MUSIC STAB-STITCHED WITH RIBBONS

Cardon, Jean-Baptiste: Quatre sonates pour la harpe avec accompagnement de violon, dédiées à Madame la Comtesse d'Artois [...[ Oeuvre Ier. Gravé par Le Le Roy. Prix 6 tt. [Offered with] IVme Livre de sonates pour la harpe avec accompagnement de violon. Dédié à Madame la Comtesse de Civrac par Cardon fils. Oeuvre 9me. Prix 9 tt. Gravé par F.P. Le Roy [Offered with] [same title] [violin section] [Bound with] Quatre sonates pour la harpe avec accompagnement de violon, ad libitum. Dédiées à la Reine [...] Oeuvre VII. Gravé par Le Roy. [Bound with] Quatre sonates pour la harpe, avec accompagnement de violon, dédiées à Madame la Comtesse d'Artois. Oeuvre Ier. Gravé par Le Roy. Prix 6 tt. [Bound with] Petrini, Henri: Une sonate pour la harpe avec accompagnement de violon ad-libitum. Dédiée à Madame la Marquise de Bonchamps [...] Oeuvre XIIe. Gravé par Mlle. Fleury. Prix 3 tt. À Versailles, chez l'auteur, à Paris, chez Cousineau; [[Paris] l'auteur; Cousineau]; [[Paris] l'auteur; Cousineau] [Cousineau] [Versailles, l'auteur; Paris, Cousineau]; [Paris, l'auteur]. [n.d.]

A visually interesting collection of sonata music, probably shown here as they were bound when sold (stab-stitched with ribbons). The music is mostly by the virtuoso harpist Jean-Baptiste Cardon (1760-1803). The printing can mostly be dated to before 1790, when this composer left France because of the Revolution, going to Russia; he is usually listed in our present collection as the Paris or Versailles-based co-publisher, along with the Cousineau firm of Paris harp-makers, lutiers and music publishers. Our second pamphlet is signed, in ink, "Cousineau" on the title-page and there is a Cousineau publisher's advert pasted on this title-page too, for the firm's harp journal, Terpsichore. The first pamphlet is signed in ink (p. 3) by Cardon. Other interesting features include full-page Cousineau publisher's adverts, which are found in the paginations. The final work is engraved by Mademoiselle Fleury (active 1768-1800) (data.bnf.fr)). 

Details

Six parts bound as three booklets, c.30 cms. x c.27.5 cms., folio, pp. [2] 16 [2]; [2] 17 [1]; 9 [1]; 9 [1]; 5 [1]; 3 [1]. With final blank to first part. Entirely printed in intaglio. Harp and violin sections separated (see below); the final publication (written and published by Henri Petrini (c.1775-1800)) may be an incomplete copy of the violin section (the music ends with the words "au comencet. du Rondo"). Page one of first and second part a Cousineau catalogue. Browning, spotting, waterstaining, slight worming; small hole caused by tear on last leaf of second part (within plate marks but no loss of any notation). The three booklets stab-stitched in brown or green ribbon, edges untrimmed (the middle tie removed from the first booklet). Pasted-on intaglio advert to top margin of second part. Ink signatures, of Cardon to p. 3 of first part and of Cousineau to title-page of second. 

Bibliography

First part: RISM C 987 (without violin section but with pp. 15-16, which are not in digitised copy). See also RISM CC 987a. Second part: RISM C 1004 (without violin). Third part: RISM C 1004 (violin section). Fourth part: RISM C 994; CC 994 (violin section). Fifth part:  RISM C 987 (see also RISM CC987a) (violin section). Sixth part: not in RISM (this is the violin section).

Hans J. Zingel (rev. Alice Lawson Aber-Count), 'Cardon, Jean-Baptiste'. Grove Music Online (2001). (Last accessed 25 March 2024).