The Dresden Manuscript

About 21 suites, probably composed after 1725 are kept in the SL in Dresden. The library
acquired them in 1929 during the auction sale of Werner von Wolffheim’s famous musical
library. Several other pieces were dispersed throughout Europe after that auction.

Contrary to the London Manuscript, which is in only one volume, the Dresden Manuscript
has 6 volumes : 5 volumes are dedicated to the lute only and are arranged by pitch, and a
sixth volume is devoted to chamber music pieces, the lute part of which only remains.

In his 1977 edition of the Dresden Manuscript, Wolfgang Reich gives us the following
details :

Volume Suite Title (The Volume Observations

Suite appears in
italics in the
Manuscript)
1 1 Suite en Fa Majeur
2 Suite en Fa Majeur
3 Suite en Fa Majeur
4 Suite en Fa Majeur
5 Suite en ré mineur
The courante is a variation of :
- Suite n°3 in the same volume
- in issue n°38 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia". 1769
- as suite n°1 in the second part of the
volume « Legacy of German Music »
from the archives of musical research.
1939.
Can be found in the LM with another
prelude
Can be found in :
- the London Ms under the title "Le
fameux corsaire" ("The Famous
Privateer")
- in issue n°39 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia". 1769
Autograph. Can be found :

6 Party by SL Weiss en
fa mineur
7 Suonata per il Liuto di
Silvio Leopoldo
Weissen ré mineur
8 Suite en ré mineur
2 9 Suite en Do Majeur
10 Suite en Do Majeur
11 Suite en Do Majeur
12 Suite en Do Majeur
13 Suite en la mineur
14 Suite en la mineur
15 Suite en la mineur
- in issue n°31 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia". 1769
- as Suite n°2 in the volume « Legacy of
German Music » from the archives of
musical research. 1939.
Michel Cardin correction : D minor
key. Can be found in the London Ms
without the fantaisie.
Autograph
Autograph
Autograph. Menuets 1 & 2 can be
found in the London Ms
Autograph. The titleless prelude was
added by the copyist, R. This suite,
without the prelude, can be found in
issue n°12 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
This suite can be found as Partita
Grande n°4 in the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
Autograph. This suite can be found
as Suite n°3 in the volume « Legacy
of German Music » from the archives
of musical research. 1939.
This suite can be found in the LM
under the title "L'Infidèle" ("The
Unfaithful Woman") but movements 3
to 5 are in a reversed order.
 16 Suite en la mineur
3 17 Suonata del Sigre This suite can be found in :
Sigism.Weiss en La - issue n°2 of the "Supplemento IV dei
Majeur Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- in the London Ms, without the prelude
but with a sarabande and a gigue.
The first name Sigism.was crossed
with a pencil. To the left of the title,
the composer noted with a pencil
: S.L.Weiss. The trace is missing.
The prelude was added later by
another hand, as Neemann asserts.
18 Suite en La Majeur - This suite can be found in issue n°1
of the "Supplemento IV dei Catalogi
delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- Above the prelude : Suonata del
Sig.Weiss composta a Roma. should
be found, written in red ink. Maybe
this indication given by Neemann is
the result of a mistake because no
trace of red ink is to be found where it
should. Instead, it appears above the
title of suite n°17.
- There are hand-written remarks
above the prelude : Weiss
Sil:Leop: Next to all the following
movements his "item"remark can be
found. The prelude was not added
later, as Neemann indicates.
19 Suonata del signore This suite can be found :
S.L.Weiss en La - in issue n°3 du "Supplemento IV dei
Majeur Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
 manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- in the London Ms in a version
significantly diverging from the
Dresde Ms.
Above the Allemande version, there
is a hand-written note by the
composer : S.L.Weiss
20 Suite en La Majeur
21 Suite en La Majeur This suite can be found as Suite n°4
in the volume « Legacy of German
Music » from the archives of musical
research. 1939.
The indications concerning the
movements, which are now visible,
meant, according to Neeman :
overture : largo/ Allegro - Courante -
Bourrée - Sarabande - Presto -
Menuet.
22 Suonata del Signore This suite can be found in issue n°4
S.L.Weiss en La of the "Supplemento IV dei Catalogi
Majeur delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
Michel Cardin's note : JS Bach BWV
1026
23 Suonata del Signore This suite can be found in issue n°49
S.L.Weiss en fa# of the "Supplemento IV dei Catalogi
mineur delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
The prelude wa added by the copyist,
Raschke.
4 24 Suonata del sigre The overture, the courante and the
Sylv.Leop.Weiss en bourrée can be found in the London
sibMajeur Ms.
The prelude and the second menuet
have been added by the copyist,
Raschke.
 25 Suite en Sib Majeur This suite can be found in issue n°9
of the "Supplemento IV dei Catalogi
delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
26 Suite en Sib Majeur This suite can be found as Suite n°5
in the volume « Legacy of German
Music » from the archives of musical
research. 1939.
The allemande, the courante, the
gigue, the bourrée, the gavotte and
the menuet can be found in the
London Ms (Michel Cardin’s note :
the sarabande is found there too).
27 Suite en Sib Majeur The indications of movements, which
have become invisible, meant,
according to Neemann : intro -
courante - bourrée - sarabande -
presto - menuet
28 Suite en fa mineur This suite can be found :
- in issue n°48 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- in the London Ms
29 Suite en sol mineur Autograph
This suite can be found :
- as Suite n°6 in the volume « Legacy of
German Music » from the archives of
musical research. 1939.
- in the London Ms without the prelude
and with another sarabande
The prelude was added by the
copyist, Raschke
30 Suite en sol mineur
5 31 Suonata del sigre This suite can be found in :
S.L.Weiss en do - issue n°19 of the "Supplemento IV dei
mineur Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
 Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- in the London Ms
Above the allemande, the composer
wrote with a pencil : Von anno 6.In
Düsseldorf.ergo Nostra giuventù
comparisce.
32 Suite en do mineur de This suite can be found :
Ms.Weiss - in issue n°20 of the "Supplemento IV
dei Catalogi delle Sinfonie, Partite,
Partite, Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
- in the London Ms with a prelude. The
final movement is called "La belle
Tiroloise" ("The beautiful Tyrolean
girl").
33 Suite en do mineur This suite can be found as Partita
Grande in issue n°6 of the
"Supplemento IV dei Catalogi delle
Sinfonie, Partite, Partite,
Overture...che si trovano in
manoscritto nella Officiana musica di
Breitkopf in Lipsia", 1769.
34 Suite en Mib Majeur This suite can be found in the London
Ms with another prelude, without the
courante. The final movement is
called "Le Sans soucie".
The prelude was added by the
copyist, Raschke.