The New Bedford Manuscript Part-Books of Handel's Setting of L'Allegro

Abstract

In December 1973 my good friend, William Lichtenwanger, then head of music reference in the Library of Congress Music Division, passed on an enquiry he had received from gentleman in the old whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. This gentleman, Harrie W. Johnston, had in his possession three very old manuscript of G. F. Handel's L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (composed early in 1740 and first performed at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, 27 February the same year), the parts being for 1st fiddle, 2nd fiddle and bassoon. Enclosed in the first fiddle part were two concert programs headed The Shaw Musical Society, the first for the 117th anniversary of the Society dated Friday, 2 January 1857, and the second for the 120th anniversary dated Friday, 28 January 1859, both concerts held at the Queen's Head Inn, Shaw. Mr. Johnston rightly deduced that Shaw Musical Society originated at the same time as Handel's L'Allegro and wished for advice on whether this was significant and whether these old part-books might be a great value. With such evidence one naturally exercises the utmost caution; but, equally, there are intriguing possibilities. Though Handel's performing parts were almost wholly destroyed in fires at London theatres during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, yet his musical output is represented by a rich store of manuscript material (most collections consisting of full scores) copied for the private libraries of his wealthy and aristocratic friends, in addition to the almost complete series of his autograph full scores. Nearly the whole of this material is extant and accessible at the present time, though some gaps are known and others suspected. As Handel hardly ever wrote out performing parts himself (but left this task to his friend and amanuensis, J. C. Smith senior, and his circle of copyists) it was fairly certain that Mr. Johnston's