The perfect capellmeister is a reflection of the musical thinking of the early 18th century, a document of the transition from the Baroque to the Classical era. This encyclopedia of musical knowledge covers everything that Mattheson deemed essential for the training of a perfect capellmeister, from the theory of ornamentation to the study of instruments, from the theory of forms to practical performance discussions. Mattheson's witty anecdotes and biting irony make the work a pleasure to read even today. In this Bärenreiter study edition, the original Mattheson text appears for the first time in modern typeface, making it accessible to those who have previously been deterred by the Fraktur script. Additionally, the numerous musical examples have been newly typeset and modernly notated.