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Project / Collection Royal Music Library Manuscripts Name Nicolay, Frederick, royal musician and librarian

1. R.M.20.a.1

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.1
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (HWV 72). Autograph
Scope & Content:
The MS. ends at the end of H-G., p. 48, line 5, bar 1. The last four leaves of the work will be found in Eg. 2953, ff. 98-101, which contain a long recitative for Polifemo (not in H-G.), the Finale ‘Chi ben ama’, and the date: ‘Napoli li 16 di Giugnio [sic]. 1708. d’Alvito.’. Points of note: ...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
English
Date Range:
[1708]
Extent:
1 volume (59 folios)

2. R.M.20.a.2

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.2
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Acis and Galatea, (masque by John Gay, with texts by Alexander Pope and John Hughes), HWV 49. Autograph
Scope & Content:
Points of note: 1. f. 5. ‘Oh the pleasures.’ The Alto, Tenor 1 and Tenor 2 parts are written in the Tenor clef. Name of singers: ‘Mr Blackley’, ‘Mr Row’, ‘Hardres’[?; Burrows and Ronish suggest ‘?Rogers’], over which are written: ‘Ten 1’, ‘Ten 2’ and ‘Ten 3’. 2. f. 10. ‘Ye verdant plains’. ‘Sr...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
English
Date Range:
1715-1732
Extent:
1 volume (68 folios)

3. R.M.20.a.3

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.3
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Agrippina (dramma per musica by Vincenzo Grimani), HWV 6. Autograph
Scope & Content:
f. i. is an inserted leaf with a note (‘The 1st scena of this Opera is missing’) by F. Nicolai, originally before f. 1, now bound at the end of the volume, after f. 121. Points of note: 1. f. 1. All is wanting before the words ‘a poveri dispensa l’or’ in Act I, sc. 1. 2. f. 1v. Agrippina’s r...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
Italian
Date Range:
[1709]
Extent:
1 volume (i + 121 folios)

4. R.M.20.a.4

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.4
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Alcina (dramma per musica after a libretto by Antonio Fanzaglia), HWV 34. Autograph
Scope & Content:
The text and clefs of some of the recitatives are in the handwriting of a copyst. Some of the Balli, who are missing from this MS, are in Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, MS. 30 H 8, pp. 1-8. ff. 21v and 36v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. Points of note: 1. f. 12v. Act I. At the end...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
Italian
Date Range:
1735
Extent:
1 volume (90 folios)

5. R.M.20.a.5

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.5
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Alessandro (dramma per musica by Paolo Antonio Rolli after a libretto by Ortensio Mauro), HWV 21. Autograph
Scope & Content:
The numbering of the scenes differs in the MS. from H-G., which follows the printed libretto. ff. 29v, 38v, 51v, 84v, 96v, 99v, 107v and 119v are blank. Points of note: 1. f. 5. Act I, sc. 1. At the end of the opening recitative: ‘Il nemico fugge dal muro all’arrivo di Alessandro’. H-G. print...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
Italian
Date Range:
1726
Extent:
1 volume (122 folios)

6. R.M.20.a.7

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.7
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Ariodante (dramma per musica after a libretto by Antonio Salvi), HWV 33. Autograph
Scope & Content:
The recitative ‘Ah che questo’ and air ‘Il primo ardor’ (Act I, sc. 11; H-G., pp. 48-50) and the King’s air ‘Più contento’ (Act II, sc. 6, H-G., p. 82) are not present in this MS. ff. 7v, 24, 62v, 72v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. Points of note: 1. f. 1. Overture. At the foot of...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
English and Italian
Date Range:
1734
Extent:
1 volume (96 folios)

7. R.M.20.a.12

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.a.12
Title:
G.F. Handel: Ezio (dramma per musica after a libretto by Pietro Metastasio) (HWV 29); [1731-1732]. Autograph. (Händel-Gesellschaft LXXX).
Scope & Content:
Bound at the end is a note by Nicolai (f. i); ff 9v, 22v and 38v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. For copies see R.M.19.a.5. (ff. 51-61) and R.M.19.a.7. (ff. 5-8). See also Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), pp. 2...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
English and Italian
Date Range:
[1731-1732]
Extent:
1 item

8. R.M.20.b.2

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.b.2
Title:
G.F. Handel: Floridante (dramma per musica after a libretto by Francesco Silvani) (HWV 14); [1721, 1733]. Autograph. (Händel-Gesellschaft LXV).
Scope & Content:
The MS. differs considerably from the version in H-G. The part of Rossane was originally written for a Contralto (Maddalena Salvai), but when the opera was revived in 1733 it was sung by a Soprano. Consequently the recitatives for Rossane in the earlier version are different from those sung in 1...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
Italian
Date Range:
1721-1733
Extent:
1 item

9. R.M.20.b.3

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.b.3
Title:
George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (dramma per musica by Niccolò Francesco Haym after a libretto by Giacomo Francesco Bussani), HWV 17. Autograph
Scope & Content:
Except when otherwise stated, the words only of the recitatives are written, without music. f. i is a preliminary leaf with a note by Nicolai (‘This opera wants all the Recitativ: and seems very incomplete’). Reversing the volume, on f. 154v, is a repetition of the beginning of the chorus ‘Ritor...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
Italian
Date Range:
1723
Extent:
1 volume (i + 154 folios)

10. R.M.20.b.5

Reference (shelfmark):
R.M.20.b.5
Title:
G.F. Handel: Imeneo (dramma per musica after a libretto by Silvio Stampiglia) (HWV 41); 1738-1740. Autograph. (Händel-Gesellschaft XCIII).
Scope & Content:
The MS. is incomplete, and the arrangement difficult to understand (cf. Charles Burney, A General History of Music from the Earliest Ages to the Present Period, London 1789, vol. IV, p. 433, and the Preface to H-G.). The MS. contains practically all that is printed in H-G., excepting the Overtur...
Collection Area:
Music Collections
Languages:
English and Italian
Date Range:
1738-1740
Extent:
1 item