Mus. 1131
Manuscript. A miscellany containing (a) scores of instrumental
chamber music for two trebles and figured bass, probably part
of the repertory of the Oxford city/university waits or 'musick';
and (b) pedagogical material; English, probably early 18th century.
The copyists/composers, who have not been identified, are here
designated as Copyists 'Z' and Y'; they were also responsible
for other autograph scores and/or sets of performing parts within
the Christ Church collection. For further details, see the entry
for Mus. 34-6.
Mus. 1135 comprises 5 separate sheets, mounted on guards within
an early 20th-century guardbook of stiff card and vellum (upright
format, 490 x 387 mm). The sheets are numbered in modern pencil.
In the descriptions of contents below, suites or 'sets' of movements
in the same key are distinguished from one another by means of
roman numerals (I, II, etc), using and extending the numbering
sequence of Mus. 34-6. Within each set, the number of movements
is shown in round brackets: '(1-5)', etc.
- Sheet 1: bifolium, oblong format, 475 x 300 mm. The two inner
pages contain a fair copy of a three-movement set in c minor,
copied by Copyist Y. This is the only known source of the set
now designated as c minor/X (1-3). Unused ruled staves on the
two outer pages.
- Sheet 2: single sheet, oblong format, 483 x 340 mm. Recto: fair
copies of three movements a3 (clefs: G1, G1, F4), the first and
last of which are headed 'Ritornelle', copied by Copyist Z. Verso:
apparently passages extracted from instrumental works a2-3, copied
as if for study by Copyist Z. No composers' names are provided.
- Sheets 3-4: a compendium of music examples with verbal captions,
explaining the rudiments of polyphonic composition, copied on
seven numbered pages by Copyist Z. Page '1': cadential formulae
a3 / page '2': fugal expositions a3; cadential formulae a4 /
page '3': cadential formulae a4; fugal expositions a4; counterpoint
examples / page '4': fugal expositions a4; counterpoint and dissonance
treatment / page '5': figured basses; suspensions; canons at
various intervals; rules for invertible counterpoint / page '6':
canons / page '7': invertible counterpoint; fugue by contrary
motion. The seven numbered pages are distributed across sheets
3 and 4 as follows: sheet 3 = bifolium in oblong format, 475
x 340, containing pp. '4' and '1' (outer pages of the bifolium)
and '2' and '3' (inner pages); sheet 4 = bifolium in oblong format,
475 x 345, containing pp. '7' and '6' (outer pages of the bifolium)
and '5' (inner pages; there are unused ruled staves on the facing
page).
- Sheet 5: single sheet, upright format, 387 x 380 mm. Recto: draft
of a movement in c minor, with revisions, copied by Copyist Y.
This is the only known source of this movement, which appears
not to have been subsequently incorporated into a single-key
set. Verso: blank.
Provenance: probably from the Goodson bequest, together with
all other manuscripts related to Mus. 34-6 (q.v.). Formerly
part of Mus. 1045 (see label pasted to sheet 1 verso), a position
that was evidently shared with the contents of Mus. 1137.
Microfilm: manuscript music, reel 37.
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