Thomas Cross

Synopsis Musicae

In 1693, the Englishman Thomas Cross published his *Synopsis Musicae or The Musical Inventory* in London. The collection consists of 52 "Lessons" and 6 "Songs" with lyrics for solo recorder or flute. Cross was not a composer. He was a trained engraver and was presumably the first printer ever to produce single-sheet editions using the copperplate engraving process. "Synopsis Musicae" thus follows the fashion prevalent at the time, in which a publisher or printer compiled pieces by various composers into an anthology and published them under his own name. Another well-known example of this practice is John Playford’s *The Dancing Master*.
A few of the pieces included in this edition are by James Hart (1647–1718). For most of the melodies, however, Cross makes no mention of the authorship.
All pieces can be performed on the recorder (especially the alto recorder, but also the soprano or tenor recorder). The pieces included in this edition are also suitable for flutes, violins, or other melodic instruments.