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Transcripts of Dramatic Musical Works in Full Score

Miscellaneous Transcripts

Transcripts of European manuscripts and early imprints not under the M1500 classification are located among the following Library of Congress classifications:

  • M2: Collections of musical sources (Philidor)
  • M1505: Opera excerpts with original accompaniment (Gluck)
  • M1510: Full scores of incidental music
  • M1520: Full scores of Ballets
  • M1523: Piano or piano/vocal scores of Ballets
  • M1528: Full scores of duets, trios, etc., with orchestra or ensemble
  • M1530: Full scores of choruses with orchestra or ensemble
  • M2062: Choruses, part-songs, etc., with accompaniment of a keyboard instrument; collection for mixed voices

The following scores are transcripts of miscellaneous dramatic musical works cataloged under the call numbers listed above. When possible, the titles link to bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The Collection Philidor

Engraving of the composer Jean Baptiste Lully. [Between 1800-1900]. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

The Collection Philidor, held today by the Bibliothèque Nationale, originally comprised 59 volumes that were transcribed in Versailles between 1670 and 1710 from 16th and 17th-century sources by the Keepers of the Music Library of King Louis XIV, primarily André Danican Philidor (c.1652-1730), François Fossard (1642-1702), at their atelier.

According to Laurence Decobert, a portion of the collection was transferred from Versailles to the library of the Paris Conservatoire during the French Revolution. By the time the Music Division’s copies were transcribed at the Conservatory between 1917-1924, only 31 of the 59 volumes were extant. Decobert reports that these losses were suffered between 1820 and 1830, “especially under the management of (François-Joseph) Fétis, who was charged, perhaps wrongly, with having misappropriated some manuscripts.”

André Danican Philidor served as musician in ordinary to King Louis XIV and guardian of the royal music library; his transcriptions for the King included selections of ballet music (especially works composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully) belonging to the reigns of Francis I, Henry III, Henry IV, and Louis XIII. The project was likely undertaken on direct command of Louis XIV, who was fond of dancing and, in younger years, participated in a number of the ballets included in these volumes.

Information about manuscripts in the Collection Philidor at the Music Department of the Bibliothèque Nationale can be accessed through online RISM records and by consulting Gallica’s descriptive bibliographies and digital scans available by searching online. External

Transcripts in the Music Division

Volume 1: Recueil de plusieurs vieux airs faits aux sacres, couronnements, mariages et autres solennites faits sous les règnes de François Ier, Henri III, Henri IV et Louis XIII. (copied ca. 1690)

Volume 2: Recüeil de plusieurs anciens ballets dansez sous le règnes de (Henry 3, Henry 4 et) Louis 13 (1575 – 1622).
Volume 3: Recüeil de plusieurs anciens ballets dansez sous le règnes de (Henry 3, Henry 4 et) Louis 13. (1575 – 1647).

Volume 4:

  • Ballet du Roy des Festes de Baccus
  • Ballet Royal du dérèglement des Passions de l’Interest et de l’amour et de la Gloire
  • Les Nopces de Pelée et de Thètis. (Music by Louis de Mollier, Michel Mazuel, Verpré, M. M. Camfort, Chansé, and Jean-Baptiste Boisset, ca. 1652)

Volume 5: Ballet Royal de la Nuict. (Music by Jean de Cambefort, 1653).

Volume 6:

  • Ballet du Temps. (Music by Louis de Mollier and Jean-Baptiste Boisset, 1654)
  • Ballet de la Revante des Habits (Jean-Baptiste Lully)
  • Ballet de Xerxès avec six Entrées de Ballet. (Music by Francesco Cavalli and Jean-Baptiste Lully; first performed at the wedding of Louis XIV at the Louvre in Paris, 22 Nov. 1660)
  • Ballet Le Triomphe de Baccus dans les Indes (Music by Jean-Baptiste Boisset, et al., 1666)

Volume 7: Ballet Royal des Plaisirs. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1655)
Volume 8: Ballet Royal d’Alcidiane. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1658)
Volume 9: Ballet Royal de La Raillerie. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1659)
Volume 10: Ballet Royal de L’impatience. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1661)
Volume 11: Les Noces de Village. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1663)
Volume 12: Les amours déguisés. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Perigny, 1664)
Volume 13: Le mariage force. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1664)
Volume 14: Ballet Royal de la Naissance de Venus. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1665)
Volume 15: Ballet Royal de L’amour malade. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac Benserade, 1657)
Volume 16: Ballet Royal de Flore. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1669)

Volume 18: Les Ballets des Jesuites. (Music by Pierre Beauchamps, Henry Desmarets (attrib. ‘Desmatins’), and Pascal Collasse). 1681, 1687.

  • Ballet d'Harcourt (music by Pierre Beauchamps)
  • Ballet des Jésuites (music by Pierre Beauchamps)
  • Ballets (4) (music by Pierre Beauchamps)
  • Le triomphe des richesses (music by Claude Desmatins)
  • Ballet Jean Despautère (music by Claude Desmatins)
  • Ballet le collier de perles (music by Claude Desmatins)
  • Sigalion ou le secret (music by Pascal Collasse)

Volume 20: Ballet de Villeneuve St. Georges. (Music by Pascal Collasse; text by Banzy, 1692); Divertissement de Livry. (?Collasse)
Volume 21:

  • Air du Ballet du Temps (music by ?Mollier)
  • Air du Ballet des Plaisirs
  • Ballet de L’amour malade (music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1657)
  • Ballet Royal de la Raillerie (music by Jean-Baptiste Lully)
  • Ballet de la Revente des Habits (music by Jean-Baptiste Lully)
  • Xerxès. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully/ ?Cavalli; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1657).

Volume 21bis: N.B.: This volume contains only the texts for the enumerated ballets. Ballet Royal de la Nuict, 1653; Ballet des Proverbes,1654; Masquarade des cinq Villageois et des cinq Amans de la Cour, 1654; Ballet du Temps, 1654; Suite du ballet des Nopces de l’epousée de Massy, 1654; Ballet de la Revente des Habits, 1655; La Galanterie du Temps; Mascarade; Le Grand Ballet des Bienvenus, 1655.

Volume 24: Ballet des Muses. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text Isaac de Benserade, 1666)
Volume 28: Le Canal de Versailles. (Music by André Danican Philidor, 1687)
Volume 29: L’Amour médecin. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1665)

Volume 31: N.B.: This volume contains only the texts for the enumerated ballets.Xerxès (Music by Francesco Cavalli, 1660); Ballet Royal de l’impatience (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1661); Ballet des Saisons (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Isaac de Benserade, 1661).

Volume 32: N.B.: This volume contains only the texts for the enumerated ballets. Ballet des arts (1663); Ballet Masquarade ridicule (1663); Ballet des amours deguisez (1664); Ballet du mariage forcé (1664); Ballet Royal de la naissance de Vénus (1665).

Volume 33: George Dandin ou Le grand divertissement royal de Versailles. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully; text by Louis de Mollière, 1668)

Volume 35: N.B.: This volume contains only the texts for the enumerated ballets. Ballet masquarade des plaisirs troublez (1657); Ballet Royal d’Alcidiane, (1658); Ballet de chacun fait le métier d’autruy (1659); Ballet de la raillerie (1659); Ballet de la paix (1660).

Volume 36: Concert de violons et hautbois. (Music by ?Louis, ?Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1707)
Volume 41bis: Recueil d’ouvertures de Lully et d’airs de ballet. (n.d.)

Volume 44:

  • Les Plaisirs troublés (composer not named, 1651)
  • La Revantte des Habits (music by ?Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1661)
  • Ballet des Fâcheux (Music by Pierre Beauchamps and Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1661)

Volume 47: Les plaisirs de l’isle enchantée. (Music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1664)
Volume 49: La Grotte de Versaille. (Music by Jean-Baptitste Lully, 1668
Volume 51: Recueil de plusieurs belles pieces de simphonie. (Musical selections and excerpts by several composers.)
Volume 54: Le Mariage de la Grosse Cathos. (Music by André Danican Philidor, 1688)

Relevant Literature About the Philidor Collection 

These volumes are transcripts of airs, scenes, and duo Italiens by the composer Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck.

Eugene A. Perry, artist. Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck, composer. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

The order of individual pieces is as appears in each volume. In the 1926 Annual Report, Carl Engel claimed that the seven symphonies (included in Volume E) were unpublished at that time; a modern edition of the these instrumental works was finally completed in 2018 as part of the Gluck Gesamtausgabe - volume V, band 2. External

Volume A (31 excerpts)

Arsace, ca. 1743

  • Ben che copra al sole il volto
  • Se Fido l’adorai
  • Recit: No che non hà la sorte; Aria: Si vedro quell’alma ingrate
  • Si cadre con grave scempio
  • Perfido traditore

L’Innocenza justificata

  • Guarda pria se in questa fronde

Ipermestra

  • Pria di lasciar la sponda

Orfeo

  • Che fara scuza Euridice

Cantone

  • Che legge spietala she sorte

Ezio

  • Per tutto il timore

Tigrane

  • Vezzi lusinghe e squardi
  • Rasserenza il mesto ciglio
  • Si, ben mio, morro
  • Troppo ad un alma e care (also Finta Schiava)
  • Care pupille
  • Priva del caro bene
  • Se spunta amica stella
  • Vezzi lusinghe e sguardi (also Caduta de Giganti)
  • Se ingrembo a lieta aurora
  • Parto da te mio bene
  • Presso l'onde d'Archerpnte
  • Nero turbo il ciel imbruna

Clemenzo di Tito

  • Se mai seuti spiranti sul volte

Ippolito

  • Padre ramenta di Dio
  • Parto ma un giorno Amora
  • Varca il mar superba bave
  • Sparge al mar
  • Se lu vedessi come veggio
  • Dirai all'idal mio
  • Chi noto mi fa
  • Ah! gio parmi che d'armi ribonba

Volume B (20 excerpts)

Sofonisba

  • La sul margine del lete

Demofoonte

  • Felice eta dell'oro
  • La destra ti chiedo
  • Par maggior ogni diletto
  • Non dure una sventura
  • Che mai risponderti
  • Ah! che ne mal verace
  • Non odi consiglio
  • Misero pargoletto
  • Nel tuo dono io veggio
  • Odo il suono
  • No non chiedo, amate stelle
  • Se Tutti i mali miei
  • Misero me! qual gelido torrente
  • Marche (orchestral)
  • Padre perdona
  • Il suo leggiardo viso (also Artemene)
  • Non curo l'affetto
  • Tintendo ingrata
  • Sperai vicino il lido

Volume C (27 excerpts)

Demofoonte

  • Per lei frà l’armi
  • In te sperso, sposo amato
  • Non é ver che l'ira insegni
  • O più tremar nonvoglio
  • E socorso d'incognita mano
  • Perfidi già che in vita
  • Tu sai chi son
  • Se tronca un ramo un fiore
  • Prudente mi chiedi

Arsace, 1743

  • Tema que l'alma

Alceste

  • Dumque vieni la morte

Sofonisba

  • Non si piacque, inguisti dei
  • Se in campo armato
  • Se tanto piace
  • E maggio re d'ogn' altro dolore (also Artemene)
  • Nobil onda
  • Cara, dagli occhi tuoi
  • M'opprime, m'affanna
  • Se fedel cor mio tu sei
  • Tremo frà dubu miei (also Clemenza di Tito)
  • O frangi i luci miei
  • Recitatif

Ipermestra

  • Ponfio tu redi

Arsace

  • Quando ruina con le sue spume
  • Colomba inamorata

Tigrane, 1743

  • Parto, parto date

Semiramide

  • Vonei spiegar l'affanno

Volume D (12 excerpts)

Ipermestra

  • Abbiam penato

Finta schiava

  • Ch'io mai ri possa lascair

Orfeo

  • Se quel dolor che scuto

Alceste

  • Misero e che faco
  • No crudel non posso vivere

Clemenza di Tito

  • Parto, ma tu, ben mio
  • Se mai senti spirarti sul volto

Ipermestra

  • Solo effetto era d'amore

Artamene

  • Troppo ad un alma è caro (also Finta schiava)

Alceste

  • Adorata consorte (Scène)

Orfeo

  • Chiamo il mio ben cosi (Scène)
  • Gli sguardi trattiemi (Scène)

Volume E

  • Air d’Armide
  • Divinités ou Styx (Alceste)
  • Ouverture en Ut majeur (La Tempète)
  • La Calme (Iphigénie en Tauride)
  • Quartette for strings in D major
  • Symphonie à 6 in D Major
  • Sinfonia in F Major
  • Symphonia in G Major
  • Sinfonia in E Major
  • Symphonie à 6 in D Major
  • Symphonie in F Major
  • Symphonie in D Major

The following titles are listed in shelf list order.

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