Autograph Manuscript of keyboard music

Item author: Henry Purcell and Giovanni Battista Draghi
Item date: 1696
(this is an approximate date)
Grant Value: 5,000
Item cost: 287,000
Item date acquired: 1994
Item institution: British Library
Town/City: London

The only surviving example of Purcell's harpsichord music written in his own hand. Includes five previously unknown pieces by Purcell and four previously unrecorded arrangements for keyboard of his theatre music and unknown movements from his keyboard suites. The Purcell works occupy 22 pages, the rest of the volume has music by Draghi, some of this also unknown and almost certainly autograph. A MSS of considerable importance for the study of the development of harpsichord music in England and of the relationship between the two composers

Item Provenance
Sothebys May 1994 (Export licence withheld to allow BL to raise purchase price)
Purcell Autograph Manuscript of keyboard music - the only survivng example of Purcell's harpsichord music written in his own hand
Purcell Autograph Manuscript of keyboard music - the only survivng example of Purcell's harpsichord music written in his own hand