Abstract
The Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek in Stuttgart holds a rare treasure from the early history of German-language opera that has lain undisturbed and unnoticed for many years. While the library suffered substantial losses during World War II, its collection does retain a small portion of the music manuscripts formerly belonging to the public library established in 1765 by Duke Carl Eugen of Wurttemberg (1728-93). The handwritten catalogue of the Codices musices II series, today housed in the institution's manuscript department, opens with a somewhat mysterious pair of entries describing an anonymous work entitled Adonis, consisting of a vocal part with bass accompaniment alongside a set of instrumental parts for the same work. Here, Owens discusses the recently discovered opera Adonis by composer Johann Sigismund Cousser.
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