Music among the Lviv Carmelites in the 17th and 18th centuries – state of research, sources, and research perspectives

Abstract

The Archive of the Carmelite monastery at Piasek in Cracow preserves 17th- and 18th-century documentation (account books, records of monastic professions, necrologies, books of provincial chapters, inventories, etc.), as well as liturgical codices, documenting the musical life of the Carmelites of two Lviv monasteries: the conventus maior (i.e. the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary church and monastery in the Halytsky Suburb) and St. Martin’s. Some of them have not yet been of interest to musicologists. The aim of this article is to present the most important types of historical sources, including musical ones, which can be used to study the musical culture of the Lviv Carmelites (e.g. the history of the vocal-instrumental ensemble, which had been functioning since at least the 1620s, as well as musicians associated with it). After presenting the modest state of research on the musical culture of the Lviv Carmelites of the conventus maior, the author identifies some of the musicians, instruments, and traces of the repertoire that were available at the time. The conclusion, however, presents further research possibilities.