[ANONYME] Sommaire de tous les recueils des chansons tant amoureuses, rustiques, que musiciens, comprises en quatre livres. Adjousté plusieurs chansons nouvelles, non encore mis en lumière. Livre premier [-livre IIII].

Gay-Lemonnyer, III, 1126 (this copy) ; see Brunet, V, 436.

Extremely rare edition, probably the only one, containing all four books.

The Sommaire de tous les recueils des chansons tant amoureuses, rustiques, que musiciens is a famous collection of Renaissance poetic texts and songs without notated music. Originally published in 1576 by the families of prominent booksellers and printers such as Nicolas Bonfons in Paris and Benoît Rigaud in Lyon, this collection saw a major and highly sought-after edition in 1582, containing all four books for the first time.

This work compiles the lyrics of popular songs of the period, often sung to dance tunes (such as branles, vaudevilles or voix de ville). It is organised as follows:

1. Book One: Love Songs

            • A collection of lyric poetry, courtly verses and sentimental laments inspired by the great poets of the Pléiade (including slight adaptations or imitations of Pierre de Ronsard).

2. Book Two: Rustic and Pastoral Songs

            • It features dialogues between shepherds and shepherdesses, pastoral stories and texts with a lighter or more idyllic tone.

3. Book Three: Musical Songs / Voices of the City

            • More rhythmic songs, adapted to the polyphonic styles of the great musicians of the time (such as Orlando de Lassus) or modelled on well-known Parisian tunes.

4. Book Four: New Songs « non encore mises en lumière »

            • A section of additions inserted by the editor to include the latest successes of the year 1582.

No copy of this edition is listed in the BnF and Brunet has no record of this edition. 

The 9 missing leaves from the first part were carefully copied at the time of binding and bound at the end, as well as 74 leaves containing 38 songs taken from the edition 1582 but omitted in this edition. 

The inscription on the flyleaf by a previous owner bears witness to this: “Exemplaire probablement unique d’une édition que M. Brunet n’a pas vu. Veinant, qui en fut le possesseur, a supplée 9 ff. manquant à la première partie et ajouté deux appendices de 90 et 49 pages. Ce volume a ensuite appartenu à M. Vill. Martin à la vente de qui j’ai payé 175 fr. sans les frais. Avril 1869, Prosper Blanchemain”.

The two inserted manuscript notebooks bear individual titles, including: Copie de trente huit chansons du recueil de 1582, qui n’ont pas été reproduites dans celui de 1588, 90 pp. (including 2 pp. of table), and Sommaire de tous les recueils des plus excellens chansons… (Paris, Anthoune Huë, n.d.), specifying that the following chansons are not to be found in the collections of Paris, Nicolas Bonfons, 1582 and 1588, 44pp. and 1 f. of table. The copies end with an Achevé d’écrire dated 5 October 1851. 

Gay-Lemonnyer quotes this copy as being sold by an amateur to Aubry in 1866 for 175fr. It then was included in the Chédeau sale where it was sold for 225fr. A few short leaves shaved at head.

Albeit the defects, a pleant copy of this extremely rare edition.