Language

Extrait des airs françois

This collection of opera arias is scored for either one, two, or three voices with continuo (with figures). Some songs call for an obbligato violin. An alphabetical table of contents is located at the end of the volume.
Date: 1775~
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Titon Et L'Aurore

This three-act opera (Monsigny's Op. 8) is dedicated to Monseigneur le Prince de Soubise and was premiered at L'Academie Royalle de Musique on 9 January 1753. This full score opens with a letter of dedication from the composer to his patron and closes with a document describing royal publishing privilege.
Date: 1753
Creator: Mondonville, Jean Joseph Cassanea de, 1711-1772
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Les Elemens

This four-act ballet was premiered on 22 December 1721 at the Tullieries and, later, performed at L'Academie Royale de Musique on 29 May 1725 and 27 May 1734, and at the Theatre on 22 May 1742. Various dramatis personae present an allegorical depiction of the French court.
Date: 1742
Creator: Destouches, André Cardinal, 1672-1749
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Extrait des airs françois de tous les operas nouveaux, qui ont eté representés: Appropriés pour le chant ou la flute avec la basse continue., Partie I.

This collection of opera arias is scored for either one or two voices with continuo (with figures) and, for some songs, obbligato flute.
Date: 1770~
Creator: Hummel, Johann Julius, 1728-1798
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Prodromus Musicalis

"Prodromus Musicalis" (published in 1702) is bound, here, with "Motets à une et deux voix, mélez de symphonies, livre premier" (1704); thus, the latter gate is used for this item as a unit. Both sets of motets consist of Latin-texted music preceded by a title page in French. A Table of Contents either at the front or back of each collection describes the motets contained therein. Content is printed on both sides of each leaf. "Prodromus" also has a note from Brossard informing the reader that a Dictionary of Music, published at the same time as "Prodomus," contains French translations of Italian, Greek, and Latin terms, knowledge of which is vital to the understanding and performance of the present music. The contents of "Prodromus" are as follows: "Ave vivens hostia," "O Jesu quam dulce," "Congratulamini filiae Sion," "O vos aetherei," "Festivi martyres" "Angele sancte" "Sonitus armorum," "Quemadmodum desiderat," and "O plenus irarum dies." "Motets à une et deux voix" contains the following pieces: "Venite exultemus," "Gaudete Mortales," "Ad mensam caelitus paratam," "Ave Regina coelorum," "Animae Amantes ad Deum esurientes," "Ite gemmae, Ite flores," "Anxiatus est super me spiritus meus," "Festivi Martyres, festivae Virgines," "Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum."
Date: 1704
Creator: Brossard, Sebastian, 1655-1730
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Le voyage de Cythere

This secular cantata for soprano and basso continuo features obbligato flute and violin. The introductory letter addresses not a royal patron but a commercial one - the women that would sing this cantata.
Date: 1727
Creator: Villeneuve, Alexandre de, 1677-1756
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Cantates françoises à I. et II. voix: avec simphonie, et sans simphonie, V. 1-2

This item contains volumes 1 and 2 of Clérambault's "Cantates Françoises." The second volume bears the subtitle "Mellées de Simphonies." Volume 1 contains the cantatas "L'amour piqué," "Le jaloux," "Orphée," "Poliphême," "Medée," and "L'amour et Baccus." Volume 2 contains "Alphée et Arethuse," "Leandre et Hero," "La musette," "Pirame et Tisbé," "Pigmalion," and "Le triomphe de la paix." The continuo line is figured.
Date: 1710
Creator: Clérambault, Louis-Nicolas, 1676-1749
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Le roy et le fermier

This three-act opera was premiered at the Comédie Italien on 22 November 1762.
Date: 1762
Creator: Monsigny, Pierre-Alexandre
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Les Danaïdes, tragédie lirique en cinq actes

Antonio Salieri began work on Les Danaïdes upon the recommendation of Gluck, whose health prevented him from fulfilling a commission for the work. Although Salieri was living in Vienna, the tragedie-lyrique was written for the Opéra in Paris, with a libretto by François Louis Gand Leblanc Roullet and Ludwig Theodor Tschudi based on Calzabigi’s Italian libretto.
Date: 1784
Creator: Salieri, Antonio, 1750-1825; Du Roullet, François Louis Gaud Lebland, marquis, 1716-1786 & Tschudi, Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Théodore, baron de, 1734-1784
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Tarare : opéra en cinq actes avec un prologue

Antonio Salieri’s French debut Les Danaïdes (1784) led to additional commissions, Les Horaces (1786) and Tarare (1787). Although Les Horaces was not well-received, Tarare was popular both in Paris and Vienna. Beaumarchais supplied the libretto for Tarare, basing his plot on the third volume of the exotic English collection The Tales of the Genii, or The Delightful Lessons of Horam, the Son of Asmar (1764) by James Ridley, (pseudonym for Sir Charles Morell), who claimed the stories were translated from a Persian source.
Date: 1790
Creator: Salieri, Antonio, 1750-1825 & Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de, 1732-1799
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Colonie : opéra comique en deux actes

La colonie is Nicolas Etienne Framery’s French parody of Sacchini’s Italian L’isola d’amore, which was premiered during the 1766 Roman carnival. However, Framery chose music in a pastiche-like fashion from various Sacchini operas, without actually using any arias from L’isola d’amore. Although the operas that Sacchini specifically composed for Paris faced resistance from opponents of foreign composers, La colonie received praise from critics. The 1775 French premiere at the Comédie-Italienne was quite successful; the work even drew comparisons with Pergolesi’s wildly popular La serva padrona.
Date: 1776
Creator: Sacchini, Antonio, 1730-1786 & Framery, Nicolas Etienne, 1745-1810
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amadis, tragedie en musique (open access)

Amadis, tragedie en musique

Libretto of the 1684 opera "Amadis," by Philippe Quinolt. The premiere of Amadis was delayed for a year after Lully completed its composition in order to allow the proper mourning period for Marie Thérese, wife of Louis XIV, who died in July of 1683. While still abstaining from theater at court, Louis XIV at last allowed the first public presentation of "Amadis" at the Opéra in Paris on 18 January 1684. It was an immediate public success. On the title page for this opera, there is a lithograph illustration of the god Apollo holding a lyre and the goddess Euterpe playing a stringed instrument that resembles a guitar. It also depicts the fleur de lis, and on the background, an allegorical image Louis XIV, the Sun King.
Date: 1684
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Astrée (open access)

Astrée

Libretto of the 1691 opera "Astrée" by Jean de la Fontaine. Pascal Collasse composed the music of the opera which premiered under the title "Astrée et Céladon" on November 25, 1692.
Date: 1691
Creator: La Fontaine, Jean de, 1621-1695
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cendrillon (open access)

Cendrillon

Libretto of the 1759 pastiche-style comic opera "Cendrillon," by Louis Anseaume. The songs were contributed by the singer-composer Jean-Louis Laruette and Egidio Duni, which they likely adapted from fashionable tunes. "Cendrillon" (Cinderella in English) premiered in Paris at Foire St-Germain on February 21, 1759. The opera underwent two revisions before the definitive version of 1764. Anseaume adapted the plot the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. This copy includes (from pp.54-63) notated melodies of airs and recitatives.
Date: 1759
Creator: Anseaume, M. (Louis), 1721-1784
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coronis (open access)

Coronis

Libretto of the 1691 "Coronis," a French lyrical genre called pastorale-heroïque, representing the love of nobles or gods often disguised as shepherds (or shepherdesses) in Arcadian settings. Daniel-Paul Chappuzeau de Baugé wrote the libretto and Teobaldo de Gatti composed its music.
Date: 1891
Creator: Chappuzeau de Baugé, Daniel-Paul.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Les deux journées

Vocal score of Luigi Cherubini's rescue opera "Les deux journées" (also known by the title, The water carrier) to a libretto by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. The first performance took place in Paris at Théâtre Feydeau on January 16, 1800 followed by 56 performance during that year. Les deux journées remained in the international repertory of operas for most of the 19th century. The piano reduction contains the text in French and German.
Date: 1800~
Creator: Cherubini, Luigi, 1760-1842.
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Enée et Lavinie (open access)

Enée et Lavinie

Libretto of the opera "Enée et Lavinie" by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle. Pascal Collasse composed the music of the opera which premiered on November 7, 1690. The plot, which Bovier de Fontenelle adapted from Virgil's "Aeneid, Book vii," revolves around the marriage of Enée (i.e., Aeneas) to the Latin bride Lavinia.
Date: 1690
Creator: Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Isis, tragedie en musique (open access)

Isis, tragedie en musique

Libretto of the opera "Isis," by Philippe Quinolt. The music of the opera was composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully's and premiered on January 5, 1677 at St. Germain-en-Laye. The libretto is a loose adaptation of one of the episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses. The plot resembles that of Lully's previous opera, Atys. It is set in pastoral and divine realms. In the opera, Jupiter courts the nymph Io, and jealous Juno imprisons her under the hundred watchful eyes of Argus. The god Mercury helps Io to escape and turns Hiérax, Io's former lover, into a bird when he tries to interfere. Then, Juno orders a Fury to torment Io. After a series of tortures, Io invokes Jupiter who interferes with Juno promising he will be faithful to her in exchange of her sparing Io. Juno then transforms Io into the Egyptian goddess Isis. On the title page for this opera, there is a lithograph illustration of the god Apollo holding a lyre and the goddess Euterpe playing a stringed instrument that resembles a guitar. It also depicts the fleur de lis, and on the background, an allegorical image Louis XIV, the Sun King.
Date: 1677
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Jeannot et Colin (open access)

Jeannot et Colin

This is a ca. 1857 copy of the libretto of Jeannot et Colin, an opera by Charles Etienne with music by Nicolo Isouard. The opera premiered in Paris at the theater of the Opéra-Comique on 17 October 1814. The expressive melodies of the opera as well as its performers ensured its success. The opera was staged again on 14 October 1857. The first page of the library's copy contain the names of the performers that participated in both productions.
Date: 1857
Creator: Etienne, Charles Guillaume, 1777-1845.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Le tonnelier (open access)

Le tonnelier

Libretto of the comic opera "Le tonnelier" (The cooper) by Nicolas-Médard Audinot in collaboration with Antoine-François Quétant. The music of this one-act opera is a pasticcio of works by Gossec and other contemporaneous composers. Typical of the genre, the opera contains a variety of musical forms (airs, romance, vaudeville, and recitatives) and the dialogues are interspersed with additional airs, possibly using popular tunes. This copy includes (on pp. 52 and 54-56) notated melodies of airs.
Date: 1765
Creator: Audinot, Nicolas Médard, 1732-1801. & Quétant, Antoine-François, 1733-1823.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Le triomphe de l'amour (open access)

Le triomphe de l'amour

Libretto of the ballet "Le triomphe de l'amour" written by Philippe Quinault in collaboration with Isaac de Benserade. It is divided in two parts. The first, contais the prologue and the ballet entrances (i.e., entrées); the second part contains flattering comments and instructions directed to the noble people participating in the ballet. Each of the entrées that comprise "Le Triomphe de l'Amour" reveal aspects of love triumphant. The theater represents a magnificently ornate place where a crowd receives Amour (i.e., the god Love), the son of Venus. The latter presides over the crowd and sings of the virtues of the king who has restored peace to his kingdom. Venus entreats everyone to pay homage to her victorious son. The first performance took place at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on January 21, 1681. The twenty entrées of this 'ballet de cour' (i.e., court ballet) were choreographed by Pierre Beauchamp with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Carlo Vigarani designed the stage décor and Jean Berain provided designs for costumes and decorations of this royal festivity. This copy includes a frontispiece engraving that depicts a stage setting by Daniel Marot.
Date: 1681
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Phaeton (open access)

Phaeton

Libretto of the opera "Phaeton," by Philippe Quinolt. The plot is based on an episode in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In the plot, Phaethon, son of Climène and Soleil [the Sun], is filled with excessive ambition and pride. He abandons his beloved, Théone, and requests to the King of Egypt the hand of his daughter Libie. Climène, who after consulting the sea god Proteus knows of the demise that her son's avarice will bring upon himself, tries in vain to discourage his ambition for the throne of Egypt and urges him to renew his love for Theona. However, Phaeton goaded by the taunts of his rival, Epaphus, rides recklessly across the sky in his father's chariot. The spectacular ending includes Jupiter's thunderbolts aimed at stopping Phaethon's wild ride, and Phaethon crashing onto earth where he dies. An ensemble and chorus provide a sorrowful denouement. On the title page for this opera, there is a lithograph illustration of the god Apollo holding a lyre and the goddess Euterpe playing a stringed instrument that resembles a guitar. It also depicts the fleur de lis, and on the background, an allegorical image Louis XIV, the Sun King. It also includes an engraved frontispiece titled, "Le …
Date: 1683
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proserpine (open access)

Proserpine

Libretto of the opera "Proserpine," by Philippe Quinolt; the plot is based on the story of the abduction of Proserpine and her descent into Hades, and also on Ovid's Metamorphoses, its original source. In the plot, Cerés, the goddess of the earth, summons the nymph Aréthuse to guard her daughter Proserpine. Aréthuse protests, and tells Cerés of her love for Alphée, the river god, but the anxious mother warns her she should not let her own feelings interfere with the assigned task. Alphée assumes that Aréthuse abandoned him to look after Proserpine. Taking advantage of the situation, Ascalaphe, Pluto's envoy, encourages Alphée's belief in Aréthuse's supposed infidelity; then, persuades both Alphée and Aréthuse into letting Pluto watch over Proserpine. Alphée and Aréthuse agree and as the lovers' attention wanders, Pluto seizes Proserpine and abducts her. Cerés learns of her daughter's abduction and in despair decides to withhold her gifts that give earth prosperity. When Alphée and Aréthuse finally reach Proserpine, they find that she has already eaten of the grain and tasted the fruit of the underworld, which condemned her to Pluto's control. Proserpine begs Pluto for mercy, but the love-stricken god refuses to free her. Pluto summons his judges …
Date: 1680
Creator: Quinault, Philippe, 1635-1688
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

1er quatuor, pour deux violons, alto et basse, oeuvre 5

Musical score containing the four parts of Charles Dancla's first string quartet, op.5 in F minor, written for two violins, with alto and bass.
Date: 182X
Creator: Dancla, Charles, 1817-1907.
Object Type: Musical Score/Notation
System: The UNT Digital Library