Research project SC/01 (Research action SC)
The network proposes to draw up a list of all the musical manuscripts (around 1600 - 1850) which are stored in Belgium and to describe the content according to the criteria established in this connection by the officials of the International Inventory of Musical Sources (RISM).
The RISM has been published since 1960 and first of all focused its attention on printed music from before 1800. Whilst Belgium played an active part in this first aspect, the same does not apply to musical manuscripts written between 1600 and 1850, to which the A/II series of the RISM is dedicated. To fill this gap, the network intends to incorporate its work in the above-mentioned international project and to transmit the information collected to the central secretariat of the RISM.
The information disseminated by the RISM will be limited to a general index per composer. The description of each source, both from the codicological point of view and as regards the content, will undoubtedly be an essential complement to this, and the proposed network should produce a catalogue in which each manuscript is the subject of a brief codicological note and exhaustive perusal including, in particular, the title or literary incipit of the work, the musical incipit and the name of the composer. Other information could be added depending on
the nature of the work.
Whilst the project concerns manuscripts later than 1600, the network also intends to include older works. Some of these are already well known and have even been published in facsimile form, but new discoveries are very likely.
Since the project provides for systematic perusal of the collections of handwritten music to be found in our country, the network aims to draw up an inventory of all manuscript sources from before 1850 that are stored in Belgium.
