A document written in the hand of the author or composer. This distinguishes it from the more commonly used word, Autograph, for the latter, strictly, means merely that the document is written by someone who can be named. Thus, an accounting of the manuscripts written by C.P.E. Bach would include not only his holographs, copies of his own compositions, but also his autograph copies of the works of his father, J.S. Bach. Similarly, the father's holographs of his own works need to be distinguished from his autograph copies of music by such composers as Caldara or Lotti, or Grigny.
Even though the accurate detection of a composer's handwriting can often add greatly to the value of a manuscript, the distinction between autograph and holograph is not much observed by antiquarian dealers or auctioneers (who tend to use the more general word in all situations). However, it is useful for scholars, for whom the identity of a scribe or copyist is often of prime importance. The circle of scribes who worked for major 19th-century composers frequently included other, younger composers, earning their living while learning their craft. The musical style of the younger man often shows traces of what he learnt while working as a copyist. Similarly, discovering the identity or working milieu of a Baroque composer-scribe immediately affects our understanding of the value of the music he or she wrote, and recent studies of compositional sketches and drafts by Renaissance and 20th-century composers have radically enhanced our view of their musical priorities.
See also Sources, MS, §I.
STANLEY BOORMAN