The Borel Manuscript: A New Source of Seventeenth-Century French Harpsichord Music at Berkeley

A 17th-century manuscript of French harpsichord music acquired for the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library at the University of California, Berkeley, is explored. A preliminary report examines details of the manuscript's makeup and contents, briefly discussing the composers named in the source. Of the more than 100 pieces, only 27 are ascribed to composers, and a number of others can be identified from concordances. The majority of the works attributed to particular composers appear to be unique to the manuscript. Because the name Borel appears at the bottom of the title page, the document is referred to as the "Borel Manuscript." Considerations relevant to dating the manuscript are addressed, its contents are highlighted, and the 12 named composers are identified.