Author Description
This catalogue presents a complete survey of the surviving autographs of Handel's music--more than 7,500 leaves in the composer's hand written over a perod of nearly fifty years. Works and movements for which autographs survive are identified, and essential information about the physical characteristics are recoded, including the watermark type for each leaf of paper, the types of rastra employed, and the presence of pencil annotations. All watermark types are illustrated with full-size diagrams.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This catalogue investigates the physical evidence contained within the surviving musical autographs of George Frideric Handel to establish a definitive record of his compositional output. Donald Burrows and Martha J. Ronish, both established scholars in the field of Handel studies, utilize their extensive research into 18th-century manuscript practices to provide a comprehensive survey. The authors present a systematic framework for identifying and cataloging over 7,500 leaves of music, providing a foundation for future musicological analysis of Handel's creative process.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive inventory of surviving Handel musical autographs spanning fifty years of his career.
- Detailed physical descriptions of manuscript leaves including watermark identification and rastra types.
- Full-size illustrative diagrams for every identified watermark type.
- Documentation of secondary markings such as pencil annotations.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide biographical narrative or musical analysis of the compositions themselves.
- It focuses exclusively on surviving autographs rather than printed editions or copies by scribes.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Musicologists and librarians consider this work a foundational reference for the study of Handel's manuscripts. Experts highlight the technical precision of the watermark diagrams as an essential tool for dating and authenticating the composer's work.
Page Count:
576
Publication Date:
1994-09-08
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0193152509
ISBN-13:
9780193152502
Biography
Music History
Reference
Musicology