About the Music Library & Collections: Treasures

Exhibit of "Treasures from Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library" at the 44th California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco, February 11-13, 2011. Exhibit curated by John Shepard; images courtesy Katherine Canfield Shepard.

While the text of this treatise was printed from type, the musical examples were printed from carved woodblocks.

The writings of the Roman Boethius informed much of the teaching of music theory in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. His works treat music as one of the four mathematical disciplines of antiquity (the others being arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy). The precise date of the printing of this treatise may be found in the colophon at the very end of the book.

This manuscript of 14th-century music theory contains several treatises on chant, counterpoint, notation, and tuning, among other topics.

Frederick Marvin wrote that in this book “Soler illustrates how to modulate smoothly from any major or minor key to any other of the 24 keys in the fewest number of bars.”

Toscanello in musica is one of the earliest music treatises in the vernacular: it was written in the language spoken by Pietro Aaron’s countrymen, rather than in Latin.

Mattheson’s several treatises on music have been noted for their original thinking and their rejection of music theory inherited from classical antiquity.

The Neapolitan Nicola Matteis became England’s foremost virtuoso on the violin, an instrument that was just beginning to find popularity in the British Isles at the time of this publication.

This tablature book for vihuela—a precursor of the guitar—includes transcriptions of motets, originally composed for voices a cappella. The notation in red indicates to the vihuela player the cantus firmus (underlying chant melody) to be highlighted.

Liszt’s autograph manuscript, from which the edition, below, was prepared.

This edition of a transcription for piano of the “Sailors’ Prayer” from the opera L'Africaine by Giacomo Meyerbeer is displayed with Liszt’s autograph manuscript, above, from which the edition was prepared.

First edition of Bach’s French Suites for keyboard. On display is the beginning of the fifth suite in G major, BWV 816.

This book on Lutheran liturgy concludes with a section titled Kirchengesang, featuring both the tunes of chorales with German texts and a Latin Magnificat in choirbook format. The volume has its original tooled leather binding with clasps.

In this edition, the musical notation was printed from type, while the decorative borders are woodcut.

Before the advent of recorded sound, arrangements and transcriptions were a popular means of enabling hearings of new works. This arrangement of Beethoven’s Sixth String Quartet for piano trio allowed for performances when a second violin and viola were not available.

Before the advent of recorded sound, arrangements and transcriptions were a popular means of enabling hearings of new works. This arrangement of Beethoven’s Sixth String Quartet for piano trio allowed for performances when a second violin and viola were not available.

One of more than a dozen manuscripts of French baroque harpsichord music in the Hargrove Music Library, the Parville Manuscript contains suites and other pieces by D'Anglebert, Chambonnières, Louis Couperin, La Barre, and Lully, among other composers, both identified and unidentified.

With this edition, John Heptinstall introduced tied notes (eighth and sixteenth notes grouped together) to the printing of music from movable type.

Stravinsky copied both the full orchestral score of his ballet and the short score onto ozalid transparencies. Stravinsky probably copied the short score for the use of the rehearsal pianist while George Balanchine was teaching his choreography for Orpheus to his dancers.

This part for the role of Tristan was copied for the use of Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1836-1865), who created the role in the premiere, which took place on 12 June 1865. Schnorr von Carolsfeld died of a mysterious ailment a little more than five weeks later.

For many years, this opera was known from the existence of its printed libretto, but the score was presumed lost until 1989, when Dr. John Roberts—Head of Cal’s Music Library—identified this manuscript. The library had owned it for some time, but because of a missing title page it was thought to be a score by an anonymous composer.

The “ballet bouffon” Platée was first performed at Versailles in 1745 on the occasion of the dauphin’s wedding. This edition was prepared on the occasion of the work’s revival at the Paris Opéra.

Tenor parts from editions printed in Venice by Angelo Gardano and in Gesualdo by Giovanni Giacomo Carlino, bound together in one volume.

The Hargrove Music Library acquired the cantus part from this edition fifty years after the altus.

This bass part for Lassus motets is bound with bass parts for other motet editions, with manuscript bass parts written in the back of the volume.

Ottaviano Petrucci printed the first music from movable type in 1501. He printed in three impressions: first, the staves; next, the text, initial letters, and signatures; and finally, the notes. The result is notable both for its accuracy and its elegant appearance.