Sebastian Virdung

(b Amberg, 19/20 Jan c1465; d ?, ?). German theorist and composer. He studied at Heidelberg University and held various court and cathedral posts in Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Konstanz and Basle. He is best known for his treatise Musica getutscht (Basle, 1511), the oldest printed manual on musical instruments; in the form of a dialogue, it attempts a classification of instruments and discusses notation. It was highly regarded in its day. He composed a hymn and four four-voice songs.

Virdung, Sebastian (Amberg, c.1465-?), became a musician at Heidelberg and published in 1511 a dialogue on the instruments and music of his age entitled Traktat Musica getutscht (facsimile reprint, ed. L. Schrade, 1931).

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