‎PFEIFFER, AUGUST.‎
‎Antimelancholicus, Oder Melancholey-Vertreiber. 4 parts. - [RECOMMENDED BY JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH]‎

‎Leipzig, Fritsch, 1694 & 1698. 8vo. Uniformly bound in two contemporary full calf bindings with four raised bands and richly gilt spines. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spines. Light wear to extremities. Parts of gilting on spine worn off. Head of spine on vol. 2 chipped. Internally nice and clean. (14), 1223, (33) pp. + frontispiece (28), 870, (8), 730, (50) pp. + frontispiece. ‎

Reference : 61349

‎Later edition of Pfeiffer’s extensive work on how to find consolation and support in the bible. The work is especially noteworthy and gained fame in the mid 18th century because of composer Johann Sebastian Bach who wrote the title of the present work as a recommendation in his manuscript notebook “Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach” which he presented to his second wife, Anna Magdalena: “They [the book-titles] were inserted there not by accident or for a fancy, but indicate his [Bach] particular liking for the books, of which the purport was to be reflected in the content of the little music book”. (Spitta, Bach)‎