A study of scribal practice in 17th-century French harpsichord music and its implications for modern editors and performers

Recent rediscovery of 17th-century French harpsichord manuscript sources has added not only new pieces to this repertory, but also new versions of existing pieces. Significantly, many versions were copied by professional musicians including Jean Henry d’Anglebert (1629–1691), Charles Babel (1636–1716), Marc Roger Normand Couperin (1663–1734), and other musicians whose identities have yet to be confirmed. The list of ‘unfaithful’ scribal practice of these musicians includes altering the melody, rhythm, texture, ornaments and cadential gestures, as well as transposing the music and adding doubles, whether to show off their own skills (as composer and/or performer) or simply to pay homage to another composer. By focusing on pieces by Chambonnières which have reached us in multiple versions, this study aims to reconstruct the profiles of major scribes and to retrace their individual styles by an exhaustive study of handwriting, drawing of clefs and of time signatures, repeat signs used and other distinctive features such as ornament symbols, written-out embellishments and rhythms. An enhanced awareness of the scribal practice of musicians central to the dissemination of this repertory not only sheds light on the relationship between the ‘work’ and the performance, but also puts us in a better position to rebuild performance traditions buried among the manuscripts, such as the tacit practice of improvised ornaments and embellishments. Significantly, this paper will open up ideas for both modern editors and performers in both preserving the fluidity and reviving the creative spirit of this music.