R.M.20.d.5

ROYAL MUSIC COLLECTION. (Händel-Gesellschaft VI; Hallische Händel-Ausgabe I/6, 1962). Between ff. 26 and 27, and 59 and 60 are leaves ruled with staves but otherwise blank, foliated respectively 26a and 59a; ff. 20v and 26v are ruled with staves but otherwise blank. The names of the singers at the various performances are noted by Handel, sometimes in pencil. They are given in the preface to H-G. VI. See also R.M.20.f.11. (ff.1-4); for copies see R.M.18.d.8.; R.M.19.c.4.; Eg. 2941; R.M.19.b.1.; R.M.19.e.10.; R.M.18.c.11. (ff.137-167); R.M.19.a.2. (f. 52); R.M.19.d.10. (ff. 78-97); Add. MS. 11518 (f. 58-71). See also Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), pp. 85-89.

ff. 78. 9.25 x 11.5in.

Points of note:

1. f. 1. ♀[Friday]. Jan 19, 1740.

2. f. 3v. ‘Come rather, goddess’. Pencil notes and alterations for trnsposition. ‘A forth higher the instruments the Voice a fifth lower’.

3. f. 9. ‘Come, and trip it’. ‘Menuet’ (H-G., p. 20). Written in the Tenor clef for ‘Mr Beard’. Afterward sung by ‘Miss Edwards’ (name in pencil). The words originally set were: ‘Come, and trip it as you go, Ta, ta, tararara’. These syllables have been crossed out throughout.

4. f. 12. ‘Come, but keep’. Ends at the end of bar 1, line 3 of p. 26 (H-G.). An additionale leaf or leaves wanting.

5. f. 12v. Begins as on p. 30 (H-G.).

6. f. 13. ‘Hence, loathed Melancholy’ (H-G., p. 31), for Tenor.

7. f. 16v. ‘Sweet bird’. The MS. ends at the end of bar 2, line 1 of p. 41 (H-G.).

8. f. 17. Inserted leaf, a note in the hand of F. Nicolai.

9. f. 18. ‘Or let the merry bells’ (H-G., p. 67), for Soprano (‘The Boy’).

10. f. 20. End of ‘And young and old’: ‘Segue. Thus past the Day Coro’.

11. f. 21. The end of a different setting of ‘And young and old’, cancelled in ink, with pencilled clefs, etc., for beginning of ‘Thus past the day’ (H-G., p. 72).

12. f. 22v. ‘Fine della Parte prima. Jan: 25. 1740. ♀ [Friday]’ The day of the week is inconsistent with that on f. 1.

13. f. 25. ‘Hence, vain deluding joys’. Written for Soprano, with pencilled alterations for Contralto.

14. f. 26. End of ‘Sometimes let gorgeous Tragedy’, followed by a blank leaf.

15. f. 33v. ‘There let Hymen’ (H-G., p. 100), for Tenor. At the end: ‘NB l’additione to il Penseroso.’.

16. f. 35. ‘Me, when the sun’ (H-G., p. 104): ‘ex A. moll. una quarta bassa,’ ‘in contr’alto’ ‘Mrs Cibber’ (pencil notes).

17. f. 35v. ‘Hide me from day’s garish eye’ (H-G., p. 105). The Viola line has (in pencil): ‘Viola e Violoncello’. The voice: ‘Mrs Cibber. in Contralto’ (in pencil).

18. f. 37v. The end of ‘I’ll to the well-trod stage’ (H-G., p. 110) is followed by: ‘Il Penseroso Recit. Sgra Francesina ma prima l’additione’. ‘Avolio’ is pencilled instead of ‘Francesina’ and ‘ma…additione’ crossed out in pencil. ‘But let my due feet’ (H-G., p.131) follows.

19. f. 39 ‘There let the pealing organ’ (H-G., p. 132). The Continuo line is marked: ‘Org. etc. et Basson Grosso’. At the end (in pencil): ‘Segue straight mine Eye Mrs. Clive & accomp. Da capo’. The solo ‘These pleasures, Melancholy’ (H-G., p. 135) follows, crossed out in pencil.

20. f. 40. ‘These pleasures, Melancholy’ Chorus (H-G., p. 135).

21. f. 43. Fine della parte 2da. Fevrier 2. 1740’.

22. f. 44. ‘Parte 3’ (H-G., p. 142).

23. f. 49. ‘No more short life’ (H-G., p. 111); written in the Tenor clef.

24. f. 59. ‘S.D.G. G F Handel. Fevrier [here is the symbol of the moon, signifying Monday] 4. 1740.’.

25. f. 60. ‘l’Additione.’ ‘And ever against eating cares’ (H-G., p. 111).

26. f. 61. ‘These delights if thou canst give’ (H-G., p. 26). Solo and Chorus. At the end (in pencil): ‘Fine della parte 2da.’.

27. f. 66. The last five bars of ‘Come, pensive nun’ (H-G., p. 26), followed by ‘There held in holy passion’ (H-G., p. 27) for Soprano (‘Sigra Monza’) with many pencilled alterations for ‘Mrs Cibber in Contr Alt.’ At the end (in ink): ‘Chorus B’.

28. f. 67v. ‘Far from all resort’ (H-G., p. 55) in the Soprano clef. At the beginning a note (in ink) ‘After (teach light to counterfait a gloom). NB. C.’ Signora Monza’s name is originally marked as the singer of ‘Far from all resort’; it is crossed out (in pencil) and ‘Mr Lowe’ substituted. At the end of the air (f. 69): ‘Segue Mr Corfe Recit if I give thee the Honour due’ (in pencil).

29. f. 69v. At the head of the page: ‘…after (in the Dale)’. (Ink note crossed out in pencil). ‘D. in the 2d part after, before mine eye’ (pencil note). ‘Straight mine eye’ (H-G., p. 60) follows, in the Soprano clef, for ‘Sigre Andreoni’ (name crossed out, and ‘Mrs Clive’ substituted, in pencil).

30. f. 70v. ‘Mountains, on whose barren breast’, for Soprano (H-G., p. 64). The original ending, with ‘Segue Or let the merry Bells go round’ at the end, is crossed out and the ending in H-G. written on a separate slip (f. 72). This however, from the double bar (bottom of H-G., p. 66) leads to the first two bars of ‘Straight mine eye’ (H-G., p. 60) with: ‘Da cap. Straight mine eye poi segue Mr Corfe Or let the merry Bells go round’. From ‘Segue’ all is crossed out in pencil.

31. f. 71v. ‘Part 2 after (fleshly Nook) il penseroso’. ‘Sometimes let gorgeous Tragedy’, for Soprano (H-G., p. 176) crossed out in pencil. ‘Segue Orfeus himself ex E# for Mr Savage’ (pencil note). At the end (f. 75): ‘Segue but oh sad Virgin Sigra Francesina’ (in ink).

32. f. 75. ‘Allegro after (the hidden soul of Harmony)’. ‘Orpheus self may heave his head’ (H-G., p.115). ‘Mr Savage ex E# una terza minore bassa’ (pencil note). Handel has adapted the air (in pencil) to Italian words (‘Lo stesso Orfeo posar potrà’), with alterations in the voice part. At the end: ‘Segue These delights if thou canst give Mirth etc.’ (crossed out in pencil).

33. f. 78. ‘il Penseroso after (before mine Eyes)’ (in ink). ‘May at last my weary age’ (H-G., P. 133). Pencil notes: ‘Ex A moll una quarta bassa in Contralto. Mrs Cibber’. The MS. ends with bar 1, line 1 of H-G., p. 135, marked ‘Coro’. In pencil: ‘Segue and ever against’.

Frederick Nicolay, royal musician and librarian: Handel's autograph scores annotated by: circa 1760- circa 1809: Autogr.

John Milton, poet: Charles Jennens, author and librettist: Handel's 'L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato' (HWV55) to a libretto by Charles Jennens, after a text by John Milton: 18th cent: Eng, ital.

George Frideric Handel, composer: Music manuscripts: 18th cent: Autogr.