Quinault

1675 · 39689 — Paris: Christophe Ballard seul Imprimeur du Roy pour la Musique ruë Saint Jean de Beauvais au Mont Parnasse . Par exprés commandement de Sa Majesté 1675. Small quarto. Modern marbled boards with paper title label to upper and spine. 1f. recto title verso blank 1f. "Acteurs du Prologue" 4ff. "Prologue" 1f. "Acteurs de la Tragedie" 76 pp. With woodcut device to title including Apollo with lyre figures in Greco-Roman dress with harp and lute and a pegasus; exceptionally fine woodcut headpiece to Prologue and additional headpieces to each act; decorative woodcut initials and tailpieces throughout.<br /> <br /> Full named cast lists for the "Acteurs du Prologue" and the "Acteurs de la Tragedie."<br /> <br /> Small holes to blank inner margins from previous sewing; slightly worn; very occasional minor foxing soiling and stains; minor loss to blank upper outer corner of pp. 31/32. First Edition fourth issue. Sonneck Librettos p. 1069. Schmidt LLC3-2.3. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> "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. Christophe Ballard, seul Imprimeur du Roy, pour la Musique, ruë Saint Jean de Beauvais au Mont Parnasse ... Par exprés command unknown