The Stylus Phantasticus and Free Keyboard Music of the North German Baroque

Exploring both the theoretical background of stylus phantasticus (or "fantastic style") and its application by composers and performers, Paul Collins surveys the development of Athanasius Kircher's original concept and its influence, and highlights the intriguing relationship between composition and performance, the concept of fantasy, and the understanding of originality and individuality in seventeenth-century culture.