Manuscript. Collection of unbound papers, compiled in the third
quarter of the eighteenth century by Christ Church librarians. The
majority of the contents were written or assembled by James Talbot
(1664-1708) and include the history, description and measurement of
musical instruments, together with sections on music history and
theory. For this reason, Mus 1187 is familiarly known as the
'Talbot Manuscript'. However, the collection also includes papers
that are unrelated to Talbot and his project.
Contents: FOLDER 1: 'Organ' [FOLDER 2: not by Talbot.] FOLDER 3:
'Harmonica' [Notes for a treatise on vocal and instrumental music].
FOLDER 4: [Music of the ancients] FOLDER 5: 'Excerpta Mene[s]trier'
[on the music of the ancients] FOLDER 6: 'Epithalamium' [on the
music of the ancients]. FOLDER 7: 'On the Argument & Performance of
the Antient Music' FOLDER 8: [Summary description of instruments]
FOLDER 9: 'Pitch &c of Instr[uments]', omitting pp. 5-6 (= the
letter from Talbot to Shore, now in folder D) FOLDER 10: 'The Pipe'
FOLDER 10a: 'The Pipe' FOLDER 11: [Summary descriptions of
instruments] FOLDER 12: 'The Subject of Performance of the Modern
Music compar'd with the Antient' FOLDER 13: 'Organ' FOLDER 14:
[Details of instruments] FOLDER 15: 'Exotic Music' [FOLDER A: not
by Talbot] FOLDER B: The contents of this folder appear to have
been assembled by Christ Church librarians in the mid 18th century,
and are miscellaneous in provenance. The following items definitely
or probably belonged to Talbot: (1a) 'A Scale for the Flute' (1b)
'A Scale for the Violin' (2) 'Wind Instrum[en]ts' (3) A bifolio
enclosing a single sheet, concerning the dulcimer; written largely
by an unidentified hand, but with additions by Talbot; the name 'Mr
Lee' is written on f. [1r] (4) A single sheet giving the 'Ordinary
Tuning on Base Viol' (5) A bifolio, headed 'Modus Recte Intonandi
Clavecimbalum vel Spinettam', in Latin; copyist unidentified (6) A
single sheet, headed 'Accord ordinaire de L'Angelique', in French;
copyist unidentified; music notation on verso, also in an
unidentified hand (7) A single sheet showing intervals notated in
the bass clef, possibly in Talbot's hand FOLDER C: [A miscellany of
working notes, headed 'Musica'] FOLDER D: Eight miscellaneous
items: (1) 'String'd Instruments' (2) 1187 (7)'): 'Wind
Instrum[en]ts' (3) [General list of instruments] (4) 'Harpsechord'
(5) [Notes on the organ] (6) [List of organ stops, with diagram]
(7) 'Tablature of Hautbois for Mr La riche' (8): Letter from Talbot
to 'Mr John Shore', with 'Tablature of the Cornet' FOLDER E:
Thirteen miscellaneous sheets, mostly written by Talbot FOLDER E1:
'Of the Argument & Performance of the Modern Music’ For the
detailed description in the Christ Church online music catalogue,
please see http://library.chch.ox.ac.uk/music/; for more
manuscripts in the music collection, see
www.chch.ox.ac.uk/library-and-archives/digital-library.
