Musicologica Brunensia 53 / 2018 / 2 https://doi.org/10.5817/MB2018-2-4 The Music Collection of Johann (Ján) Kusser (1626–1695): A Hungarian Émigré in Seventeenth-Century Stuttgart Samantha Owens /
[email protected] Victoria University of Wellington, NZ Abstract In June 1695, Maria Elisabeth Kusser offered the Duke of Württemberg her late husband’s mu- sic collection, describing it as consisting partly of works “from the imperial and other electoral and princely court musical establishments, composed by the best and most celebrated Kapell- meister, and partly also by many superb Italians”. Having held major positions in both Press- burg (now Bratislava) and Stuttgart, the extant inventory of Johann Kusser’s private music col- lection (today held in Stuttgart’s Landeskirchliches Archiv) features listings for more than 483 individual compositions. This paper examines this important document, which offers valuable clues regarding the ways in which a wide range of sacred music – by both Lutheran and Catho- lic composers – was disseminated throughout the Holy Roman Empire during the second half of the seventeenth century. Keywords music inventories, Holy Roman Empire, seventeenth-century sacred music, Italian music, Lu- theran church music, Johann Kusser 61 Samantha Owens The Music Collection of Johann (Ján) Kusser (1626–1695): A Hungarian Émigré … In June 1695, Maria Elisabeth Kusser wrote to Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Württemberg- Stuttgart (1676–1733) offering her late husband’s music collection in return for a small annual pension.