Works from the ‘Rost Codex’

Posted on March 23rd, 2017 by


Violin Johann Anton Gedler  1755 (1725–1790) Füssen

Rost Codex (Rost, Franz) (1680-1688)

‘Richardo’/Balthazar Richard (ca.1600-ca.1660)-‘Solo’

Peter Sheppard Skaerved – Violin Johann Anton Gedler  1755 (1725–1790) (Füssen)
Workshop recording 26 3 17

Heinrich Utrecht(?) (fl. 1630) – Sonata

Peter Sheppard Skaerved – Violin Johann Anton Gedler  1755 (1725–1790) (Füssen)

Here at the desk, this morning, more from the Rost Codex-a Sonata for solo violin scordatura, which you will see purports to be by Heinrich Utrecht (fl.1630).

Anon – Sonatina ‘Verstimmt’

Peter Sheppard Skaerved-Workshop Recording. Maggini (tuning CGCE)

The beginning of the ‘Sonatina’. Note the instruction ‘Verstimmt’ -‘detuned’ or Scordatura. I have used white pencil to cover up the ‘bleed-though’ and acid damage from the ink. 23 3 17

Restoration! Anonymous Sonatina (ca 1680) from the ‘Rost Codex’ (23rd March 2017)

After a happy morning exploring 17th Century architecture with composer Nigel Clarke, I spend the afternoon working on the rather obscured MS of an anonymous Sonatina collected in the 1680s by the copyist Franz Rost, who lived in Baden Baden between 1640-88. This extraordinary piece is marked to be played on an intstrument tuned CGCE .  I find that this works well with the C’ set at ca.420Hz, so it will sound as if it is tuned AEACsharp!Listen here.