Partbook

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In 15th and 16th century music, a partbook was a part of a musical manuscript. Each partbook carried the music for only one instrument. This appears to have been a cost-cutting measure, as large-scale printing was still very expensive; for example, by 1529, King's College, Cambridge had replaced almost all of its choirbooks with partbooks. The reduced cost also allowed each performer to have their own copy. However, the books were flimsy, and few originals remain.

[edit] Reference

• The Forrest-Heyther Partbooks: Lesser Composers