “excellent livre” (Fétis) was very successful and reissued until 1757. Giovanni Guidetti, chaplain to Pope Gregory, was born in Bologna in 1532. He studied in Rome under Palestrina, the latter being in charge to review and correct the books of Church Chant after the oldest existing manuscripts in the Vatican. Guidetti offered his help and together they both worked in this project for several years. The work was finished in 1579 but an important edition of the Graduale had already been undertaken in Venice in 1580. While Palestrina gave up his efforts Guidetti gave a new impulse to his work and concentrated his book on choir songs. According to Vervliet, the scores are new compositions and are by Granjon himself.

“On ne trouve pas d’ingéniosité stylistique dans cette musique très simple, carrée, communément appelée ‘Romaine’. Cette simplicité ne trahit pas le maître, à l’exception peut-être de la forme parfaite des chiffres interlinéaires et des points d’orgue…” (cf. Vervliet).

Fine copy. 

Some occasional slight staining, title page slightly thumbed, small restauration to foot of title and corner of one leaf of the preface. 

From the library of Camillo Zeppa, “sacerdote”, with his rubberstamp on the verso of the title.