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Baroque Music of New Orleans, in prerevolutionary France, popular opinion held that aristocratic women “were prone to leading frivolous lives or engaging in immoral behavior.” Changing the lyrics took the “danger” out of the songs, while the melodies preserved an element of pleasure. Using popular tunes as a hook, contrafacta could serve as “a powerful tool for the edification of the faithful,” writes Jennifer Gipson, whose essay in the book focuses on the songs’ lyrical transformations from secular to sacred.
Making the Manuscript
I he contrafacta were first published in 1730, with the full title Nouvellespoesies spirituelles et morales sur les plus beaux airs de la musique frangoise et italienne avec la basse (New spiritual and moral poetry set to the most beautiful French and Italian airs with figured bass).
I he collection proved successful, and subsequent printings included additional recueils (volumes) of songs, with the final edition, published in 1737, featuring eight volumes. Sometime during Lent 1736, the copyist of the Ursuline manuscript, a female scribe known only as C.D., transcribed the first four volumes. As was the custom, she added creative flourishes to the manuscript, including illustrations around the song titles and in the margins. In 1754, a mysterious donor, known only as Monsieur Nicollet, sent the manuscript version of Nouvelles poesies to the Ursuline nuns in New Orleans, where it has remained ever since.
A.	Endpaper
from the Ursuline manuscript copy of Nouvelles poesies spirituelles et morales
1736; manuscript sheet music 98-001-RL.58
B “Amour de Dieu” (Cod’s love)
from the Ursuline manuscript copy of Nouvelles
poesies spirituelles et morales
1736; manuscript sheet music 9S-007-RL.5&
Winter 2015	9