SchW A4:Coll.005

Johann Adolph Scheibe

Pieces au clavessin

(VII pieçes pour le claveçin)

SchW A4:Coll.005

Composition: Leipzig, 1727.

The present collection of pieces or partitas for solo harpsichord was composed in 1727 while Scheibe was still living in Leipzig. Each partita consists of a number French dances. It is possible that Breitkopf acquired the work either from the estate of Carl Gotthelf Gerlach, cantor at Neukirche in Leipzig, or directly from Scheibe who sent manuscripts of works to Breitkopf – even when he had moved to Copenhagen (cf. SchW A4:001, A4:Coll.001, A4:Coll.004) – and for which he might have received a fee. Apparently Scheibe added another partita (SchW A4:106) to the collection before 1761, and all the works were hence placed in the same folder at Breitkopf (sometime during the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, the insertion was removed and placed separately). The collection was advertised in the Breitkopf catalogue of 1761, and two years later in another catalogue, this time including incipits of all the first movements of the pieces or partitas. Finally the collection was auctioned in 1836 and bought by the collector O.K.F. von Voß-Buch.

Sources

Score, autograph

[Classification: Notated music, Manuscript, Copy, Score, Fair copy, Complete]

18 folios; 21.2x34.2 cm.

Title on front cover: VI<I> [= in ink] | PIECES | au | Clavecin | par | Mr: Scheibe.

Title page (fol. 1r): PIECES | au | CLAVESSIN | composée | par | Msr. Jean Adolph S. | 1727.

In 2^o; oblong format; autograph title page with shelf mark added in pencil in foreign hand (fol. 1r), Partie 1 (fols. 1v–5r), Partie 2 (fols. 5v–7v), Partie 3 (fols. 8r–11r), Partie 4 (fols. 11v–13r), Partie 5 (fols. 13v–16r), Partie 6 (fols. 16v–18v); in all 18 folios. On front cover the shelf mark has been added in pencil and 'Not. 7.' added in ink at top right-hand corner, title in foreign hand, each folio numbered in pencil. Hand-ruled paper, 8 staves (9 mm; single rastrum used) in light brown ink on fols. 1v, 16v–18v and music in dark brown ink (except fol. 18v where the music is in light brown ink), the remaining in dark brown ink and music in same ink. At the end of each movement the number of bars has been added in ink. A clean copy with very few changes; markings such as 'x' and the total number of bars of each movement suggest that the source at some stage might have been used as printers' copy or for the production of transcripts.

Watermark: a crowned coat-of-arms with crossed swords (<http://www.wasserzeichen-online.de> ID no. 137.724) and dated to 1727; paper of an inferior quality.

Written in ink (Johann Adolph Scheibe).

Condition: unbound but restored so nesting is not possible to determine; remains of original folder pasted onto a piece of paper.

D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung, Berlin Mus. ms. autogr. Scheibe 6. Digitisation

RISM_A_II 464.001.494.

Score, autograph

[Classification: Notated music, Manuscript, Autograph, Score, Fair copy, Complete]

3 bifolios; 34x21.4 cm.

Title page: <m 9579.> [= in Bordeaux coloured indelible pen] Dis dur | PARTIE | par le | Claveçin | di | Scheibe

Title on first music page (fol. 1r): Partie

In 2^o; upright format, consisting of 3 nested bifolios; title page (fol. 1r), music (fols. 1v–6r), blank page (fol. 6v); in all 3 bifolios. Hand-ruled paper, 16 staves (9 mm; single rastrum used) in dark brown ink and music in same ink; the bottom two staves on fols. 1v, 2r, 4r, 5r, bottom four staves on fol. 3r, and bottom six staves on fol. 6r have not been used. A clean autograph ink copy with some crosses added in ink at some bar lines suggesting that a transcript has been made from the present source. It is likely that the outer bifolio was later added to the source as the paper type is clearly different and, furthermore, the ink used is also of a different colour; the bifolio also contains signs of having been folded on the middle. Thus originally the 'Dis Dur' Partita would have started with the Allemande. It should be noted that the left hand employs the traditional C1 clef. It is evident from the Breitkopf catalogues (1761) and (1763) as well as their auction catalogue of 1836 that the Partita was part of the whole collection.

Watermark: a visible emblem consisting of a crowned coat-of-arms with crossed swords (<http://www.wasserzeichen-online.de> ID no. 137.650), dated to around 1730; paper of a dense quality, yet soft.

Written in ink (Johann Adolph Scheibe).

In modern full-binding including front and end flyleaves.

D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung, Berlin Mus. ms. autogr. Scheibe 5. Digitisation

RISM_A_II 464.001.515.