Myrtillo, Or the Despairing Swain. To the Rt. Honble. the Lord Delawar, this Cantata is most humbly inscrib'd. Plates 25-28 from George Bickham's The Musical Entertainer.
London: 1740. Unbound.
4 leaves, with large elaborate vignettes to heads illustrating the song with music and text below set for voice and figured bass. Ca. 326 x 200 mm. (12.75" x 7.85") [plate mark]; ca. 392 x 247 mm. (15.45" x 9.75") [sheet size].
Slightly worn; minor browning to edges; minor soiling and dampstaining; inner edges slightly frayed; small tears to edges.
Very Good.
From the second edition of Bickham's monumental work, first published in 1737-1739. BUC p. 107. RISM BII p. 245.
"[Bickham ?1706-1771] was principally famous in music circles for his two illustrated folio volumes The Musical Entertainer, first issued in fortnightly parts, each containing four plates, from January 1737 to December 1739. The 200 plates are songs, headed and surrounded with pictorial embellishments illustrative of the song ..., and engraved in the style of and even copied directly from Gravelot and Watteau. This work was the first of its kind to be published in England and quickly produced imitators such as Lampe’s British Melody, engraved by Benjamin Cole." Frank Kidson et al. in Grove Music Online.
A charming group of engravings.
The Musical Entertainer is considered one of the finest 18th century illustrated books. Complete copies of this monumental work are exceptionally rare.
Item #36706
Price: $220.00 other currencies