Song collection book entitled “Recueil de chansons choisies depuis 1656 jusques à present 1736”
Identifiers
CMV:
CMV34113
Repository:
Shelfmark:
Box: CLX-A-385 Identifier: Coll-2052
Title:
Song collection book entitled “Recueil de chansons choisies depuis 1656 jusques à present 1736”
Collection(s):
No related collections found.
Link to Archive Catalogue:
Link to Digital Resource:
OCLC Number:
Reproductions:
Content
Incipit Diplomatic:
Incipit Modernised:
In Voltaire’s Hand:
No
Brief Summary:
A song book entitled “Recueil de chansons choisies depuis 1656 jusques à present 1736”, produce in France in 1736. It contains a collection of selected popular songs covering 80 years of French satire and current affairs. The book features some 135 songs, and there are 73 tunes written with musical notation. The songs are helpfully annotated with names and explanations to margins, and indexed by the names mentioned. When a tune is to be used in another song, the compiler puts in a cross-reference – so much of the words can be put in one way or another to music.
Detailed Summary:
The book opens with a preface entitled “avertissement”, that can be translated as follows: “this collection volume contains the elite of the best anecdotical songs from the ministry of the Cardinal de Richelieu until now: attention was paid to the accuracy of the names; to the order and faithfulness of periods, and of interesting facts; to the correctness of the marginalia […].” The collection covers mostly the reign of Louis XIV of France and the beginning of the reign of Louis XV of France. The songs seem to mock a wide range of subjects, but focus predominantly on the aristocracy, the court, the government, and the clergy, and refer to many current scandals, military events, and political affairs. Many songs are quite bawdy, especially the songs relating to ladies of the court – the three mistresses of Louis XIV (Louise de La Vallière, Madame de Montespan, and Madame de Maintenon) are well represented there. At pp. 510-515 there is also a song entitled “Autres Mirlitons” on the subject of homosexuality, with marginal notes explaining that it is “about the young lords of the court”. Some other noteworthy songs include:
– songs about John Law (1671-1729), the Scottish economist who was a minister under Louis XV; the annotator notes how he was apparently hanged in effigy in London after he was condemned for murder.
– a song at pp. 525-531 that has a reference to Mississipi, and one at pp. 381-388 to the Goa Inquisition (the Portuguese Inquisition in India).
– a song at pp. 553-554 about the philosopher Voltaire relating to his altercation with the Chevalier de Rohan in 1726.
– songs about Jansenism, and (at pp. 557-559, 565-567, 579-582) on the recent Cadière affair (1730-31), the scandalous case of a Jesuit confessor who was accused of sexually abusing a young female penitent, whom he in retaliation accused of witchcraft.
Keyword(s):
Genre(s):
Status:
Physical Description
Material(s):
Extent:
[30] + 602 pp.
Format:
Dimensions:
295 x 242 mm
Hands:
Watermark:
Countermark:
Binding:
Bound in tan polished calf, gilt sides, dentelles and borders to covers, spine decorated in gilt, and with red morocco gilt label, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, all edges red (slight wear and scratching, rubbing and staining, a small loss at tail of s
Additional Comments:
Materiality Keywords:
Decorations:
Additions:
Marginal notes have been added throughout, explaining in greater detail things mentioned in the songs, and identifying subjects of the songs.
Marginalia Keywords:
Inclusions:
History
Date:
1736
Ownership:
Owned by the Château de Houtain de Val, Brabant.
Origin (transcript):
Origin:
Provenance:
Purchased by the University of Edinburgh in October 2022. Accession number: SC-Acc-2022-0011.
Bibliography
Bibliography:
OCV Reference:
OCV Manuscript Reference:
Record created by:
Record created on: