A selection of Archive Material relevant to the History of Music in 16th Century Riga

• Two certificates appointing Johan Lichtwer to the position of Town Musicician. The first is dated 1575 and the second is dated 1591. It is interesting to see how his duties changes from one appointment to the second. Also of interest are the "Fire Watch" duties that he was expected to perform.
  
• For each of these dates 1575 and 1591 there also survives a letter from Johan Lichtwer to the Riga Town Council.
  
• Viecken's "Kurze Beschreibung" describes the entry of Stefan Bartory, King of Poland into Riga in 1581.
  
• A first and a second letter from Paulus Bucenus Philorodus, later to become Cantor at Riga, to the town council in Torun concerning his duties and pay.
  
• The forward to Paulus Bucenus' manuscript books of music dedicated to the Riga council give an interesting insight to the situation in that town. For non-latin readers an English translation is here. A selection of the works of Paulus Bucenus are available in modern transcription from Musica Baltica
• The Merten inventory gives a list of music books and instruments in the possession of the town musicians in 1636.