editors. A great number of dances and airs appeared in several collections. In most of these 'recueils' the names of the composers were not mentioned, although on the other hand the titles of the larger works from which these individual pieces were taken were named. In the case of some of these collections only the editor or the hurdy-gurdy composers are known, who arrange the pieces for the instrument :
Mme Boivin (ed.), Vaudeville, Menuets, Contredances et Airs détachés chantés sur les Théatres des Comédies Française et Italienne, 1 (-13e) Partie, lesquels se jouent sur la flute, vielle, musette, violon... Paris o.J. (ca 1745). [trans SB: Vaudeville, Minuets, Contredances and Melodies "Detaches" sung at the French and Italian Theatres, 1st through 13th parts, which may be played on the flute, hurdy-gurdy, musette, violin..."]
Bordet (ed.), Troisième Recueil d'airs en duo tirés des opéra de Mrs. Rameau, Rebel et Francoeur, et autres; opéra comiques, parodie... choisis et ajustés pour les flutes, violons, pardessus de violes et dont le pluspart peuvent se jouer sur la vielle et la musette, Paris (1770). [Trans SB: Third collection of melodies for duo taken from operas by Rameau, Rebel and Francoeur and others; comic operas, parodies...chosen and arranged for flutes, violins over viola da gambas and of which the greater part may be played on the hurdy-gurdy and musette, Paris (1770)."]
Another collection is divided according to composer in so far as these are known, and according to the type of the piece when the composer is not known:
Recueil d'airs pour la vielle. I. Airs avec noms d'auteurs. II Airs sans nom d'auteur. III. Brunettes à deux vielles. IV. Nöels a deux vielles. V. Airs de trompettes et de fanfares. VI. Menuets. VII. Contredanses cotillons et danses diverses. [Trans SB: Collection of melodies for the hurdy-gurdy. I. Melodies with composers names. II. Melodies without composers names. III. Brunettes for two hurdy-gurdies. IV. Noels for two hurdy-gurdies. V. Trumpet and Fanfare Melodies. VI. Minuets. VII. Contradances, Cotillions and Diverse Dances."]
Among the composers whose work is represented in this collection are: Baptiste, de Caix, Clerambault, Colin, F. Couperin, Dandrieu, Danguy, Desjardins, Duval, Fessart, Forcroy, Halarius, Mouret, Hotteterre le Romain, Jacquet, de L'Orme, de Lacoste, Marais, Monteclair and Rameau.
Most of the pieces in this collection which have the composer's name are works of Francois Couperin and all come from his " Pièces de Clavecin", a collection of 240 pieces arranged in 27 ordres [comment JW: spelling?] and which appeared in four parts in 1713, 1717, 1722 and 1730. The "pieces de Clavecin" were especially suited to be played on another instrument. They are mostly short pieces which the composer in part even
composed so that they could be played on other instruments. Among the many pieces of Couperin's in this collection are found the 'Musette de Choisy' and the ' Musette de Taverny' which immediately follows [fn]. Couperin wrote both of these musettes in three voices over one another, of which the lowest represents a constant drone which when played on the harpsichord has to be continually struck. The second voice represents an accompaniment to the upper voice, and moves in the same tonal range as it. This second voice was intended to be played on a two-manual harpsichord and can be left out if the second manual is not available. With regards to both of these pieces Couperin remarks that they can be played on all instruments played in unison [fn]. Both musettes are written in A major and must be transposed to C major to be played on hurdy-gurdies or musettes. After transpostition they can be played, since the tonal range does not go beyond that of those instruments. In this collection of hurdy-gurdy pieces of various authors the 'Musettes' are arranged for two hurdy-gurdies, so that both voices written by Couperin for the harpsichord can be played. There is no third instrument since the drone is already provided by the hurdy-gurdies (ex. 30).
The most extensive and signifi