MarketChristophe Ballard
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Christophe Ballard

Christophe Ballard was a Parisian printer, bookseller, and music publisher employed by Louis XIV, from the family of publishers founded by Robert Ballard (1530–1588) in the mid-16th century. Christophe Ballard was the eldest son and only successor of Robert III Ballard and, like him, was the king's imprimeur ordinaire active from 1673 until the end of his life.

Typographic equipment
The Ballard family used several distinct types for printing music: • the grosse musique, made in 1555 by Guillaume Le Bé, and its corresponding plainchant type (5-lined stave = 14.7 mm) • the moyenne musique, made in Germany, and its corresponding plainchant type (5-lined stave = 10.5mm) • the moyenne musique en ove, made by Le Bé c.1559. This type is of the same dimensions as the standard moyenne musique and often interspersed with it when beamed notes were called for. This type also shared clefs with it. • the petite musique and its corresponding plainchant type (5-lined stave = 7.5 mm). This type was used whenever an economy of space was called for, such as in Christophe Ballard’s 12mo volumes. • the French lute tablature en espace, made by Robert Granjon c.1558 Other equipment used by the shop include decorative woodcut initials and six additional woodcuts. == References ==
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