CONTEMPORARY YOUTH GROUP CULTURES IN A TOWN IN WESTERN HUNGARY

Author(s): Magda SZAPU / Language(s): English Issue: 1-2/2003

The choice of the theme is interdisciplinary, drawing on the findings not only of ethnography and anthropology but also of sociology and musicology and offering new results for these disciplines. The researcher strives for a multidisciplinary approach and methodological diversity, focusing on questions which have not yet been studied or only to a very limited extent. The theme examined: how youth create their own culture and the micro world of their own group cultures based on music. She examines the values that prevail and the extent to which groups are distinct from each other and the previous generation. Both members of the age group and specialists dealing with youth (DJ, youth organiser) are interviewed. In contrast with the notion of “subculture” widely used in the social sciences, the author examines youth culture as group cultures equal in value, existing side by side and in the same time frame. The age group surveyed comprised 500 third- and fourth year secondary school students. Research methods: interviews, representative questionnaires; on the-spot observations. Group cultures analyzed: rocker, alternative, punk, skinhead, rapper, disco, raver, house. Structure: short outline of music and social history, presentation of the groups concerned, typological comparisons.

Functions of Scordatura on the Example of Selected Compositions from the Collection of St Anne’s Church on Piasek Island in Wrocław’s Chapel (1679–1686)

Author(s): Dominika Stopczańska / Language(s): English Issue: 02 (37)/2018

Scordatura is a tuning of a string instrument, which is different than the standard one. It has been used for both plucked and string instruments since the 16th century and it was quite popular in the Baroque era, especially in the case of violins. Because of their specific tuning—based on the same intervals—it is possible to distinguish two types of violin scordatura. The first one relates to the situation when all strings are tuned up or down in the same interval relations. Such tuning is still based on fifths, but the pitches are different than using standard tuning, so it is called transpose scordatura. In the second one, each string is tuned up or down in different interval relation, in another direction or even only some of them are tuned in the unusual way. In this case, violin tuning is based on different intervals than fifths, usually on thirds and/or fourths, although sometimes there are three dissimilar intervals (thirds, fourths and fifths). The second type of scordatura was a very popular technique in the Baroque era and its functions were variable. The main of them were allowing to perform figures, which are impossible in standard tuning, especially double-notes and chords (technical aspect), and changing sound qualities of the instrument (sound aspect). It does not mean that scordatura was used only to achieve these goals. For example, it was sometimes used to imitate other instrument. There are certain examples of such a usage of this playing technique in the oldest (1679–1686) part of the collection of manuscripts connected with activity of Canonesses Regular of St Augustine in Wrocław (provenance St Anna in Arena). The scordatura can be found there in seven manuscripts, and in four of them it is possible that composers (or composer?) tried to assimilate the violin sound and/or technique with other instruments, such as viola, lute or trumpet.

Bruno Stein’s Organ Music in the Context of Pedagogical and Musical Activity

Author(s): Bartłomiej Majkrzak / Language(s): English Issue: 03 (38)/2018

The purpose of this article is to present the life and organ work of Bruno Stein. The preparation for teaching was very important in Prussia, as it somehow traced a path of development for young people not only willing to be teachers but also musicians in the future. Bruno Stein, when composing organ preludes, recognised this situation and simultaneously became a model teacher as well as a composer of reliable and solid artistic achievements. The crucial element constituting the core of this article is the analysis of the selected preludes for organ. Having taken these compositions into account, one can observe the artistic means that were used by the composer, explore their style and purpose. Apart from organ works, Bruno Stein composed many other vocal, instrumental and vocal-instrumental pieces.

Alois Hába’s Microtonal Systems and Their Practical Use in Selected String Quartets

Author(s): Ewa Chorościan / Language(s): English Issue: 03 (38)/2018

Alois Haba (1893–1973) was one of the most important composers developing the microtonal music in the early 20th century. The list of his works contains many pieces that were composed in quarter-, 1/5- and 1/6-tone systems. In 1927 he published the book titled Neue Harmonielehre,in which he described the innovative harmonic systems using 1/3, 1/4, 1/6 and 1/12 part of tone.The article briefly presents Haba’s life and work and focuses on the composer’s harmonic ideas from Neue Harmonielehre. The theory of microtonality is confronted with the compositional technique through the analysis of four Haba’s string quartets: 2nd Op. 7, 11th Op. 87, 14th Op. 94 and 16th Op. 98. The analysis focuses on the aspects of microtonality: notation, vertical and horizontal use of new microtonal intervals and texture.

“Cleverly Devised, Postmodern Toy”: Paweł Mykietyn’s Music in the Category of Postmodernism and Constructivism on the Example of III Symphony for Alto and Orchestra

Author(s): Zuzanna Daniec / Language(s): English Issue: 04 (39)/2018

Works of Paweł Mykietyn belong to the most characteristic trends of Polish contemporary music. His compositional attitude was individualised in the first decade of the 21st century, and today he is recognised as one of the most original Polish composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Andrzej Chłopecki, when characterising Mykietyn’s music after the premiere of the composer’s II Symphony, compared this work to a “cleverly devised, postmodern toy”. Also Mykietyn’s next, III Symphony (2011), can be considered in the context of the categories of postmodernism and constructivism. This work manifests the postmodern attitude, but it is also marked by strict, “cleverly devised”, constructivist thinking. Its musical language contains intertextual references to hip-hop and rap music; on the other hand, it includes such typical for Mykietyn measures as “(de)gradation form”, “accelerando form”, “permanent accelerando” and dodecaphony, which can be found while analysing the work. III Symphony can be also interpreted in relation to techniques of deconstruction, including both concept and structure of the composition.

POSTMODERNA (I) OPERA

Author(s): Ivana Seletković / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 12/2019

In this article I discusse about contemporary relation with the opera, its connection with film and present a descriptive analysis of the rock opera Tommy. The Post-Modern age is characterized by the deconstruction of big essentialist narratives, substantial characters, the ideal of reaching the absolute and totality. The momentum of mass culture sucked in and redirected the perception of the opera in the same way as they made art as sort of realization of trash culture in general. The original intention of the opera as a musical drama with a strong emphasis on the Baroque mythical overemphasis, castrate roles and an appeal to artificiality in order to bring it into a relation with the wordly (profane) is nowadays reduced to the possibility to “consume” it quickly, with earphones, as we watch operas on TV. It was a choice between sticking to the traditional application values in theaters defined as elitist and isolated places of entertainment and the one hand and on the other the attempts to appeal to audiences outside these places using modern methods of presentation. Hence ideas for operas (and music) in the open, making films from great operas such as La Boheme or Carmen or foundation of radio and TV companies specializing in such art (Mezzo, Arte etc.).

Monaldijeva klasifikacija glazbe u osmom poglavlju djela Irena, iliti o ljepoti (1599.)

Author(s): Monika Jurić Janjik / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 02/154/2019

The work Irene, overo della bellezza (Venice, 1599), written by the Renaissance philosopher and poet Michele Monaldi (1540–1592) from Dubrovnik, is considered to be the first aesthetic treatise that originates from Croatia. In that dialogue, Monaldi devoted a whole chapter to music and presented his version of the general theory of it. Monaldi’s thoughts on beauty and music originate primarily from the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. He was mainly theoretically oriented, thus his ideas on music are primarily based on Plato’s philosophical thoughts, and only partially on Aristotle’s. In the greater part of this chapter, Monaldi does not consider the changes that occurred in the field of music in the second half of the 16th century and on the turn of the 17th century. Thus, his ideas on music and art, in general, can be interpreted almost as a purely theoretical model, without any indications of its possible use in practice. Monaldi’s Platonic orientation is also evident in the form of his work, which is the dialogue form modelled after similar dialogues written by Plato. In some aspects of his discussion on music, though not numerous, Monaldi still relies on Aristotle, especially when it comes to functions of music. In his chapter devoted to music (Dialogo ottavo, fol. 135–153) Monaldi rather thoroughly discusses several aspects of music: the divisions of music into different branches, the intervals, the meaning in music, the functions of music, the modes and the instruments, the relationship between music and politics, the relationship between music and other “objects of hearing”, as well as criteria necessary to achieve “proper music”. Given the fact that Monaldi treated quite a large number of music issues, his work Irene, overo della bellezza is considered to be the most valuable contribution to the reflection on music from Croatia in the Renaissance period. This paper presents Monaldi’s understanding of music, based on the example of his classifications of it into different categories.

Macarie Ieromonahul – între spiritualitatea creştin-ortodoxă şi discursul identitar

Author(s): Theodor Constantiniu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 18/2011

În anul 1822 Macarie Ieromonahul, director al şcolii de muzică din cadrul Mitropoliei muntene, tipăreşte la Viena prima gramatică a muzicii bizantine în limba română. Acest Theoreticon pune bazele teoretice ale muzicii psaltice pe noile principii ale reformei hrisantice din 1814. Urmează la scurt timp tipărirea unui Anastasimatar şi a unui Irmologhion. În cea de-a doua jumătate a secolului XX, activitatea culturală a lui Macarie Ieromonahul – îndreptată în direcţia stabilirii unui cadru teoretic modern pentru muzica de strană şi a adoptării unui text adecvat în limba română pentru cântările liturgice – este interpretată de către istoriografia comunistă ca fiind unul dintre eforturile cărturarilor români în direcţia unităţii naţionale. Contribuţia sa în sensul îmbogăţirii spiritualităţii ortodoxe autohtone a fost astfel minimalizată, accentul punându-se acum pe identificarea unei conştiinţe naţionale într-o perioadă când aceasta abia dacă putea fi sesizată în mediile elitei eclesiastice din Principate.

OČEKIVANJA UČENIKA OD OBRAZOVANJA U GLAZBENOJ ŠKOLI

Author(s): Davor Brđanović / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 30/2019

Music education provided by music school has an optimal proportion of traditional and contemporary pedagogical methods, thus serving as a good example of successful coexistence of the “old” and the “new” in education. Its constant challenge is questioning the demands of time and planning necessary educational adjustments. This is the premise which this work focuses on and has come into being as part of the activities carried out to mark the 190th anniversary of the founding of Varaždin Music School and exploring today’s expectations of the education students receive in this school. The research, which was voluntary and anonymous, involved 152 Varaždin Music School students. The sample included students in the first preparatory grade, and in Grades from 1 to 4 of the secondary music school. The questionnaire on expectations of music education designed for this research was used. The t-test showed no statistically significant differences in the expectations of music education in the music school with respect to the sex of the respondents. An exception is the expectation of earnings, where the estimate of male students that they learn music because it creates the prospects for good earnings is statistically significantly higher than that of the female (t=3.81, p=0.000) respondents. Kruskal-Wallis’s test amongst the constructed groups - 1st and 2nd grade of preparatory education for secondary music school (MS43); 1st and 2nd grade of secondary MS; 3rd and 4th grade of secondary MS - showed statistically significant differences in the estimates of expectations of music education regarding the following statements: my parents motivated me to go to music school (estimates increase with age), I was surprised that for MS one has to regularly practice playing/singing (estimates decrease with age), I go to MS because I want to be a professional musician (estimates increase with age), MS did not meet my expectations (estimates increase with age), I learn music because it allows good earnings (estimates increase with age), I enrolled in MS because playing and singing is not difficult (estimates decrease with age), MS should offer more practical music content (estimates increase with age), MS does not provide enough theoretical music content (estimates increase with age), the most important in MS is to achieve good marks (estimates decrease with age).

Učenje o regeneraciji čovečanstva. Chamberlainova kanonizacija Wagnerove nove religije

Author(s): Dragana Jeremić Molnar,Aleksandar Molnar / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2016

Rolul educațional al muzicii, în cadrul manifestărilor culturale ale asociațiilor transilvănene, în a doua jumătate a secolului al XIX-lea și primele decenii ale secolului al XX-lea

Author(s): Otilia Badea (cas. Constantiniu) / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 22-23/2013

Mișcarea națională susținută de asociațiile culturale românești cuprinde mai multe tipuri de manifestare artistică, iar printre acestea, cele muzicale ocupă un loc nu puțin important în spațiul cultural. În cercetările care s-au efectuat până acum cu privire la activitatea de promovare a culturii naționale de către diversele asociații și societăți culturale din Transilvania secolului al XIX-lea, se vorbește într-o măsură mai mică despre rolul pe care muzica l-a jucat în procesul de construire a identității naționale. Construirea identității implică, de asemenea, inocularea și consolidarea ideilor referitoare la caracteristicile constituente ale națiunii. Aceste caracteristici și-au găsit ecou și în muzică, iar rezultatul acestei asocieri s-a numit muzică națională, la rândul ei ajutând la formarea și consolidarea identității culturale naționale. Despre puterea, funcția și importanța muzicii în contextul propagandei culturii naționale ne vom referi în acest studiu, unde muzica națională se dovedește a fi un efect al emergenței naționale și un eficient instrument de propagandă ideologică. Ideea acestui studiu nu este de a face o hermeneutică a motivelor naționale pătrunse în muzica românească, ci de a discuta fenomenul național prin prisma activității muzicale generate în mare măsură de societățile culturale și reuniunile corale din Transilvania, precum și a funcției sociale pe care muzica a exercitat-o în secolul națiunilor. Decupajul istoric pe care îl folosesc vizează Transilvania în a doua jumătatea a secolului al XIX-lea, perioadă în care făcea parte din imperiul habsburgic, cât și Transilvania după unirea de la 1918 cu România, așadar, deceniile perioadei interbelice.

Ipostaze sonore pe scenele filarmonicilor de pe teritoriul Transilvaniei între secolele XIX-XX

Author(s): Simona Spiridon / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 22-23/2013

Dezvoltarea culturii muzicale din perioada romantică s-a datorat, în mare parte, perfecționării instrumentelor, în special a pianului. Ulterior, începând cu primele decenii ale secolului al XX-lea, o contribuție majoră în evoluția muzicii a avut-o atonalismul. Noțiunea de orchestră simfonică este atribuită culturii europene, această instituție datând în spațiul european încă din secolul al XVII-lea. Pe lângă înființarea filarmonicilor, o mare importanță a avut-o apariția școlilor superioare de învățământ muzical. În Arad spre exemplu, este atestată în anul 1833 înființarea unui Conservator. În anul 1890 s-a înființat Asociația prietenilor muzicii din Oradea, având ca scop educația în domeniul muzicii culte, organizarea de concerte și spectacole și înființarea unei școli de muzică. Tot pe parcursul secolului al XIX-lea, Sibiul, un alt important centru transilvan, se bucura de prezențele concertistice ale unor mari muzicieni ai lumii. Viața muzicală brașoveană din secolul al XIX-lea era dominată de un curent cultural german puternic, în care educația muzicală s-a dezvoltat în special în cercurile intelectuale. Încă de la mijlocul secolului al XIX-lea, viața muzicală târgumureșeană a fost susținută de diversele formații instrumentale. Experiența vastă a dirijorului Antonin Ciolan în legătură cu muzica orchestrală a permis maturizarea rapidă a orchestrei, astfel încât într-un scurt timp, aceasta a devenit unul din colectivele simfonice cele mai apreciate ale țării.

Londyński epizod Apolinarego Kątskiego (1838)

Author(s): Ewa Chamczyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 01 (40)/2019

The early artistic career of Apolinary Kątski (1824–1879) was that of an infant prodigy – one of the Wunderkinder who (especially in the 19th century) dazzled audiences with their exceptionally well-developed abilities. The Polish virtuoso, unlike many prodigies, did not disappoint the hopes placed in him, going down in history as a distinguished violinist, as well as the founder and longtime director of the Institute of Music in Warsaw. In the author’s opinion, the violinist’s early career requires more thorough discussion. The present article outlines the fortunes of the young Apolinary Kątski in the second half of 1838 – so, directly after his meeting with Niccolò Paganini. This event represented a certain turning point in the development of Kątski’s career. The letter – a peculiar sort of recommendation – drawn up by the Italian virtuoso to rate the young violinist’s playing opened the doors for him to many of Europe’s concert halls and had a favourable effect on his later artistic career. Kątski had the opportunity to see for himself the power of Paganini’s words during his first trip to London, the primary aim of which was to perform before the British Queen, Victoria. The present article describes Kątski’s activities in preparation for this event. It takes up the thread of the reception of the young Kątski’s first performances in the capital of England, as well as his reception by the Polish community resident in London. Beyond this, it discusses the relationship of the Kątski family with journalist and émigré activist Leonard Niedźwiecki, who served as their guide in the salons of the city upon the Thames. Studies of the correspondence of Leonard Niedźwiecki (with, among others, Eustachy Januszkiewicz, who was active in the Polish émigré community in Paris), as well as preliminary research of the foreign press, have permitted us to recreate Apolinary Kątski’s experiences during his first independent artistic journey to London.

Język muzyczny Eugeniusza Morawskiego na przykładzie baletów Miłość i Świtezianka

Author(s): Oskar Łapeta / Language(s): Polish Issue: 01 (40)/2019

Two of Morawski’s preserved complete ballet scores – Miłość (Love) and Świtezianka (The Maid of Lake Świteź), are representing a relatively late stage of his career as a composer, especially compared to his preserved symphonic poems (Don Quichotte, Nevermore and Ulalume). Miłość was written between 1925 and 1928. Libretto was written by the painter, theatre critic and scenic designer Franciszek Siedlecki. It is Morawski’s longest preserved composition – its estimated duration is about 3 hours. It is a score for a large orchestra supported by organ and choir. The work is divided according to the 19th-century ballet-divertissement. It is set in four parts, representing different locations (the world of machines, the sphere of the planets, the world of eternal love and Earth), and each part is divided into scenes and further dance numbers. Miłość was never presented on stage, but some portions of the work were shown at concerts. Świtezianka was written ca 1922. It is a much shorter work – its duration is about 35 minutes. Libretto was written by the composer himself. The plot of the ballet is a love triangle between a girl, a lumberjack and a knight. It is to represent a fantastic vision of pagan Slavic world in which reality and supernatural are mixed together. Świtezianka was staged in 1931 in Warsaw and was the biggest success in Morawski’s career, bringing him the State Prize for Musical Achievements in 1933. Since then it was staged three times – in 1960, 1962 and 2017, each time bringing reviews full of admiration and respect. Both ballets show Morawski as a composer fully aware of the 20th-century trends and techniques. His musical language in these works resembles Bartók, Ravel, Prokofiev and Stravinsky. They are masterly orchestrated with acute sense of orchestral timbre and with extensive use of percussion and brass sections. Morawski uses polytonality and polymetrics, underlines sharp rhythms and uses scales unfamiliar to traditional tonal system – pentatonic scale, whole tone scale and modal scale. These traits show Morawski as one of the most interesting and unjustly neglected Polish composers of the first half of the 20th century.

Partimento – praktyka czy sztuka?

Author(s): Joanna Solecka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02 (41)/2019

Partimento practice originated in Italy and the most important centre of this art was Naples. In general, partimento is a kind of an abbreviated form of musical notation. It uses the notation of basso continuo: it provides one voice, which in most cases is the bass part supported with figures of b.c. notation. The figures may be neglected if the performer is supposed to follow the so-called rule of the octave. Practicing partimento was a way to master compositional skills: thorough bass, harmony, counterpoint, form, texture, motivic coherence. Practicing this art was rewarded with an unparalleled fluency in improvisation on keyboard instruments. It was the basic method of composition teaching at the famous conservatories in Naples. The conservatories were founded in the 16th century as orphanages but from the 17th century onward they turned into important professional schools of music. The students of the conservatories attained the highest degree of musical knowledge enabling them to pursue great careers as composers and performers (both in the vocal and instrumental realm) in Italy and abroad. Besides Naples the art of partimento was taught in other Italian cities, e.g. Rome and Bologna. Its influence was also seen in other countries, mostly in Germany.Besides being exercises, the partimento notation was also included in pieces of music not necessarily intended for teaching purposes. Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710) was one of the very first composers to write partimenti; however, he did not use the word “partimento”. His works for one or two keyboards, written as b.c., were called by him for example “basso”, “basso continuo”, “sonata”, “versetto”. An interesting question nowadays is if partimento is an old-fashion method of teaching or an inspiration for artists seeking for individual ways of own expression.

Missa in Dis Antoniego Milwida (1755–1837) w kontekście repertuaru kapeli klasztornej z Czerwińska nad Wisłą

Author(s): Jolanta Bujas-Poniatowska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02 (41)/2019

The musical life of Czerwińsk nad Wisłą at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries was strictly connected with the artistic activity of Antoni Milwid (1755–1837), a composer and organist. Although there are ten compositions signed with his name preserved in the collection of the monastery’s chapel as well as other manuscripts seemingly written with his hand, the religious output of the composer has not been investigated so far.The article discusses briefly the activity of Czerwińsk’s chapel during the difficult time of the partitions of Poland and secularisation of the monastery, sketching its repertoire based on preserved manuscripts. Then, Antoni Milwid’s life and art is presented in the light of accessible sources. Finally, Missa in Dis CZs Rps 5 from Czerwinsk’s collection is analysed in terms of its form, melody, rhythm, harmony and instrumentation, what allows the author to draw general conclusions concerning the compositional workshop of Antoni Milwid.

Kompozycje Jana Antoniego Wichrowskiego na skrzypce solo oraz skrzypce i fortepian. Rekonesans

Author(s): Katarzyna Bartos / Language(s): Polish Issue: 02 (41)/2019

Jan Antoni Wichrowski (1942–2017) was a composer and professor of Karol Lipiński Music Academy in Wrocław. Among around 60 of his compositions representing almost all of music genres and forms, there are three for violin solo and two for violin and piano that the author of this paper was particularly interested in. In the article, Wichrowski’s pieces for violin solo and violin with piano are shown in the context of composer’s life, output and, lastly, general style. The aim of the article is to present a very interesting, yet not well known composer’s music to the broader audience.

Działalność orkiestry symfonicznej w getcie łódzkim w latach 1940–1944

Author(s): Magdalena Mikołajczyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 03 (42)/2019

The article presents the activity of the symphony orchestra in Litzmannstadt Ghetto, existing in Łódź in the years 1940–1944. It was the first and longestrunning camp of this type in Poland, with over 200,000 Jews from the Wartheland and Western Europe. There, the orchestra consisting of fortyfour musicians was functioning. It employed the artists associated with Łódź Symphony Orchestra before the war, and from 1941 its musicians also performed under that name.The aim of the article is to familiarise the audience with the history of Litzmannstadt Ghetto and, above all, to present the music that was heard by the imprisoned community. During World War II, the ghetto was the only place in Łódź where culture and art had any chance to develop. The musicians could legally conduct cultural activities while being subject to strict censorship of Judenrat. Teodor Ryder, a pianist, conductor, organiser and promoter of musical life, was the person responsible for the selection of the repertoire for the orchestra was. Starting from March 1941, the House of Culture, located at 3 Krawiecka Street, was its official seat. The events taking place there gathered crowds – only during the first year of the activity of the orchestra, around seventy thousand listeners were present at the concerts.

Partimenti Bernarda Pasquiniego – studium realizacji wybranych Bassi ze zbioru Sonate per uno o due Cembali con il basso cifrato

Author(s): Joanna Solecka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 04 (43)/2019

Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710) was one of the very first composers to write partimenti, albeit he did not use the word “partimento”. He titled his works for one or two keyboards, written in the form of basso continuo, as Basso, Basso continuo, Sonata, Versetto etc. One of his manuscripts that include partimenti, entitled Sonate per uno o due Cembali con il basso cifrato, is held in the British Library of London, under the signature number Ms. Add. 31501, I. Two works from this collection, Basso Continuo [II] and [Basso IV], are realised by the Author as fully composed pieces and presented below. The realisation of these Partimenti intends to engage a polyphonic texture according to the rules of basso continuo and counterpoint adequate to the aesthetics and techniques of the music from the Baroque era. Realisations represent different genres of instrumental music of the 18th century, they apply counterpoint (fugue, fughetta and imitation texture) or freer techniques (figurative sonata, polyphonic fantasia).

Късни лютневи версии на три шансона от Клоден дьо Сермизи (върху ръкописа на Емануел Вурстисен CH-BU MS. F.IХ.70)

Author(s): Yavor Genov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 1/2020

The arrangements of vocal polyphonic music for instruments emerges as an essential part of the repertory for the latter during the 16th century. Apart from the theoretical grounds for this statement, it is also supported by the contents of lute anthologies. Emanuel Wurstisen’s lute manuscript is not an exception – three out of eight books of his anthology are dedicated to arrangements of vocal music. A significant part of these arrangements is based on secular models – French chansons, Italian madrigals or German lieder. Their variety is determined by the nature of the genres themselves, but also by the broad temporal frame of origin. One can find pieces coming from the first decades of the century onward to the direct contemporaneity of the scribe. Among the earliest vocal titles in the Wurstisen lute book are three chansons, composed by Claudin de Sermisy. Il est jour, Laguir me fais and Orcum bien (O combien est malhenreulx) were originally published between the late 1520s and 1540s. Lute intabulations for some of them appeared almost immediately. Is it the case that Wurstisen’s versions reflect some anachronistic tendency, or rather a special attitude to pieces with a “classical” significance? Could it be possible to trace out the origin of the intabulations? Were they copied from another lute source and is it plausible to assume an authorship by Wurstisen for some of the arrangements? How were the vocal models transformed into lute pieces? What approaches to their originals were applied, how was the matter of musica ficta treated, and what kind of diminutions were implanted into the original structure? All these points set the frame and direction of the present study. It suggests that the three chansons are not equally widespread and wellknown among lute books. Two of them emerge from a number of sources, while Il est jour appears rather seldom. The study shows that the three Wurstisen’s versions were not copied from any of the known lute intabulations, and the style of the arrangements indicates that they are not homogeneous. As Sermisy’s music circulated repeatedly under incorrect or unmentioned authorship for decades (among some lute sources as well), this paper suggests that if a certain attitude to “classical authority” was presented by Wurstisen, it could possibly be associated with some well-known titles from the available lute books, rather than their vocal origins and authors belonging to earlier generations and traditions.