LULLY, Jean-Baptiste 1634-1687 and Philippe QUINAULT 1635-1688

Thesée Tragedie en Musique. Ornée d'Entrées de Ballet, de Machines, & de Changements de Theatre. Representée devant Sa Majesté à Saint Germain en Laye, le dixième jour de Janvier 1675. [LWV 51]. [Libretto]

Paris: Christophe Ballard, seul Inprimeur du Roy, pour la Musique, ruë Saint Jean de Beauvais au Mont Parnasse ... Par exprés commandement de Sa Majesté, 1675.

Quarto. Disbound. 1f. (recto title, verso blank), 1f. ("Acteurs du Prologue"), 3ff. ("Prologue"), 1f. ("Acteurs de la Tragedie"), 70 pp. With woodcut device to title including Apollo with lyre, figures in Greco-Roman dress with harp and lute, and a pegasus; woodcut headpieces to each act; decorative woodcut initials and tailpieces throughout.

Full named cast lists for the "Acteurs du Prologue" and the "Acteurs de la Tragedie."

Somewhat worn, browned, foxed, soiled, and stained, a bit heavier to title; some worming, especially to lower inner margins; stub of front free endpaper and blank preliminary leaf preceding title; first signature detached; loss to blank outer margin of title repaired with contemporary paper; blank outer margin of all leaves of "Prologue" repaired with contemporary paper; numerous additional leaves with contemporary paper reinforcements to inner margins; other minor defects. Lacking first leaf of Prologue, pp. 65-66, and pp. 71-76.

First Edition, first issue (all other issues with a date of first performance as 11 January 1675). This issue not in Sonneck Librettos. Schmidt LLC3-1.

Thesée, a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts to a libretto by Quinault after Ovid’s Metamorphoses, was first performed at St Germain-en-Laye on 11 January 1675.

"The orchestra and chorus are used with brilliant effect in several divertissements, but especially in the evocation of battle throughout Act 1. Medea’s role (like that of Lully’s final lovesick sorceress, Armide) is replete with expressive monologue airs: ‘Doux repos’, ‘Dépit mortel’, ‘Sortez, Ombres’ and ‘Ah! faut-il me venger’. Thésée was part of the standard repertory at the Paris Opéra from 1675 until 1767; in addition, it was selected to represent Lully when, in 1779, the Opéra presented an historical survey of French operatic styles. Lully’s score was substantially modernized by editors for productions from 1754 onwards." Lois Rosow in Grove Music Online.

Item #39713

Price: $700.00  other currencies