The Fossard database centralises all the digital resources produced or collected by the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles as part of its scientific activities: books, articles, scientific introductions, periodicals and archives.
The Fossard database contains open-access resources that can be downloaded in PDF format:
Digital books and articles, published only online since 2017 (‘Research, music and documents’ collection, various articles outside the collection).
Digitisation of scientific introductions to monumental editions and anthologies published by the CMBV (Charpentier, Du Mont, Musiques des Maîtres de France, etc.).
Periodicals linked to the history of the Centre and to the rediscovery of Baroque music, such as the Bulletin de l'Atelier d'études sur la musique baroque française (1989-2003), the Bulletin de la Société Marc-Antoine Charpentier in paper (1989-2003) and digital (2008-2021) versions, and the digitisation of back issues of Musique Ancienne (1978-1989).
It also offers, on request:
The paper archives (ASP) of researchers who have worked at the CMBV, as well as the documentary traces of research projects. These documents include the working files of Catherine Cessac and Jean Duron, the bio-bibliographical surveys carried out for the research workshops, and the archives of Jean Lionnet, in particular his transcriptions of Roman sacred music, which are distinguished by their richness and quality. These archives can be consulted at the CMBV library by appointment (bibliotheque@cmbv.fr).
The Digital Archives (ASN), comprising digital data and documents classified by researcher or by project, as well as backups in XML format of the CMBV's former databases, now integrated into the PHILIDOR4 database. To consult these archives, it is necessary to request authorisation, via the contact form, from the person in charge of the CMBV's digital resources.
The Fossard database is named after François Fossard (1642-1702), a member of the Petits Violons, a musician at the Chapelle and a music copyist. In the early 1660s, Louis XIV entrusted him with the task of collecting the scores of ballets performed at Court since the reign of Henry III. In the 1680s, he and André Danican Philidor founded a workshop of copyists that produced several dozen volumes. These volumes formed the original core of the King's music library, which is now shared between the BnF and the Versailles municipal library.