Just the Facs, Ma’am: Les Basses Danses of Marguerite of Austria and other music facsimiles from the collections of the ASU Libraries and Professor Eckart Sellheim

Q. What’s the next best thing to an original manuscript?
A. A facsimile, of course.

May 5 – August 8, 2008

Facsimiles are books that attempt to recreate the appearance of original manuscripts. They are used by scholars as tools for study or investigation when they do not have access to original materials. This exhibit explores the wide variety of music facsimiles found in the collections of the ASU Libraries and Professor Eckart Sellheim of the ASU School of Music. The centerpieces of the exhibit are two facsimiles of manuscripts that were prepared for Marguerite of Austria (1480-1530) – a chanson album (Brussels manuscript 11239), and a collection of basses danses (Brussels manuscript 9085). The display also features facsimiles of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Mozart’s Magic Flute, Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. [Display Created by Rodale Cooley]

Listen to the related Library Channel podcast interview