The Bauyn Manuscript (Paris, BN Res VM7 674-5. AOK 10

Paris, Biblioth?que nationale de France, R?s Vm7 647–657, the “Bauyn Manuscript,” has long been recognized as one of the most important monuments of seventeenth-century French harpsichord music. It is the largest single extant collection of this repertory in terms both of length (446 pages) and of content (more than 300 pieces). It is the only source of more than 150 pieces, and it is a major source for the works of Chambonni?res, Louis Couperin, Hardel, and Richard and for the harpsichord works of Du Mont.

Gustafson’s long-awaited edition of this important source renders its contents accessible in a modern edition and in reliable texts. Facsimiles of Bauyn have been available for some time now, but these facsimiles are not consistently accurate representations of the source; in some cases, symbols have dropped out, and in others imperfections ranging from bleedthrough to stray bits of dirt have been allowed to remain. Gustafson’s edition, prepared, as is proper, from the manuscript itself, renders the texts accurately and legibly. Gustafson’s edition includes a valuable historical introduction and a comprehensive critical apparatus. The apparatus not only reports emendations but identifies for each piece all of the known concordances and discusses their relationships to Bauyn’s texts. Those who make use of the apparatus, which reflects Gustafson’s unsurpassed mastery of French harpsichord music, will learn much about the conventions and patterns characterizing the transmission of this important repertory.