The first use of the term “political music” is found in the work of Michael Praetorius, who in 1614/15 drew a distinction between spiritual music and “political and worldly music,” which existed outside the confines of the church “only for leisure and pleasure/in free and laudable use” (“nur zur Lust und Kurtzweil / im freyem löblichem Gebrauch”) [1. vol. 1, Index Generalis, b2v.]. Applying the criterion of usage, Praetorius defined it as functional music played wit…