MS Mus. 1587

MS Mus. 1587. George Frideric Handel: Keyboard music; between circa 1717 and 1775. Sonatas, suites and other works for keyboard instrument by Handel and other composers. Copy in ink. The first part of the manuscript (ff. 1-52r) was made by the copyist RM1 in about 1717. (For copyists, see J. P. Larsen: Handel’s Messiah: Origins, Composition, Sources (Copenhagen: Einar Munksgaard, 1957)). This is apparently the earliest surviving English copy of Handel’s keyboard music. In this part of the manuscript, the titles of the pieces and the word ‘Fine’ at the end of each are in red ink. The second part of the manuscript (ff. 53-73r) is by copyist S1, and dates from after 1728. The third part (ff. 73v-83v) is by an unknown copyist, after 1734. The fourth part (ff. 84r-85r) is copied in amateur hands and dates from after 1775. See T. Best, Hallische Händel-Ausgabe, IV/7, Kritischer Bericht (Bärenreiter, 2000), p. 13. The arrangements for keyboard of opera overtures are probably by Handel himself, although no autographs are known; see T. Best, ibid., p. 7 and p. 13. From the Edwin M. Ripin Collection of Musical Instruments and Library, subsequently owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as MS 1977.85. Purchased from Christie’s, 13 Dec. 2007.

ff. i + 86. 235 x 300mm. Watermark C20, Burrows and Ronish (1994). Calf binding, gold tooled and stamped. A paper label on the front cover reads ‘Select Manuscripts from Handell’, and a leather label on the spine, ‘Pieces for the harpsicord’.

1. ff. 1-6r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Sonata (1)’, i.e., Suite, F major, HWV 427; circa 1717. Wanting the last movement, and supplied instead with the ‘Preludio, allegro’ of ‘Prélude et Chaconne’, HWV 442, originally in G major. The movements are ‘Adagio’, ‘Allegro’, ‘Adagio’, ‘Allegro’.

2. ff. 6v-10r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Sonata (2)’, i.e., Suite, F sharp minor, HWV 431; circa 1717. Wanting the first movement. The movements are ‘Largo’, ‘Presto’, ‘Gigue, allegro’.

3. ff. 10v-15r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Preludio (3)’, i.e., Suite, B flat major, HWV 434; circa 1717. Wanting the last movement. The movements are ‘Preludio’, ‘Capriccio’, ‘Aria’.

4. ff. 15v-19r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allemanda (4)’, i.e., Suite, E minor, HWV 429; circa 1717. Wanting the first movement. The movements are ‘Allemanda’, ‘Courante’, ‘Saraband’, ‘Gigue’.

5. ff. 19v-23r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allemanda (5)’, i.e., Suite, B flat major, HWV 440; circa 1717. Wanting the Courante, though two leaves have been left blank for it and the title, clefs and key signature written in. Followed by three Menuetts in B flat major, HWV 554, 555 and 553. The movements are ‘Allemanda’, ‘Sarabande’, ‘Gigue’, ‘Menuett’, ‘Menuett’, ‘Menuett’.

6. ff. 23v-29r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Ouverture (6)’, i.e., an arrangement for keyboard of the first movement of the overture in Il pastor fido (HWV 8), followed by the first version of the fifth movement of Suite, D minor, HWV 428, and Lesson [Gigue], D minor, HWV 495; circa 1717. The movements are ‘Ouverture’, ‘Air’, ‘Gigue’.

7. ff. 29v-31r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allemande (7)’, i.e., Suite, E major, HWV 430; circa 1717. Wanting the last movement. The movements are ‘Allemande’, ‘Courante’.

8. ff. 31v-43v. George Frideric Handel: ‘Prelude (8)’, i.e., ‘Prélude’, G minor, HWV 572, followed by the second and third movements of Suite, G minor, HWV 432, the second version of Menuet, G minor, HWV 535, the second movement (Capriccio) of HWV 571, and the fifth version of Chaconne, HWV 435; circa 1717. The movements are ‘Prelude’, ‘Sonata’, ‘Menuett’, ‘Capriccio’, ‘Ciacone’.

9. ff. 44r-47r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allemanda (9)’, i.e., Suite, E minor, HWV 438 (the third movement in its second version); circa 1717. Movements are ‘Allemanda’, ‘Sarabanda’, ‘Gigue’.

10. ff. 47v-52r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Prelude- 10’, i.e., Suite, A major, HWV 426; circa 1717. The movements are ‘Prelude’, ‘Allemande’, ‘Courante’, ‘Gigue’.

11. f. 52v. Anon: A sketch of a keyboard piece, five bars only; n.d.

12. ff. 53-56r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Ouverture Nell’Opera Ottone’, HWV 15; after 1728.

13. ff. 56v-57v. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allegro’, D minor, HWV 475; after 1728.

14. ff. 58-60v. George Frideric Handel: Air, G minor, HWV 466; after 1728. Music written on three staves.

15. f. 61r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Prelude’, D minor, HWV 565; after 1728.

16. ff. 61v-63v. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allegro’, i.e., Concerto, G major, HWV 487, first and second movements; after 1728.

17. ff. 63v-65v. George Frideric Handel: ‘Sonatini’, i.e., Sonatina, A minor, HWV 584; after 1728.

18. ff. 66-67r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allegro’, from ‘Preludio ed Allegro’, A minor, HWV 576; after 1728.

19. ff. 67v-73r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Suite’, D minor, HWV 436; after 1728.

20. ff. 73v-74r. George Frideric Handel: ‘Allegro’, i.e., the last movement of the overture in Lotario (HWV 26); after 1734.

21. ff. 74v-75r. George Frideric Handel: Minuet in the overture in Arianna in Creta (HWV 32); after 1734.

22. f. 75v. Anon.: Untitled piece in D major; after 1734.

23. f. 76r. Anon.: Untitled piece in C minor; after 1734.

24. ff. 76v-78r. Carlo Arrigoni: ‘Sonata’, A major; after 1734.

25. ff. 78v-79v. George Frideric Handel: Air, B flat major, HWV 470; after 1734.

26. ff. 79v-82r. Giovanni Battista Martini: ‘Sonata’, G major; after 1734.

27. ff. 82v-83v. Anon: ‘Minuetto 1^o’, ‘Minuetto 2^do’, ‘Minuetto 1^mo’, ‘Min^to 2^do’; after 1734. In D major, D minor, C minor and C major respectively.

28. f. 84r. Anon: Piece in G minor; n.d.

29. ff. 84v-85r. William Jackson: ‘Song the 5 by Jackson of Exeter’, i.e. ‘Go gentle gales’; after 1775. Published by R. Falkener (London, circa 1775).