G. PALESTRINA. OFFERTORIA TOTIUS ANNI...QUINQUE VOCIBUS CONCINENDA, ROME: FRANCESCO COATTINO, 1593

FIRST EDITION, 'Pars prima' (2 parts only: Quintus & Bassus)--'Pars secunda' (ALL 5 PARTS: Cantus, Altus, Tenor, Bassus & Quintus), titles with woodcut device and borders, dedications, typeset music, comprising 40 and 28 pieces respectively  7 volumes, 4to (c.20.5 x 16cm), 'Pars prima' each 22 leaves, 'Pars secunda' the Cantus 16 leaves (the rest 15), "picador" and "key" watermarks, disbound, Altus, Tenor, Quintus & Bassus parts in 'Pars secunda' lacking index at end, some tears to Cantus repaired and restored, slightly affecting the text, worming to hinges in Quintus reinforced, a few small wormholes and staining

RISM P 746 & P 749 (5 copies); Edit 16: CNCE 44837 and CNCE 44839 (4 copies); G. Reese, Music in the Renaissance (1959), pp.465-467

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

RARE: sets of all five parts for sixteenth-century polyphonic music are of the greatest rarity at auction.  Palestrina was certainly the most highly regarded composer of his era, particularly of sacred music, and remains "one of the three greatest composers of the twilight period in Renaissance music, the other two being Lassus and Byrd" (Reese, p.459). These two books issued in 1593 contain all Palestrina's sixty-eight known Offertories. With those by Lassus, they constitute the first substantial corpus of polyphonic settings, and earliest to have been written in free motet style rather than based on plainchant. "The Offertories are rich in felicitous touches of many kinds...as elsewhere, Palestrina differentiates himself from earlier masters such as Josquin by his easily discernible sensitivity to tonality" (Reese, p.466).